Living a meaningful life, with less: Minimalism has become seriously in vogue in recent times.

 

Do you have wardrobes that are overloaded, drawers that won’t close, or shoes you never wear? It may be time to get rid of a few things.

 

Most of us - even the neat-freaks! - struggle at times to keep our homes in order, especially those with kids rearing round the house undoing all of your hard work.

 

The stress of living in constant mayhem means you never get to relax and enjoy your home

 

 

So, here are ten minimalist-inspired ways in which to de-clutter your home, and banish the mess:

 

1. Never leave a room empty handed 

 

This simple trick can save you hours of cleaning in the evening, or on your day off. If you are leaving a room, do a quick scan to see what doesn’t belong there.

Take your coffee cup with you, put the paper in the recycling bin, and hang your coat up. While it can be annoying to begin with, these simple tricks will soon become second nature.

 

2. If something doesn’t bring you joy bin it

 

We receive gifts from friends and family that we might not necessarily like, but keep for fear of hurting their feelings. Or, we buy things in a sale, like those neon orange place mats you got for a couple of euro, and now never use.

These things need to go, if you are holding onto things you don’t want, or need just because someone gave them to you or they were cheap, donate them to charity, or bin them.

 

3. Do a room a week

 

Yes, the general tidying up can be done on a daily basis, but choose one room per week to clear out completely. This will make the project seem less overwhelming, and you can do a thorough clear-out.

 

4. Emptying the wardrobe

 

Buying clothes in a sale can be satisfying initially, but unsurprisingly, you end up with a wardrobe crammed with clothes you never wear. Bin them - and the next time you go clothes shopping try to ask yourself, ‘do I need this?’ before you buy it.

 

 

5. The dreaded drawers

 

Almost every house has a junk drawer (unless you are already minimalist!). These can be the bane of people’s lives.

Things just get dumped in there – God knows! And that stuff never seems to emerge again. Plus, you can never find anything in there. Most of this stuff can just be dumped.

 

6. Sentimental items

 

We all inherit items from family members that hold a lot of meaning for us, or we gather things that remind us of special occasions.

 

This can be tricky, but ask yourself if you really need to keep all of the cards you received from your 21st birthday? Perhaps keeping a few special ones and putting them into a scrap book might so them more justice.

 

7. Clean as you go

 

Clean-up as you are cooking so you don’t have a massive mess to tackle afterwards. Clean the dishes or pop them in the dishwasher straight after dinner. There is nothing like walking into a clean kitchen in the morning.

 

Clearing out your home and de-cluttering your life can be mentally uplifting and has a hugely positive effect on your life.

 

If you can find out more about becoming a minimalist here.

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