When I look around most homes, I see the same thing everywhere: too much stuff. It's weighing us down, creating extra work, and pulling our attention away from what actually matters.
The old saying rings true: the more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to do. But here's what I've learned from working with clients on this issue. When you let go of the things that don't serve you and keep only what you truly love or need, there's genuine joy in living with less.
Where to start when everything feels overwhelming
If you want less stress and more space but don't know where to begin, try these five practical areas. I've seen these make the biggest difference for my clients.
Your wardrobe needs a reality check
Statistics show we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. Think about that for a moment. We literally have wardrobes full of clothes we don't wear because we don't like them or they don't fit anymore.
When you consider how many people live in your home, that's a lot of space being taken up by unwanted clothes. Going through all the closets and culling these items will give you more time and space, leading to less morning stress and a wardrobe full of things you actually love.
Once you've culled, try not to buy any new clothes until you begin to notice an actual need for them.
Toys that overwhelm instead of inspire
Having lots of toys doesn't just create more clutter and tidying up. It's also not necessarily great for our kids.
Overwhelmed by choice, children lose the opportunity to use their imagination or learn how to share and value their toys. Getting rid of unused toys gives kids the chance to really appreciate and care for their favourites, and can transform their bedrooms into calmer spaces.
Rehomed toys will soon be forgotten, and hopefully bring much joy to their new owners.
The bathroom cabinet black hole
When did you last take a really good look into the drawers and cupboards in your bathroom vanity? Chances are it's full of things you never use, and they're possibly out of date.
Half-used bottles of lotions and creams, perfumes we don't like, makeup we don't use, dried up nail polish, soap bars from old gift sets, and a multitude of other things we've been holding onto for years "just in case". Not to mention all those extra loo rolls.
Go through and check the dates on all the bottles, throwing anything out that's past its use-by date. Think about what you realistically use every day, or at least once a week or month, and get rid of everything else. Only buy new items when you need to replace something, and don't be drawn in by the latest fad.
Kitchen gadgets that promised the world
There's no doubt that some high-quality kitchen equipment makes our lives easier. But sometimes we get carried away with online shopping or the latest infomercial, and before we know it our kitchen benches, drawers and cabinets have become cluttered with "must have" gadgets.
For most of us, milk frothers, pasta machines, magic vegetable slicers, bread makers, spiralisers, food dehydrators, ice cream makers, popcorn makers and fondue sets are just some that spring to mind. A quick walk around any op shop and you'll find plenty of these items abandoned there.
If you have items in your kitchen that you've barely used, donate or sell them, and revel in the joys of simplicity and space when you cook.
Linen closets that won't close properly
Most of us have bulging linen closets with more sets of bedding and towels than we need. The main reason for this is that we don't follow the one-in, one-out rule.
When we buy new bedding we don't get rid of an old set, so we just end up shoving more and more into the space. As a rule, you don't need any more than two sets per bed, or two towels per person.
If your old linen has still got a lot of wear left in it, there are numerous charities and pet shelters that would love to take them off your hands. If they've seen better days, they can be donated and used for rags.
