My Top Five Tips That Make Decluttering MUCH Easier
January 13, 2026
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Five important tips that make decluttering MUCH easier (and productive).
It's the most wonderful time of year! OH, how I LOVE taking down the Christmas decor and having a simple, clean (and even a little bit boring) house.
I always get the decluttering bug this time of year -- and after a lot of practice, I've become a pro at it.
I've learned SO much over the years, and wanted to break down the most important things to consider when purging and decluttering.
Living with too much stuff is stressful, and sorting through it can be anxiety-inducing. If you are considering a big purge, I hope these tips will help!
1. Give yourself grace.
If you are starting a major declutter for the first time, or it's your 20th time...it's overwhelming, I know.
Now that I've done this a few times, I know what to expect and actually enjoy it now. But the first time I really, truly tackled it, I was anxious and annoyed (mostly with myself).
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you start this process:
- You are not alone...I'd say the vast majority of us (in the USA at least) have too much stuff. You are very, very normal. 😀
- If you/your family is in the throes of crazy work schedules/young kids/health issues, at the very least take your time with this process and give yourself some grace. The older I've gotten, the more life has calmed down (knock on wood), so I've been able to tackle our clutter. When our kids were much younger there's no way I would've had the time. And that's OK! The seasons of life will change and you'll get to it eventually.
- Decluttering will take longer than you think it will, so plan accordingly and prepare yourself mentally. The first time I followed a purging plan that worked, it took around nine months or so to finish.
- If you like a lot of things around you, it's OK to not declutter. You should do what you want in your own home with your own stuff!
For me personally, the more stuff I clean out of our home, the less anxious I feel.
Don't get me wrong -- I'm a DIY and decor obsessed blogger, so we have plenty of things. But they are aren't overwhelming like they were ten years ago!
2. It's not that deep.
I can't even tell you how many decluttering "tricks" I've heard over the years. Just a few days ago I watched a YouTube video of a woman who donated almost all of the clothing she hadn't worn in six months.
That's a bit too extreme for me. For example, I don't wear business attire to an office anymore. I haven't worn most of the dress pants and shirts in my closet for more than a year...but I still wear them occasionally.
And I like the clothing in my closet...whether I wear it once a year or every week:
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More on that next!
I've seen tricks where you turn your clothing around and hang it from the back, and after six to nine months if you haven't worn it, you should donate. It's an idea that makes sense, but I feel like if you like it, keep it. If you don't, don't!
Plus, when I declutter I want to do it NOW. It's like paying off your smallest debt first...you'll be so encouraged as you get going, you won't want to stop!
Basically, I just don't think decluttering should be that hard. The next step is how we make it easy...
3. Keep what you love.
When I read about the Konmari "tidying" method years ago, the part that made me approach purging differently was this question:
Do I love this item and/or do I use this item regularly?
That's it. There's no tricks, no "hacks" -- just asking yourself if you like it. I mean, really like it. And if it's a utilitarian thing, like a kitchen utensil for example...do you use it often?
If you do, keep it! If not, let it go.
This shift of deciding what items to KEEP makes the process so much easier for me.
Before, I was always trying to decide what I needed to get rid of. That felt heavy, and made the process more difficult.
And I would get annoyed with myself. For spending money on something and not using it, not enjoying a gift, keeping clothes forever that didn't fit...whatever.
When you purge items you don't use or love, it's much easier to pass them on to someone who will enjoy them.
4. Sort like items.
Goodness, this is key! And I'll warn you now...this part can be a pain in the butt. But it's so worth it in the end!
In my experience, another reason the Marie Kondo method works so well is because you gather ALL like items from around the house:
Put them together before deciding what to keep.
It really makes all the difference, because when you see, say, 150 writing utensils that you've accumulated over the years all in one spot, you realize that you couldn't even live long enough to use them all up:
Even if you live to a very ripe old age (and I hope you do).
When you see the volume of like items laying in front of you, it can lighten the mood a bit (after rolling your eyes that you've purchased way too many extension cords):
I've called the family around many times to show them the sheer number of random items, and we all agree that it's just ridiculous.
You probably don't need 20 extension cords. :)
I don't know, maybe you do? That's the beauty of this decluttering method -- you'll decide what is best for you and your family.
5. Continue all year.
Decrapifying stuff we don't use gives me a huge endorphin boost! I'm always considering what we use and don't when working around our home.
I would estimate I donate, sell or pass along a bag of items each week. Sometimes more, sometimes less...but it probably averages out to that.
We have a corner in the garage where I pile things up until I have enough to take away.
It's not a stressful process anymore, for the most part! I'm always in that "Do I love this?" mindset, so I don't get as stressed about letting things go.
I can count on one hand the number of items I've regretted donating over the years.
I still do big purges occasionally, but I can get through them much quicker now. Of course the new year always has me in the mood to lighten our load.
Once you're done with the clutter, the really fun part starts -- organizing! I enjoy figuring out the best ways to organize our biggest problem areas.
Last year I went through ALL of our paper files and whittled them down to fit into this portable file tote:
These tips for reducing the amount of junk mail/paper that comes into your home are super helpful as well!
Last year we had some simple wood shelves built into our storage area -- I keep some holiday decor for our basement here, as well as decor extras that I use around the house:
I use these sticky label pockets on EVERYTHING around the house (along with printable business cards) -- labeling what you have will save you so many headaches:
I feel like the garage is one of the last places we focus our decluttering energy on, but it's so worth it! I did a massive purge in ours years ago, and then did my best to store everything off the floor:
Those wall mounted garden tool holders and extension cord straps are game changers!
Hopefully these tips and ideas will help if you are hoping to declutter in the new year. Do you enjoy the process or does it completely stress you out?
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