Is your home getting you down? If you’re hoarding piles of belongings that don’t serve you well and are gathering dust, then it sounds like you need a clear-out! Hey, if it works for Marie Kondo, it works for us! But what if you’re finding it hard to muster the motivation to declutter?
Don’t worry – we’re right here with you - think of us as your personal decluttering coach! Whether you are looking for motivation to declutter clothes, your home office, or your entire life, we got you covered!
Why is the motivation to declutter worth the effort?
Decluttering may make your home much neater and more presentable. But the benefits extend far beyond aesthetics. Here are some better reasons to dig deep and find that motivation to declutter.
Decluttering saves money
You bet it does! Imagine how much value you have lurking in the possessions in your home. From the old record collection in your attic to coins fallen down the back of your couch, you’ll be amazed how much money you could make when you methodically go through your belongings.
You can sell some of the items you unearth on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or even your local garage sale. If you come across any antiques, or family heirlooms, make sure you get a proper valuation before you part with them.
And the best part of having financial motivation for decluttering is it makes you even more careful with what you purchase in the future. Because once you’re living in a clutter-free home, you’ll be much less inclined to waste money on needless purchases.
So, living a simple life and only purchasing essentials and items that spark joy is great for your finances.
Decluttering reduces allergies
Do you or any household members suffer from allergies like hayfever, asthma, or eczema? The one thing these conditions all have in common is they’re exacerbated by dust.
And as you can imagine, any type of clutter is a dust trap – whether that be piles of books, mountains of clothes, or any miscellaneous junk you have stuffed into a closet!
The fewer items you have in your home, the better the ventilation and the less likely your possessions will attract dust and dust mites. Plus, your home will be easier to clean too!
Decluttering is a stress reliever
Mental health and clean homes and inextricably linked. In a study published in "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin," researchers reveal a clear connection between women whose living spaces are cluttered and mental health symptoms including fatigue and depression.
Those women with messy homes also had elevated cortisol (stress) hormone levels in their bodies.
On the other hand, if you summon up some cleaning and decluttering motivation, research shows you’ll be rewarded with greater productivity and you'll feel calmer, too.
Decluttering is great for the environment
Unfortunately, we live in a wasteful society. And that’s not just bad for our own personal finances, it’s also detrimental to the environment, with 50 million tons of hazardous waste discarded globally.
Put your motivation to declutter to great use, gather your belongings, and recycle them or give them to charity. Avoid buying further clutter in the future (this part’s crucial!)
How do you find the motivation to declutter?
Still feeling hesitant to roll up your sleeves and get the decluttering motivation ball rolling? We get it. Clearing out years' worth of junk from your home is hard work, both physically and mentally — even when you know the benefits of living clutter-free.
So how do you find the motivation to declutter? The key is to zone in on why you’re doing it, define your ultimate decluttering goals, and create a step-by-step action plan.
For instance, your "why" could be because you want to spend less time looking for lost items and more time doing things you enjoy. Once you identify your "why" move on to our key tips to get started!
7 Simple steps to get the motivation to declutter
Finding motivation for decluttering can be very challenging. However, with these simple steps, you can get inspired to attain a clutter-free and tidy home!
1. Create a decluttering action plan
Grab a pad and pen, or your favorite device for note-taking, because you’re about to make a stellar action plan to help you find heaps of motivation for decluttering.
Why create a plan? A plan will help you stay organized and more likely to reach your goals. Note down exactly what you’re going to declutter and what you plan to do with it.
Are you going to sell some items? Donate them to charity? Take them to a recycling center? Once you’ve gathered these belongings, where will you store them until you’re ready to part ways?
A clear plan will stop you from sending unnecessary junk to the landfill and define a purpose for each of your household items.
2. Build some nostalgia time into your decluttering plan
It’s super easy to become distracted when you come across memories! Perhaps you’ll find old photos, journals, college yearbooks, or letters (remember letters?) that make you reminisce.
Nostalgia is such a lovely aspect of decluttering and one you should embrace, but it can also detract from your goals.
One option is to put all your memories to one side and go through them at the end of your decluttering project – think of this as a reward. But if you can’t wait, make sure you build time into your decluttering plan for you to enjoy these special items along the way.
3. Gather your decluttering resources
It might sound counterintuitive to gather more items and equipment before getting rid of your belongings. But when you feel that motivation to declutter, you must have the right resources ready to help you shift the junk out of your home.
Need an example? Have cleaning supplies such as dusters, cloths, and solutions to hand so you can sweep and sanitize as you go. You’ll be amazed how much dust is generated when you start to disturb piles of unused belongings – it’s not uncommon to find mold or mildew, too - ewww!
Another tip is to collect some sturdy boxes and heavy-duty liners to easily move your belongings out of your home and into the car.
4. Find ways to make decluttering fun
Decluttering does need a bit of elbow grease, but that doesn’t mean the fun is off the table! Take inspiration from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and “Whistle While You Work.”
Or alternatively, put on your favorite podcast, listen to an audiobook thriller, or dance around to cheesy music while you get stuck in. What better decluttering motivation could you ask for?
5. Find a decluttering accountability partner
An accountability partner is a buddy who has committed to a decluttering project of their own. Research reveals that people who publicly share their goals are 65% more likely to achieve them, but this increases to 95% when you have an accountability partner to keep you on track.
So grab a friend, a partner, a neighbor, or even a virtual buddy and get to work! If you both commit to your decluttering, you can motivate each other and share your successes. Why not make it a competition?
6. Start in an area where you are most motivated to declutter
If you’re overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in your home, you might not know where to start. One option is to go room by room, but this goes against Marie Kondo’s popular Kon Mari system, which tackles single categories of belongings one at a time, such as focusing on how to declutter paperwork.
So, if you have the motivation to declutter clothes, then you’ll tackle all the clothes in your entire home, from every room, all in one hit. Check out our other post for more motivation to declutter clothes! Then you might move on to books, followed by shoes, old papers, etc.
However, remember you need to find a system that makes it easier to stick to. The secret to cleaning and decluttering motivation, is finding a system that you personally like doing!
7. Plan a decluttering celebration
It’s always easier to work towards a goal if you have a celebration or reward in mind at the end. So, get planning - what reward are you working towards?
Perhaps you’ll give your new minimalist interior a facelift with a fresh lick of paint and some new throw pillows? Or maybe you’ll opt for a more personal treat like a spa treatment. Remember to use the money you’ve earned from selling your clutter!
Have you found your motivation to declutter?
By now, you’ll have tons of cleaning and decluttering motivation. So, there’s nothing left to do but make your plan and gather everything you need to begin. Then set aside some time, start your blitz and look forward to a fresher, neater, and clutter-free living space.