What I love about the start of a new season is beginning it with a clean slate. Decluttering has become a therapeutic practice for me. A weight is seriously lifted when I’m finished. But I get a lot of questions on how to even begin such a daunting task. So here are a few things to consider while decluttering.

Remove Everything From The Space
That’s right. Whether you are decluttering your wardrobe or any other closet space, take everything out & place the items either on your bed or a floor space. This practice allows you to start the process with an open & clean space as well as notice the amount of items you had in that particular space. I know, from personal experience, when I would declutter my closet & leave the pieces hanging, I wouldn’t do a thorough job. I would quickly glance at the items & assume most clothing pieces worked for me.
Hold Each Item One At a Time
By removing & holding up each item, you are being more honest with yourself. Ask the question, “Do I truly use or wear this object enough to keep it”? [Marie Kondo also says to thank each item, but I find that a bit odd]. But there is a sense of appreciating your material items, especially when it’s time to let them go.
Split The Piles Into Categories

By organizing the piles into categories, the task seems less overwhelming & you can see how much of each type of clothing or item you have. This helps you pare down what you have a lot of & what you may be lacking.
Determine What To Keep, Donate or Trash
Once you have organized all your items, now comes the fun part. You have to figure out what you want to keep & what to let go. I like to consider a few things as I am making this decision:

By asking these questions, it really makes you think. I especially found pieces that no longer fit my age or never did. I had these shorts that were so unflattering & made me look like a 40 year old housewife. I also had too many graphic T-shirtβs & a bathing suit that made me look 12 years old.
The key is to keep what makes you feel the most confident. Everything else is negotiable & unneeded.
Also, when it comes to products, make sure to throw out your empties. I felt proud of all the bathroom products I used up & makeup I hit pan on so far. And when it comes to makeup consider these questions as you downsize:

Try Everything On
If you have the time, trying on everything really makes a huge difference in the number of items you end up keeping. I for one discovered so many that were too big on me or made me feel less confident. It’s so easy to assume something works for you & leave it sit or hang in your home. But there have been countless moments where I kept something for years, never touch it & realize it never fit me or was damaged in some way. You need to make space for fresh & uplifting things.
Put Back What You Love First
Now that you’ve paired down your items, it’s time to pair down even more. Start by only putting back your favorites & the things you use or wear the most. Whatever is left is still negotiable & maybe needs to be reevaluated. I realized this step helped me donate even more. My maybe pile always ends up being too much anyway.
Organize What You’ve Decided to Keep
Once you have everything you wish to hold on to, it’s time to organize it in a cohesive manner. If you haven’t checked out my post on capsule wardobes, I recommend you do so. I discuss the benefits of having less clothing & having a certain number of items in that wardrobe.

Having less belongings & decluttering on a regular basis has helped me stay less overwhelmed. Cleaning takes less time & in some places, Iβve paired down enough where I no longer have to declutter. I hope these tips help you with your downsizing projects.

All great tips to help with decluttering Brittany! Having a good look at what we really need vs the extra is so important to have a peace of mind. Nice article π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Great point! Agreed! π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great tips. I, too, find Marie Kondoβs suggestion of thanking and talking to your possessions a bit odd.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I find that to be a bit extreme. But the overall concept is life changing. Thanks for the comment ππΏ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whenever im wanting to de-clutter (especially clothing) my mom used to make me put my stuff into 3 piles. Keep, throw away, and unsure. Once I had decided what goes where, I usually had a bunch in the unsure pile and would go over that pile maybe 3 times doing the same rule. Keep, throw away, unsure. And I would do that until I had sifted through them all. It honestly worked, because each time you give yourself time to think whether or not you are actually ever going to wear it again!
LikeLiked by 2 people
My mom did the same thing! Yes Iβm always rechecking the maybe pile and trying to get rid of more. Haha. Thanks for the comment, Olivia! ππΏπ
LikeLike
I do the same and this formula really works. It makes the job too easy!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lovely post! I love to donate things I don’t use anymore. ππΏ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yess itβs so nice to be rid of that excess clutter! πππ»
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love a good declutter! These are some great tips π I am just about to declutter my clothes ready for autumn/winter as well so can use some of these tips! Xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck!! ππ»π Glad these tips will be useful to you! π
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel too lazy to start declutteringπ, actually a daunting task!!
But yes once we complete it, it looks like a productive dayπ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha π I know how you feel! Sometimes when I bring everything out and lay it on my bed, I think, βwhat have I doneβ? But I finish it so I can get in my bed to go to sleep. Otherwise Iβd be sleeping on a pile of clothes. πππ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahahahahππ
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for these great tips! I really like the practice of removing everything from a space and evaluating each piece to see if it’s truly necessary for me or if it could be repurposed to someone else.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! It def makes me be more honest with what I need to keep. Glad these tips were helpful to you! ππΏ
LikeLiked by 1 person
I showed up and looked around like I asked! What a great site, I love it
Chad
http://www.LiveFree2SailFast.com
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for stopping by Chad! It means a lot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love these tips, thanks so much for sharing! Decluttering always helps my headspace π x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed! Glad you find these tips helpful! π
LikeLike
This is such a perfect post for me- I want to declutter so badly but it’s a bit hard for me but this is a great guide. I think my problem is letting go of stuff I don’t need but I’m working on that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Itβs def a process! It def took me sometime to let go of more things.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clear and practical tips π
LikeLike
I love Marie Kondo and her tidying concepts. I’ve applied them many times to declutter my living space. While people find it hard to say thanks to objects they’re getting rid of, I find it easier to get rid of things once I’ve thanked them for our journey together. I’m a very emotional person and in the past used to hoard things because of sentimental value. This way I’m able to thank the items and let them go, if that makes sense. π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I never thought about it that way! Now I understand better. I can def see how that would be helpful now in the letting go process. Yes Iβve def kept many of things due to its sentimental value. π
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this post – so helpful! We’re just moving into spring over here and my spring clean is due, so I shall be utilising these tips π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh thatβs right! So glad these tips were helpful to you. πππ»
LikeLike
thanks for such useful, and easy to follow advice. I’ve got some decluttering to do…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck to you, Jim! Let me know how it goes π
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great tips
I need to declutter my closet
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you found them helpful π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another great post my friend! Love, light, and simplicity!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks friend! Have a wonderful rest of your weekend ππΏ
LikeLike
Loved this post! I definitely would want to try decluttering (altho I already did a while back) now that I’m back here in my apartment ππ thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh good! π thanks, Elle I really appreciate it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! β€
LikeLike
Omg I need to do this. These are great tips! Itβs so hard for me to let some clothes go that CLEARLY need to be tossed. I guess it would be nice to make more room for my bf in the closet right? π€£
LikeLiked by 1 person
π I know how you feel. I share a closet with my boyfriend as well and I seriously think he has more clothes than me!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great post! Thank you for sharing these tips, it’s pretty much what I do but you did include some steps I might have to try in the future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! glad it helped you. π
LikeLike