I used to hang on to way more than I needed; in fact, in a previous life, I had a whole bedroom that I used just for storage! That old life sounds bananas to me now. In the last ten years I managed to downsize from a three-bedroom, semi-detached home, to an apartment no larger than 400 square feet. And it took a hefty amount of practice in decluttering to get me to where I am now.
A few weeks ago I made this TikTok to help you get started if you're doing a home declutter. In TikTok it's always challenging to share all of the details, so I wanted to elaborate further on my process and share some questions you might want to ask yourself as you're figuring out what items to part with. I mention in the video that decluttering starts with your mindset; in fact, the whole process should be mindful, and that's why it's ok to take your time with it.
When I declutter, I like to reflect on a few questions to help guide my decision-making:
Do I love this item? If you don't have a strong emotional attachment to an item, it may be easier to let it go.
Do I use this item regularly? If you haven't used an item in a long time, chances are you don't need it. My threshold for most things is 3 months, but you might be more comfortable with 6 months or even 12. You decide.
Do I need this item? Consider whether an item is truly necessary for your daily life, or if it's simply taking up space. A caveat here: sometimes the item is something you need but not something you love, and that's why you're on the fence about keeping it. If that's the case, it might be good to keep your eye open for an upgraded version of the item that you do love so that you can part with the old one.
Could someone else use this item? If an item is still useful but you no longer have a need for it, consider donating or selling it to someone who can make use of it. Facebook marketplace is still a popular choice, but there are also plenty of apps out there to help you sell things. I find Poshmark and Depop to be super useful for selling clothing.
Do I have a designated place for this item? If you don't ensure the items you are keeping have their own home within your space, it may be difficult to keep your space organized.
Is this item worth the storage space it takes up? Consider whether an item is worth the space it takes up in your home, particularly if you're trying to save space.
By asking yourself these questions, you can stop second-guessing and start moving through the decluttering process with greater ease. You can do this! A less cluttered, complicated life is on the other side, I promise.