Clutter. A pretty-looking word, but not a pretty sight. Sometimes in life, we all come face to face with it. When we’re too lazy to keep things neat and tidy, or when we’re moving apartments. Or if we’re simply messy by nature. In this article, we’re going to talk about how to declutter your home, and whether it’s even meant for you. If it is, then you’ll find some helpful tips on how to declutter your apartment with the help of Dana White’s book, Decluttering at the speed of life.
To each their own when it comes to being messy
Before going in, we want to talk subjectively about clutter in the apartment. On one hand, there’s ongoing research that suggests messy people are more creative. As psychologist Kathleen Vohs tells the New York Times, “being around messiness would lead people away from convention, in favor of new directions.”
On the other hand, Nancy Irwin, another psychologist talks to Mic, “If one truly believes their creativity comes from clutter, then they may only feel creative in their messy environment. This is the placebo effect, and mess has no real neurological benefit on creativity in and of itself.”
In conclusion, this argument is … a mess in itself too.
Which is why, we want to tell you that it’s your life, and your space. So do whatever makes you feel at home, in your home!
Now that we’ve got that off of our chest, let’s see some ways to declutter your home in the best way possible, even if it’s in a messy way.
What is clutter to you?
I define clutter as anything I can’t keep under control. If a space in my home consistently gets out of control, I have too much stuff in that space. I have clutter.
Dana White
What do you define as clutter then? Is it just a messy way to keep all the things that are of use to you? And how does it make you feel? If you do feel overwhelmed every time you look at that particular space. Or if you don’t use anything from the messy pile of clutter on your table, then it’s surely time to declutter your apartment.
But on the other hand, if the mess is something you like to look at, or if the chaos drives your creativity, and you use things from the mess almost every day, then you don’t really need to declutter your home. It’s all a matter of what you want to live with, and what you just can’t.
Do you have space for the clutter or do you NEED to declutter your home?
Accept the limitations of the space you have, and declutter enough that your stuff fits comfortably in that space.
Dana White
What makes messy living extremely overwhelming is if you have a small space that hosts clutter like uninvited guests. So as Dana White says in Decluttering at the speed of life, you need to accept the limitations of your space. Even if you like a messy environment, make sure it doesn’t completely block your open spaces around the room. And if it does, it’s time to declutter your home.
Hoarding isn’t organizing
We know, this one stings. But it’s the truth. And we all struggle with it when we sit to declutter our home. Some things are too pretty to throw away and we understand. But the problem is, keep one pretty thing, and soon it becomes boxes and boxes of things that you don’t know what to do with when you sit to declutter your apartment. However, you still want to hoard things, in hopes for an idea to come knocking on the box’s door.
But as Dana White says in Decluttering at the speed of life:
Keep Boxes don’t work. They let me put off making a final decision. I can temporarily place a particularly difficult item inside, confident that the future version of me will know what to do with it. Future Me doesn’t deserve that much credit, and honestly, she doesn’t appreciate the pressure.
Dana White
So do your future self a favor, sing along with Elsa, and LET IT GO, LET IT GOOOOO to declutter your home!
Keep the interesting stuff going when you declutter your home
If your clutter is made up of interesting things that add value to your life in any way, keep them. What you need to know is the distinction between what you compulsively hoard, and the stuff that actually makes you happy when you declutter your apartment.
Because as Dana White says in Decluttering at the speed of life
A common trait among people who struggle with clutter: they’re interesting, and they like interesting stuff.
Dana White
So to declutter your home in the best way possible, find a healthy balance, like in every other aspect of life, and you have nothing to worry about. Most importantly, do whatever makes you feel comfortable and free in your space.
D’you know what else Roomi does outside of helping its readers declutter? With our ever-increasing lists of rooms and roommates across the world, we help you find your perfect match! Download the app here and hop on the easiest ride home, ever!
