Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you have in your house?

You are not alone. The average family home has 27,000 items, so it’s no surprise that many of us feel that we have a clutter problem. Many of us have grown up being told that owning things will make us happy: the latest phone, gadgets, clothes, bags, etc. The result is often the opposite. Clutter has an effect on you physically (how things physically take up space in your home) and emotionally (it can leave you drained and lacking in energy and motivation, with low levels of concentration and feeling more emotional and overwhelmed).

And clutter often reflects our state of mind. It reminds us of all the things we aren’t dealing with.

Decluttering is more than just having a tidy house. People are now coming around to the idea that less is more: more space, more time, more energy and more happiness. Letting go of the clutter allows us to get on with more important things.

There are many reasons why things often start to pile up and begin to feel out of control.

The good news is that you can regain control. And remain decluttered and organized.

As a busy working mum, I completely understand that finding time to declutter feels impossible. And any free time you might have, you don’t fancy spending cleaning! But once you have completed a major decluttering of your home, you will notice big changes in how you feel and keeping it organized will get a whole lot easier.

So here are my Top 10 Tips to help you Declutter:

1. Go room to room and write a detailed list of all that needs to be decluttered. This is the list that you can start ticking off as you work through it, motivating you to keep going.
2. Now write a goal plan for what you wish to achieve. Break it down into small tasks such a ‘go through my fridge and remove out of date food and thoroughly clean fridge,’ or ‘sort through all my t-shirts, only keeping the ones I wear and love.’
3. Start with the easiest categories such as food, clothes, and books. These hold less emotional attachment and are easier to sort through. Leave the more sentimental items until the end.
4. Avoid being overwhelmed and use your limited time effectively by planning to declutter in small doses. It is amazing what you can achieve in 15 minutes a day. For example, clean and organize one kitchen shelf per day.

5. Enlist your children. If they are old enough, encourage your children to participate and give away clothes, books and toys they not longer use to other children who would enjoy them.
6. If this doesn’t work, get the support of your partner to take the kids out or entertain them so that you can sort through things.
7. Even better, have the support of your partner to tackle the decluttering together.
8. Get yourself an accountability partner. Telling someone your goals means that they can keep checking in with you and will keep you motivated.
9. Have fun! Join the Über Moms 30 Day Decluttering Challenge and see if you can remove 465 items in one month. It’s never too late to start!
10. Find a flohmarkt, or post on Facebook or on eBay Kleinanzeigen and sell, sell, sell. Make some money and use it for something you need or a treat.

Decluttering is an ongoing business, especially if you have kids. Stuff comes into our homes daily. But it does become much easier once you follow my tips and get organized. Then it just becomes regular maintenance. And I promise you: you will find that you have more energy, more freedom, and feel lighter and happier. You may even find that you have more interest in new projects and more headspace to focus on the important things in life.

Happy Decluttering!

This article was originally posted in Über Moms by me.