Getting Rid of Clutter

Tinted Stacking Drawers from The Container Store

Clutter can be a big cause of stress. When things are out of order and can't be found, your schedule is thrown out of wack, your plans are put on hold and your ability to move from task to task is now delayed. Getting rid of clutter gets your life back on track.

I know when I accumulate clutter I start to feel overwhelmed and that eventually leads to stress! You know how sometimes you know what to do but neglect to do it anyway, then you have a ton of clutter? Well that's the story of my life! At least thus far. If you are a "hoarder" like me then you may be dealing with clutter too.

Getting rid of clutter is however a cycle that you may have to go through over and over before you get it right. You may not ever get it 100% right but getting rid of even 50% of your clutter and working towards clutter control is better than doing nothing at all.

Here are some things I recommend (some I actually do!) to get rid of clutter:

• Control clutter daily by addressing your incoming mail. Open, file, shred...immediately!
• Storage and more storage: Buy containers, storage boxes, plastic shoe boxes, file boxes..all the storage you need to be able to organize. The Container Store has a ton of neat stuff to help you organize.
  
• Schedule it - Add a monthly date to your calendar (preferably the weekend) when you can go through any clutter you managed to accumulate through out the month. If necessary, make it a weekly appointment
• Go through your cabinets on a monthly basis (add that to the schedule) and get rid of old food, supplies etc. Don't forget to clean out your junk drawer of old batteries, screws, nonworking pens, etc.
  

Finally, give yourself a break. Don't be too hard on yourself if you are a clutter bug. Keep at it and you will find that getting rid of clutter isn't so hard after all.

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Michelle is a full time working mother of three. She enjoys doing research related to alternative health and has helped many people to achieve natural pain relief. Subscribe to Michelle's monthly Stress Less newsletter for stress relief and alternative health information.