5 Tips To Make Decluttering Fun
Let’s face it, if I enjoyed decluttering my house never would have become cluttered in the first place.
Despite my love for making lists, I’m just not one of those born organized people.
Dorothy Parker once said that she hated writing but loved having written, and that perfectly sums up how I feel about housework. I hate decluttering and cleaning, but I love how my home looks and feels when it’s finally done.
Because decluttering is not something that I find enjoyable, I have come up with some simple tricks to make it a little more fun.
Listen to Music
Listening to great music that keeps me energized and moving is my favorite trick for enjoying unavoidable drudgery. You can create a special playlist or turn on your favorite radio station, whatever will make you want to sing and dance so you can be entertained while working.
Set the Mood
Set a clean house mood. Personally, when I think of a clean, happy home, I think of a home that smells great.
To quickly create a new atmosphere in my home, I’ll usually light a candle, but I’ havealso diffused essential oils, turned on my Scentsy burner, or boiled citrus and spices on the stove. Having a fresh, clean scent in the air motivates me to make my surroundings match, by being clean and organized.
Fresh Air
I love opening windows to have a fresh breeze blowing through the house. It’s hard for me to stay on the couch and be surrounded by junk when fresh air’s making its way inside.
Lots of Light
A dark home makes me want to curl up with a good book, watch TV, or take a nap (all things I’d rather do anyway!) so lots of light is a necessity to get and keep me moving. When I want to get a lot done, one of my first steps I take is to open all of our curtains and turn on as many lights as possible. The lighter and brighter the house is, the more junk I can see, and the more I want to take care of it all.
Short Bursts
I tend to have an all-or-nothing kind of personality. I have a bad habit of underestimating how long projects will take, and overestimated how much can be accomplished in a certain amount of time. As a result, I sometimes create overly ambitious to-do lists, and feel discouraged when I don’t complete everything.
To combat this bad habit, I have started setting a timer. Instead of having a set number of tasks, I have to complete (which can sometimes cause me to work hours upon hours, and end up burning myself out), I’ll set a timer and just resolve to work until it goes off. How long I set it just depends on how much time I have, but I rarely set it for longer than 45-60 minutes. I usually set it for 15-30 minute increments and then give myself a break. When I’m focused on working nonstop for a short amount of time, I tend to feel happier and more accomplished than when I focus on crossing off individual tasks.
These are my little tricks for making decluttering more enjoyable, but I’d love to hear what you do. I’m always looking for great ideas! What’s your favorite way to make decluttering fun?
READ MORE FROM EMILY:
- 3 Reasons You NEED A Laundry Basket To Declutter
- The Biggest Decluttering Mistake You Don’t Know You’re Making
- Stop Sabotaging Your Goals
This post was syndicated with permission to BonBon Break Media, LLC.
