An Approach to De-Cluttering Your Home
by Donna Thomson

interior decoration

The technique I'm about to describe was actually mentioned to me by my guides. They gave me the approach to take then I created a plan from that. I have found it is a very effective way of clearing the home of clutter. Our energy needs room to flow and when spaces are clear we can allow more of nature into our home and therefore a greater sense of peace and harmony.

While de-cluttering the home is important for everybody, it is especially important for those who work with psychic energies because clutter impedes the surrounding energies and makes it harder for effective psychic work.

What is 'Clutter'?

Having clutter doesn't necessarily mean you are 'messy'. However, it is easy to end up with a mess around when you run out of places to keep things. 'Things' do tend to naturally build up over time and for some people it can catch you off guard and you wonder where it all came from. Other people (myself included) tend to be 'collectors'. This may be a learned behaviour from our parents' example or it could even be an emotional attachment to 'things'. Do you find yourself thinking that 'one day' you may use this or that and so hang on to it 'just in case'?

When I did my teaching degree I collected hundreds of books, printed thousands of pages of 'useful' resources that I 'may' use when teaching and so on. I had a teddy bear collection, kept magazines that may come in handy one day for something, bought my children toys each time we went shopping - you get the picture. Some call it hoarding. Obviously my home soon became so full of things that I didn't know where or how to start.

Feeling Overwhelmed

I often feel overwhelmed when seeing a room, or indeed the whole house, filled with clutter. My reaction is to walk away frustrated and overwhelmed, leaving the clutter to stay just as it was. This achieves nothing but feelings of guilt and it can literally affect the energy in your home the more it continues, as negative energy and that sense of being stifled builds up. But there is a way to achieve a clutter-free home (and don't worry - I'm still working on my own home because what takes years to build up doesn't vanish in a day).

The Concept

As spoken directly from the guides: "Start with 'clear' and carefully, selectively, bring things into your 'circle of being' as those things are both practical and well-suited to your space as you desire it."

This approach is generally the opposite of how most people approach clutter. What the guides are saying is that rather than looking at the clutter and trying to work out what to get rid of, we must look at the room as a blank slate and decide carefully which things we need in that room for practical reasons. These are your 'basics'. Also consider the size of the room and what, as the guides said, is 'well-suited' to it. For example, you may have a large dining table and only a small dining area. Changing to a smaller table will reduce feelings of the space being cramped.

Create a 'Basics' List

Grab paper and a pen and address each room individually. Without looking at what items you own and therefore reminding yourself of attachments to those items, make a list of all the things that you need in that room - from furniture down to the smallest items. You may wish to deal completely with one room at a time or systematically create lists for all rooms before taking action.

Example: a list for the bathroom may look something like this:

Everything in its Place

Now that you have your lists, you need to think out the best way to store your belongings. Plan specially allocated areas, management procedures and storage. You may benefit from purchasing magazine holders, containers to hold smaller items, vacuum bags for winter clothing, a filing system and so on. Also consider the not-so-obvious items which sometimes lack an allocated location and contribute to clutter around the home.

Here are some tips...

Hot Spot - This is where you place your purse/wallet/handbag, keys, sunglasses, prescription glasses, etc. This should be in a handy place for coming and going from the house. A small basket may be useful for these items.

Mail/Paperwork - Where will you put incoming mail? When will you go through it to sort the keepers from the rubbish? Where will bills be kept until paid? Where will those important due dates be recorded (e.g. calendar and/or diary)? Where will paperwork that needs to be kept go (e.g. set up a filing system)? Where will invitations, reminders and other important notices be kept and their dates recorded? Where will outgoing mail be kept? Where will coupons, take-away menus, etc be stored? And so on.

Children - Where will the children place their school bags, homework, clothes, and so on? Where will they leave school notes that need signing and returning?

Computer Area/Study - Where will you store printer papers? Computer accessories? Software? Where do printed documents go and what procedure will you set up for reading, throwing away, or filing papers? Where will you keep pens, staplers, scissors, paper clips, glue, notepaper, etc.? Business cards?

Special Occasion Items - Where will the birthday and Christmas wrapping papers, gift bags, cards and other decorative items be kept? Christmas decorations? Special occasion platters/dishes? Party decorations, candles, etc?

Tools - Gardening tools? Electric tools? Smaller tools and accessories? Larger items such a lawn mover, trimmer, leaf blower, ladders, etc.?

Odds'n'ends - Allocate a drawer or storage container for those odd'n'ends such as marker pens, tape, batteries, spare fittings, etc. Be sure to clear this out once a month or thereabouts so you can actually find the useful stuff!

Kitchen - Often a place where many things get dumped and shoved in cupboards to rarely be used. Which appliances do you really need? How many glasses and dinner sets do you need? Do items have specific locations e.g. ovenware, baking supplies, plastic containers, cleaning products, first aid kit, and so on?

Mental Preparation - Create a 'Vision'

Advice from the guides: "Replace your thinking about 'things' as necessary. Instead, think of 'space' as necessary. You need lots of air, free and fresh air, about you at all times. You need to bring nature into your home so that the passage may pass from outside, to within, then back outside. It will flow through, bringing with it the renewing energy while taking with it the stale, negative energy. You must integrate the natural energies so that they flow throughout and around you at all times. This is what your 'spirit' needs."

Mentally envision how you would love your home to look, with open spaces, good storage, everything easily accessible, and with items that bring you joy and a sense of serenity in your home. Here are some keywords to inspire you:

This will help motivate you and keep you on task to achieve your goals. Be prepared to stick to your lists! Fair enough if you come across an item that is considered an essential but you simply forgot to add to the list, but ensure it's not one of those emotional 'oh but' items that was a wedding gift or Aunt Sally gave you, for example.

Stick to the rule that if you have not used the item within the last 6 months you don't need it. If you come across something that you forgot you even had - you certainly don't need it. Be ruthless with yourself and hold that vision of how you want the room to look and feel. You will be proud of yourself if you persist and you will feel re-energised sitting in your newly created 'haven'.

Physical Preparation

Ok, so you have done all your planning and now it's time to turn the vision into reality. Before you begin, grab a cleaning cloth and the following which you can use for each room you go through:

Take Action!

I recommend doing one room a day so you don't exhaust or overwhelm yourself. Clutter doesn't build up in a single day so don't expect to clear it out in a single day either. One room is very manageable and gives you something specific to focus on. Large or heavily cluttered rooms may take a couple of days but that's okay. Just be systematic and focus on your lists as they will guide your job.

Clear it Out - Remember that you need to start with a clear space, so start by removing all items from the room you are dealing with before doing anything else. This is a great opportunity to do a thorough clean inside cupboards, on shelves, behind appliances, etc.

Sort it Out - With list and pen in hand, check off your 'basics' items as you place them in your pre-considered storage locations. Now you can sift through the remainder of items which will go to one of four locations - the rubbish bag, 'charity' box, 'to sell' box, or 'other room' box. Be ruthless! You're doing great!

Follow Through - Now actually take the rubbish bag to the bin and put the charity box in the car ready to be dropped off at a nearby charity bin. Then walk through the house with the 'other rooms' box and put items in their correct rooms. Put the 'to sell' box in a prominent place and deal with those items by your specified date. For a garage sale, label items with prices, place an ad in your local newspaper and make some signs for outside your home. If you are going to sell online or in a newspaper, note descriptions and prices for items, take photos if relevant, and create those listings or contact the newspaper classifieds.

It is really that easy! All you need to do is be systematic and do this with each room.

Creating an Atmosphere

Now don't you feel better? Here is the really fun part! You can now create the personalised atmosphere you desire. Think about what you enjoy in nature and bring it into your home, whether in the form of colours, elements (e.g. fire, earth, water or air), plants, animals/pets (e.g. a bird or fish tank), artwork, crystals, candles and so on.

However, beware of overdoing it and inadvertently stifling the energy in the home again. Energy tends to build up around things like thick curtains, too many decorative cushions and throw rugs. Personally I love crystals and have been gathering quite a few but was given this warning by the guides: "To clutter your space with crystals will have just as adverse an effect as your current surroundings (the cluttered spaces)."

They added: "You must invite things into your space carefully and after being well-considered."

I like the idea of 'inviting' things into my space. I suggest adding a small number of items to dress up each room to begin with - even a vase of flowers or a potted plant and a couple of candles make a room feel great. Get a feel for each space and what might enhance it before going out and getting heaps of decorative items. As the guides said, use careful consideration.

Maintenance

If you followed through with your lists, allocated specific storage areas for all items and created procedures for daily routines concerning the comings and goings of the house, you will be well set up for success. You will get a feel for how everything should look and where things should be located. You can then ensure that is where those things are placed.

It is impossible not to bring new items into your house so ensure you have procedures in place for dealing with those items. If you buy new decorative items, toys, kitchen items etc, are there older ones you can sell or give away? How long will you keep magazines before throwing them away? Refer back to your paperwork procedures for bills, incoming and outgoing mail, computer-related documents, and so forth. Set a weekly time to keep on top of sifting paperwork and file only that which is necessary.

Keep your original lists in a file so you can refer to them if you feel clutter building up again. You can then go through your home and see what needs removing. It will be a much quicker process this time around as your procedures should have kept on top of major clutter. I recommend going through the process quickly every 3-6 months to keep on top if it.

Final advice from the guides (while it was addressed to me I feel it is appropriate for everyone): "We do understand that your nature causes you to forget this (the goal of not collecting more things) and act spontaneously at times. This is to be expected. But try to learn to be more mindful of this so that you can manage it."

Plan, create, manage, enjoy.

Related Reading: Time Management by Ronnee Ruselle - for great daily scheduling ideas.

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