If you’re wondering how to declutter your life, then you’ve come to the right place. But before we begin, there are two things you need to understand. First, decluttering doesn’t happen in an instant – it’s a frame of mind and it may take days or even weeks to achieve. Sure, you will start seeing the results immediately, but it will be a while till you can contently say that you have decluttered your life.

Second, you need to take things one at a time. Getting rid of everything unnecessary all at once is going to overwhelm you, and may even result in you not wanting to give up things due to their sentimental value.

Ways on How to Declutter Your Life

1. Begin by Making a List

What do you want to declutter? Is it physical? Emotional? Spiritual?

Jot it all down, because you don’t have an eidetic memory that can recollect every thought that occurs to you, at the drop of a hat.Plus, writing it down makes the situation more serious, more real for you. It also helps you understand what areas you should focus more on, and which areas may not require as much effort from you.

2. Old Ain’t Gold

I mean, not when it comes to decluttering. Old clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories and even makeup – make them all undergo the 1 year test. If you haven’t touched it in over a year, it’s time to admit that you’re not gonna use it any time soon. The same goes for stuff gifted to you by people who are no longer in your life. Donate it all, or gift it to friends. Don’t become a hoarder. And if you don’t have a heart big enough to give up all your stuff, then simply sell it online.

3. Overhaul Your Commitments

If you’re a yes-person who simply cannot say no to people asking you favors, it’s time to learn to say no. Either that, or give up on how to declutter your life. Whatever your prior commitments – be it volunteer work or picking up your child when your husband is busy golfing – fulfill them. But from the next time onward, put your foot down.

4. Have a Set Schedule

Wake up and sleep at fixed times. Eat your meals on time, leave your office on time, schedule your home cleaning on the same day as trash day…and you know the drill, right? A schedule makes your life easy for you, because now your anxiety and stress (that went through the roof during disorganized days) would automatically decrease. You will also not only decide how your day goes by, but you will also have a lot more time to relax.

5. Clean Up Your House

Believe it or not, but the clutter in your home bears a strong impression on your mind. The cleaner your house is, the less stressed your mind will be. The first thing to do is to get rid of all the stuff lying around that is there for the sake of being there. Second, if you have a habit of putting stuff on your chairs or stools and letting it remain there for days, then get rid of such furniture from your room. Get baskets to dump your laundry in. And while you’re at it, wash stuff you haven’t washed in a while – curtains, towels, bed sheets, etc. Re-arrange your furniture if it gets in your way, re-do your food items in the kitchen and make sure your bathroom is not a mess like it always is. A clean house is definitely important down your path on how to declutter your life.

6. Your Bed Needs to Be in Order Too

Your bed is very important for you – it’s the one place that your brain understands as your safe zone. It needs to be free of every unnecessary item ever. Pretty-fy your bed too – more pillows, brighter bed sheets, night lamps and stronger lighting in your room. Scented candles lighted every night before going to sleep (be safe) would be a fantastic way to calm your mind. Opt for scents like lavender that are well known for their soothing effect on the human mind.

7. Declutter Your Online Life Too

Your virtual life is as important as your real life, you know. Especially if you surf on the internet for hours daily. Go through your email and block all spam, unsubscribe from unwanted emailers and delete all unread emails. Keep your desktop clean and have no more than 10 icons on it. Shift everything else to My Documents. Uninstall unnecessary apps and programs from your laptop and phone. Got 1000 friends on Facebook? Delete those you haven’t even bothered speaking to in over a year. And while you’re at it...

8. Let Go of Negative Relationships

Look, you can’t please all people all the time. It’s better to let go of negative people, feelings and relationships from your life than having them burden your mind your entire life. When it comes to how to declutter your life, this one can be one of the toughest steps to take care of. But once you do get rid of junk people and relationships from your life, you’ll find that a great burden has been lifted from your mind.

9. Control Your Media Intake

Unsubscribe and unfollow all pages that share unnecessary, overly emotional or instigating news with you on a daily basis. Believe it or not, we are inundated with an unimaginably huge amount of negative and completely unnecessary trivia and news on a daily basis, that we have no use for. Wouldn’t it instead be better for your mind to be filled with stuff you like and want to read? So go ahead and follow pages that share memes, cute animal pictures or motivational stories.