SEVEN TOP TIPS FOR TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR CLUTTER!

The recent “credit crunch” has put a hold on many people’s plans to move to a bigger house. Mortgage offers seem to be as rare as hen’s teeth and rising food and fuel prices are playing their part in creating an understandable reluctance to commit to larger loans.
If you are one of the thousands who are now waiting it out to see what happens, take heart! Every set back creates a golden opportunity, and while you may feel that circumstances beyond your control have forced you into suspending your dream for the present, try not to lose momentum or stagnate. You can choose to keep control of the situation by using the waiting time to adopt an alternative approach and create a temporary solution to the problem of out-growing your home – in other words try having a good de-clutter!
William Morris once said “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. A modern-day interpretation of these words might be “If you don’t love it, or don’t use it – throw it out!”
It would be quite easy to feel daunted by the prospect of the physical and emotional effort needed to let go of your possessions, so begin by focussing on the benefits of achieving success. A good, efficient de-clutter not only creates the space you didn’t realise you had, it has other rewards. Being pro-active and creating some breathing space can be a very cathartic and energising experience. There is something enormously therapeutic and re-assuring in taking control and doing something. You immediately feel that you have influence over the situation rather than feeling at its mercy and for many people creating space can also create a sense of calm or freedom.
When you look at your cluttered surroundings, how does it make you feel? Does the clutter fill you with panic, depression or stress? Do you live in confusion or downright chaos? Can you find what you want when you want it, or do you have to send out a search party? What have you hoarded? Why have you held on to it? Will your life be any poorer or sadder if you get rid of it?
A de-clutter is not a spring clean. It is important to be ready for the emotional effects of discarding items that have lived with you for so long. A Life Coach can help you set and stick to targets, and will support you in handling the emotional hold some “old treasures” may have, in order that you can let go with love and without guilt. This is particularly relevant if you are de-cluttering after a bereavement or trauma.
If you decide to go it alone, here are seven top tips to get you started:
· Think about what resources you have or what you will need. Who or what will support you? For example, do you need to hire a skip or buy lots of black sacks? What time can you spend? When can you start? Plan what you can do in the time you have. Be methodical – work on one room at a time.
· Sort out and separate what may be of interest to someone else. Don’t forget that one man’s clutter is another man’s treasure. Car boot sales are making a big come-back and selling on E Bay saves loading up the car before sunrise on a rainy Sunday morning. Children’s games, toys and clothing are big sellers at Car Boot Sales as are books, DVDs and CDs in good condition.
· Try being GREEN as you de-clutter – re-cycle as much as you can and do your bit for the planet. This could include sorting out good quality items for your local charity shop or charity jumble sale and often the charities will arrange collection from your door.
· Start looking very closely at what comes into your home. Does it pass the “loveable or useful” test? If you’re thinking “it might come in handy one day” – STOP! Have a “something in, something out” policy and only bring in new clothes, shoes etc if you are willing to let an old item go in exchange.
· Don’t be tempted to save anything that is broken until you have time to repair it. Either repair it immediately or take it to an expert for repair or throw it out. Do you really need to replace it or can you do without?
· You may find it useful to start de-cluttering in your attic, garage or shed. You could then move some less frequently used items out of the house and store them out of sight. If you then don’t use them within the next year – do you really need them?
· Acknowledge your emotions. It may just be too hard to part with items of sentimental value and that have strong associations to the past but this shouldn’t stop your progress. Try a two-step approach. Step one is taking the items off display and packing them up. Don’t even think about getting rid of them right now, but store them away out of sight until you are ready to think about taking step two. It is quite likely that you may loose some attachment to or dependence on the presence of these items after a while, and the next time you look in the box you may be ready to let go.
Being pro-active in any circumstances is a great antidote to feelings of frustration and lack of control. At times when we are feeling held back by outside influences taking the initiative over the things we can influence gives us a sense of potency. So, no matter how little time you have, make a start and continue your de-clutter regime as and when you can and you will soon start to reap the rewards. Most reputable Life Coaches will work with clients who need support to let go of physical clutter and its emotional ties.

For more details, see http://www.blueskylife.co.uk/