As the holiday season starts approaching you may notice you're accumulating more stuff. More clothes, more food, and more decorations start to pile up. This can lead to feeling overwhelmed and unprepared to host your family and friends. To make sure you're ready for hosting this holiday season, you'll want to make downsizing and decluttering a priority.
Reduce Holiday-Specific Items
An easy way to minimize your space is to cut back on your holiday-specific items. While holiday decorations can be fun and festive, too much decor can defeat the purpose of decorating and look more cluttered than cute. Decluttering your holiday items can also help create a cozy space for your guests.
- To start, look for anything that you may have duplicates of and get rid of them accordingly. This will help free up any unnecessary clutter in your home. Additionally, only utilize what fits in your space. You want to avoid overcrowding your holiday decor in order to create a relaxing and purposeful atmosphere.
- If you notice you have an influx of “holiday specific” items like tableware, candles, or sweaters, go through your collection and start to weed out what you want to keep and get rid of. If you're struggling to let go of some of your holiday items, passing them down to family members is a great way to declutter while still holding on to those nostalgic memories.
- Another thing to consider is minimizing your gift-wrapping supplies. Over the years, these materials can build up and get quite unorganized. A fun way to declutter these items is to host a wrapping party. Friends and family can come over and wrap up all the gifts that they need with your wrapping supplies. This is a win-win because your friends and family can get some gift wrapping done and you can clear out your abundance of materials.
Sort Through Everyday Objects
If it feels like your space is crowded with everyday items, it may be time to declutter your life before the holidays by paying special attention to the things you use every day. Everyday objects can easily become cluttered and out of control so it's important to stay on top of these items to be as organized as possible.
- If you're unsure of where to start, think of what you use the most throughout your day. This could be makeup or personal care items, newspapers, or magazines, and even food.
- For makeup and personal care items, toss out empty containers, anything that may be past the expiration date, and items that you have duplicates of.
- Magazines can easily build up over time as well. If you have finished reading the magazine, donate them to your local library or bookstore. If you find that you're accumulating a lot of junk magazines like advertisements, it may be time to contact those companies to rid them of your address.
- A rule of thumb for sorting through everyday objects is to discard anything that you haven't used in the last year. If you didn't use it last year, chances are you won't use it again.
Organize Your Clutter
Once you've decluttered, it's time to get organized! Having an organized space can bring you peace of mind during the busy holiday season.
- A simple way to get your belongings in order is to utilize storage bins and label makers. Labels can make it easier to know what is in each bin without having to dig through it.
- Having a dedicated space for certain items can help you clear out any clutter and help you stay neat and tidy all year long. Whether you’re using your garage, basement, or attic to store your holiday decor, it’s important to keep it organized so that you can easily locate everything you need next December.
- If you're looking for a storage option outside of the home, storage sheds are a great alternative. This is a convenient option because it's still on your property, but your storage is more out of sight compared to in-the-home storage. If a storage shed sounds like a better fit for you, consider obtaining a home equity loan. An HEL is easy to qualify for and you can use the funds for your home storage projects, making it a great option if you're looking to get this project done before the holidays kick off.
Declutter Your Mindset
While decluttering your physical space is crucial during the holidays, doing the same with your mindset can make all the difference. As the holiday season starts to become chaotic, you may notice you have more and more on your plate. From parties to gift-giving, and hosting, it doesn't take a lot to feel stressed out during this time of year.
- If you feel like you have too much going on, it can be helpful to declutter your obligations. You may feel pressure to say yes to everything, but this can lead to burnout and stress. Saying yes less can help you prioritize where you need to be, allowing you to be more present in the moment.
- Finding ways to be more mindful this year can make your days seem less overwhelming and more productive.
- Including little ways to bring joy to yourself each day can help you stay calm and cheerful during this busy season. Little things such as baking, spending time with loved ones and watching Christmas movies are all fun ways to destress and declutter your mind.
This holiday season, decluttering and staying organized is a great way to ensure you can enjoy this season to the fullest. By making sure items and decorations don't pile up you can avoid stressing out yourself and your guests.