Where Do I Start Decluttering?

Let’s get back to basics this week! If you’re new to decluttering, where should you begin?

First of all, welcome here! Choosing to declutter and own less is a decision that changed the way I lived—it gave me more time and freedom to focus on the things that were most important to me, and the things I dreamed about doing.

If you’ve chosen to start getting rid of your stuff, it can be easy to quickly get overwhelmed. Here are a few places to consider starting your journey.

Start Small

Beginning with a small, manageable room prevents you from feeling overwhelmed. A bathroom is a great first choice because it’s full of practical items, which will make the decluttering process easier. If an object doesn’t serve a specific purpose in that room, relocate it, donate it, or throw it out.

Does the idea of decluttering a whole room sound too overwhelming? Just start with a single drawer! In previous seasons where life has been extremely busy, I stuck to decluttering one drawer per day—it helped me feel a continued sense of progress and accomplishment when I couldn’t put a lot of time or energy into minimizing.

Tip: Remember to use the container method to help you decide how much you should be keeping!

Trash and Obvious Items

Another method to consider is getting rid of the most obvious things first. Walk around your home with a large black garbage bag and get rid of anything that’s trash—you may be surprised how much you find and how much visible clutter you can tackle this way!

There are often items sitting in our homes that we know we no longer use; we just haven’t taken the time to deal with them. Walk around your house with a box or bag for donatable items and look for the ones you wholeheartedly are ready to part with.

Visible Areas in Your Home

It feels so good to declutter an area of your home where you can constantly see the results! Start with your entryway, living room, or counters to free up some space in your home—seeing your progress will motivate you to keep going.

For visible areas, I personally like to start with the surfaces in my home. I have a lower clutter threshold—this means that areas full of stuff start to stress me out—and I like my counters, tables, etc. to have the least amount of items on them as possible.

No matter where you choose to start, the important thing is to remember the reason behind your choice to declutter your home. I hope that you will find greater joy, peace, or freedom in living with less!

Now that summer is here, I love spending time in my garden. One of the things decluttering has given me is more freedom to spend time here in my happy place!