There are homes that make you feel like they hug you and you just want to be held in that hug forever…and there are homes where you feel like you’d rather be anywhere else but not there.
What’s the difference between the first and the latter? The vibration each home has!
When we started this blog, we simply knew that we must write the first post about spring cleaning.
Amped up about the feeling of filling fresh air in the living room we went to work and wrote all of it down, or up (since it’s online) – reflecting on the process decluttering first is best.
Through decluttering you can let go of the things that are not useful to you anymore and cleanse the residual energy that’s stuck in your home. And yeeees, the vibration of your home will achieve higher levels and feel like heaven. Additionally, removing the things that you don’t love, nor use anymore, means that you will have less to clean.
So decluttering first. Spring cleaning second.
And what better way to write about this subject if not living it while you are writing about it?
That’s how we started to declutter our own home (+ basement + the storage room).
So yeah…we faced the truth and witnessed how much stuff we keep on keeping, just for the sake of keeping it. And we must admit that it has been quite overwhelming and tiring, but in the end, it was very much worth it.
So keep reading to find out what we learned during this experience and how we made our home (and spirit) feel lighter & to learn step by step how to create a home you can’t wait to get back!!!
1. Get some boxes & some distraction
The majority of people don’t like cleaning, decluttering or organising. #facts
And that’s easy to understand as it can be seen as boring and repetitive. But if the thing that keeps you from doing the work is the fear of getting bored while doing it, get ready to make the process more efficient & interactive.
First of all, you have to be really practical and create a system. So get a few boxes (or trash bags) and sort them in: trash boxes (*recycling*), donation boxes, and boxes with items you will resell.
At the same time, make sure you open the windows and let fresh air coming in and that you play your favourite music/podcast, so you’ll also either have some fun or learn something new.
2. Don’t get overwhelmed by what lies ahead – take it day by day
Decluttering your home is a big project, so putting yourself in the right mindset is key. #word
Start with a simple but clever mind hack – imagine your ideal lifestyle and your ideal home vibe.
How would your home make you feel?
Close your eyes and try to visualise the home of your dreams. You can find inspiration in interior design magazines & blogs.
If you see a photo that gives you a sense of peace, try to translate that into your place.
It is important however that during the process you remind yourself that you don’t have to do all the changes at once.
Rome was not built in a day.
So take a deep breath and start small and simple.
Choose a starting point and do a little bit every single day.
For example, you can start room by room or by allocating it 30 minutes/day.
And just remember to keep only that you purely love and remove the rest.
3. The first emotional step in declutterring is to confront your own stuff
Coming to a conclusion on how you feel about the things you own is really about coming to a conclusion about your inner self at this stage of your life.
Examine how much you have changed by assessing how you think & feel now about the objects you once adored.
People change and you are not the person who you used to be 3 years ago.
Lots of your clothes either don’t fit you anymore physically, either you just are not that type of person anymore… and lots of your ancient bed sheets and towels are just forgotten somewhere in a closet.
Think about your possessions in a fresh way, bless your evolution and reflect a bit on how far you’ve come.
4. Keeping the things you don’t need means you’re holding them from other people
That’s an interesting point of view, isn’t it?
Keeping the stuff you don’t use anymore laying around your home means keeping them from being useful and making somebody else happy.
Someone’s trash is someone else’s treasure.
It’s very important that every single object in this world is used by somebody, somewhere, so if your things are still in a good shape, make an extra effort and either sell them (here) or donate them (here). Throwing them away in the garbage bin while they are still functional means we take for granted the resources that have been used in the manufacturing process. Be mindful.
5. Negative space speaks louder and clearer than the space filled with stuff
In design, negative space is space in image that surrounds an object. And in our home negative space is referring to the open space that surrounds furniture and design elements.
Considering negative space in your home may sound like something that is not very important, yet bare in mind that this simple maneuver has psychological, physical and visual advantages. According to psychologists, every time we enter in a new room, our brains are designed to scan the room as a whole, making assessments about the big picture and the overall vibe – think about it as a puzzle.
People tend to like more the rooms that have plenty of open space because they are easier for our brain to categorise and can be read in just a few seconds. From a functional point of view rooms with less stuff and more empty space are simply so much easier to use. Aesthetically speaking, the perfection of a home well put together lays in the elements you choose to include in the space + every single element you decide to leave out.
6. Understand how & why clutter happens and how to avoid it from happening again
As it is with any other addiction, stopping that specific harmful behaviour is important, but it is even more important to understand the root of the cause and heal it.
In order to say goodbye for good to the messiness that gets so fast inside any home, you have to say goodbye to some of your mental old beliefs that you kept telling yourself during the years.
‘I want’ and ‘I need’ are not the same thing.
Once you will become able to discern which voice is which and make the distinction between a purchase that will really change your life for the better and an instant gratification purchase, your whole life will bloom.
