Lifestyle
The 11 best tips for clearing things up
11.09.2020
Tidiness makes life easier – and mucking out vigorously is the ideal basis. Aren’t you sure how to tackle it? We got some tips from cleanup coach Karine Paulon.
1. Visualize the positive consequences.
Before you start clearing up, make sure you understand exactly what you’re trying to achieve. Do you want to return home with more joy? Find things faster? Spend less time tidying up and cleaning? Or make room for a nice new purchase? Imagine this future visually. Enjoy them now! Also visualize the beautiful things you will use your free time for.
2. Do not go by room, but by category.
Do not clean out the entire bathroom or bedroom, but rather all appliances, sports equipment, etc. – in each case in the entire household. So when you sort out clothes, pick out those that are hidden in the closet, basement and attic. Only then do you get an overview of how much you actually have of what – and what exactly.
3. Only keep what makes you happy.
The question you should ask yourself when clearing up is, “Does that really make me happy?” The aim is for what surrounds you to give you honest, true joy from the heart. If not, it’s time to let go.
4. Keep things motivated.
What can you do with the jeans that are now pinching but that you’d love to wear again? Again, the pro tip is to pay attention to what it triggers you to see them in the closet. Are there primarily pressure and guilty conscience? Then give it away. But does the sight motivate you because you know with joy and certainty that you will be able to wear it again? Then keep it.
5. Tidy things up with sentimental value only at the end.
Clearing out is a bit like a sport: You have to practice. So start with cleaning products and books rather than with old love letters, children’s drawings and grandma’s tea dishes. In the meantime, you will be able to make decisions faster, perceive your gut feeling more clearly and let go more easily.
6. Celebrate what you keep and give it a nice place.
We appreciate what we have by actually using it. Try to store as little as possible in the basement apart from wine, supplies and sports equipment. The beautiful vase? Set it up! Your grandmother’s good tablecloth? Use it, and not just for Christmas! Old letters? Make it a “treasure chest” that will get a place in your home. Only what you integrate into your day-to-day life can give you pleasure.
7. Store things as vertically as possible.
We are used to stacking things on top of each other. There is an astonishing amount of things that can be stored vertically – perhaps with the help of a box: T-shirts and underwear in the drawer, cleaning cloths and towels in the kitchen or the games in the box. This not only gives you a quicker overview, but also saves you the hassle of putting away the things stacked on top of them when you get them. The aim is to have as many things as possible under control with just one flick.
8. Work with dividers, boxes, etc.
Boxes, containers, partitions and the like are worth their weight in gold: They help you to tidy up, move your belongings quickly if necessary and make cleaning your home easier. Make sure you like the containers, are practical and big enough to store things that belong together. Depending on the situation, it can also help to label them.
9. Create new structures instead of going through old files one by one.
Your PC is overflowing with files? Under the keyword “Duplicate File Finder,” you will find several programs with which you can find and delete duplicate documents and images. Then save all the files in one place. Next, create a new, clear folder structure from scratch for what you really need. Then transfer the files you still need to this new structure instead of going through them all individually.
10. Thank you for everything you no longer need.
Every single item you found in your life has served you well. Maybe it brought you memories, was an expression of a period in your life, or showed you something about yourself (even if only an orange T-shirt really suits you – or really doesn’t). If you say thank you inside or out, you appreciate something – and it’s easier for you to part.
11. Dispose of it consciously.
You also enjoy the final process of clearing things, the disposal itself, if you make it appreciative and consciously. Who else could benefit from your old stuff? Perhaps someone in your circle of acquaintances? Or do you want to donate things to a good cause, for example to a specific foundation or institution? You will feel good knowing that your things go where they are needed and valued.
We spoke to Karine Paulon from Thalwil about these tips. She is a clean-up coach and works according to Marie Kondo’s Japanese method. Find out more here: www.ajour-athome.ch