The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Emily at So Damn Domestic.
You’ve been working all year to declutter your home, to streamline your homekeeping, and to free up more time for your family.
You’ve been getting so close to being able to do less “reorganizing” and clutter control, and more of the things you WANT to be doing.
And the holidays are looming.
Just as dieters are looking forward to family, but dreading the huge amounts of rich and caloric foods, long-term de-clutterers often look toward the season with more than a little bit of anxiety.
So what can you do?
The holidays are coming, whether you like it or not (hopefully you like a lot about the season), and yes, often they bring clutter – ahem – GIFTS. So… here are:
3 Ways to Succeed With Decluttering – Even During the Holidays
‘Tis the Season to be Giving
Let the season inspire you to declutter more than usual. Open your heart, and share your abundance with others who have less than you do. How many coats, hats, and scarves do you really need? Your extras could be keeping people (who might not have anything at all) warm. Your extra sheets and towels could help a survivor of domestic abuse start a new life in a new home.
This isn’t meant to be a guilt trip. But sharing feels good! If you think of it as sharing and spreading your good fortune, it is easier and more fun than just “getting rid of” or decluttering.
Try joining my 30-day Clutter-Free Countdown in December (it’s totally free), to get a head start on the holidays and to give as much as possible during this season.
Buy and Request Clutter-Free Gifts
You don’t need to go writing some dramatic letter to your family members about how you’ve been paring down your things and now wish to never receive another gift. In extreme cases, it might be an appropriate last resort, but for most people, it’s kind of overkill and makes you seem more than a little scroogey.
Instead, when people ask you for gift ideas for yourself or your kids, offer up suggestions of clutter-free gifts. And when you’re shopping for gifts for your family members, aim for clutter-free there as well.
Take a look at my ultimate list of clutter-free gifts for ideas. And keep in mind that while most of them are invisible (like music lessons or gymnastics classes), temporary (like magazine subscriptions which can be recycled after reading), or consumable (like food and sidewalk chalk), sometimes an actual THING can be a great clutter-free gift.
If it’s being used and loved it isn’t clutter. Even if it’s a thing. Don’t forget that!
Use it or Lose it – Declutter Your Decorations
Chances are, you’ve got at least a couple of tubs of holiday decorations in your attic, basement, or garage. And there’s about an equal chance that you don’t USE all of those decorations every year.
This year, use it or lose it. If you’re not excited to decorate with an item, get it out of your storage space. There’s no point saving it for another entire year, just to NOT use it again next year.
When I did this last year, I even got rid of some decorations I loved the look of, because they liked to shed glitter every time someone touched them. That little annoying thing was enough to make them not worthy of decorating my house. Now I have only my very favorite things, and I’m so excited to get out our holiday tub this year!
Enjoy your holidays!
With these tips, you can be sure to succeed with decluttering, even during the holidays. You’ll come out ahead of the game, more relaxed, less stressed, and less bogged down with the clutter that’s holding you back from what’s really important in your life.
Emily Chapelle offers motivating guidance to busy homemakers who are ready to make changes that last. Why? So they can spend more time on the things and people that really matter. She shares home organizing tips, hints for decluttering your life, time-management tricks, and other homemaking topics at So Damn Domestic.
Click here to join her FREE 30 Day Decluttering Challenge– it will change your life!
Nicole Q-Schmitz says
Great ideas! Tomorrow I’m actually posting something along the same lines (gifts that keep on giving) and I think I’ll like to the posts on clutter-free gifts 🙂