I’ll be the first to admit that I find it difficult to part with things. It’s not because the things themselves are so special to me, but because I have a memory attached to almost everything and I am sometimes worried that the memory with disappear if I get rid of the thing. Anyone relate? 

We all know how easily piles of “stuff” accumulates. We all know that every now and then our “stuff” has to go through a minimizing process. With spring cleaning in full swing, many of us want to get rid of some of the clutter in our lives. Here are some tips that have helped me. 

1. Watch a Declutter-With-Me Video on YouTube

There are countless ones out there, and they can be so helpful! For me personally, watching people get rid of things, puts me in the mood to do the same. A helpful series I have used, is the “Messy to Minimalist” series by Natalie Bennett. 

2. Set Challenges

Recently, I decided to tackle the two shelves I knew I hadn’t taken things out of for months but had just kept on putting things into. A mess, to say the least. Now, there are different kinds of goals I set myself. Usually, it is either a time-goal or an amount-goal. This time I went with the latter. 

Before even opening the cupboard door, I took a piece of paper and wrote down my goal. This is my no-excuse-for-backing-out trick. In this case: “¼ get rid of”. Then, I braved the pile of “stuff”. My goal was, to get rid of at least ¼ of it. And I did. 

The other possibility is to set a time goal. Say, 30 minutes of speed decluttering. You can, of course, do a combination of the two, for example: Within the next five minutes, I want to find five things to pass on. 

3. Take a Picture of It 

As I mentioned, I often like keeping things for the sake of the memory. If you are like me in that regard, this tip can help. Instead of having to keep the actual thing, think about taking a picture of it. I did this recently with some of my toys that I later donated. 

4. Put It in Quarantine 

Are we all sick of that word yet? Hear me out, though. If you aren’t sure if you want to get rid of something or if you will still need it, put it in a designated place where you can’t see it. Write the date on a piece of paper and put it with the piece. Now go about your life as if it doesn’t exist. 

If, within the next few weeks or months, you need it, you can go and get it and use it. Chances are, you won’t need it. And guess what? If you don’t use it for x amount of weeks or months, you probably don’t need it at all. 

5. Compromise

Those ten wooden bead necklaces that remind you of that time you dressed up as a child? How about keeping one of them and giving the rest away to charity? (And yes, that’s a real-life example from my childhood jewelry box.) 

Believe it or not, the less we have, the happier we often are. Tell me below, what is your best tip for decluttering and downsizing? 

About the Author: Sarah Susanna Rhomberg is a teen, who lives in Europe and is fluent in both English and German. When not writing, you will often find her reading or working on the organization of a camp for children – always with a mug of herbal tea at hand. Sarah wants to live her life for Christ and writes to glorify Him. Connect with her through her email list here.