10 Decluttering Tips to Reduce Anxiety for Your Move

I’m currently in the process of buying my first home (all by myself!)! I’m so excited although the process has been stressful to say the least!

I’ve moved so many times in my life, I figured out on average I live somewhere for less than a year and move. That is crazy! For someone who dislikes the stress of moving so much, I have no idea why I do this to myself!

I’m hoping with this new purchase and huge step in my life, as well as my new transition from being in a co-habiting relationship to being single again and on my own – that I will be breaking this crazy trend and staying put for years to come! I’m excited to take this new HUGE step in my life!

Since I have moved about 36 times in my adult life, I feel like I’ve become pretty good at organizing myself, decluttering, packing up, planning for the move, and actually moving!

See my previous post here on 15 Tips for a Successful, Easy Move!

I also feel like a big part of moving is decluttering. I do love that since I move so often, I go through my household several times a year and do a big purge as well as get even more organized with what I do keep!

A new survey reveals the average American is stockpiling 23 unnecessary items in their home and 57 percent keep things for sentimental reasons, while a third procrastinate throwing out items they no longer need.  The study of 2,000 people commissioned by ClosetMaid®, also found the state of the home is so bad that one in five has been accused by a friend or family member of being a hoarder.  Yikes!

ClosetMaid offers the following tips on how to make the moving/decluttering process more productive, satisfying and less stressful.

• Remember that consistency is better than intensity, so be sure your resolutions for decluttering and organizing are reasonable and not so ambitious they are destined for failure. 
• Create a drop zone for things like briefcases, purses, totes and backpacks that come in and out of the home frequently. 
• Fight the paper war by discarding catalogs, solicitations and advertisements you get in the mail and set up a system for addressing personal correspondence, bills, etc. on a regular basis. 
• Organize clutter digitally by scanning old photos and documents and storing them on your computer instead of boxes or file cabinets that take up precious space. 
• Select a single project and stick with it until complete rather than taking on multiple ones at the same time. 
• Get a system in order that will help manage and organize your belongings.  There are plenty of products on the market that meet all needs, budgets, lifestyles and tastes. 
• Be ruthless in your closet and get rid of things that are out of style or no longer fit.  Treat yourself to ultra-thin hangers to make more room and take away the visual noise. 
• Don’t make the mistake of simply moving stuff to new locations.  Evaluate what you have and if it’s worth keeping.  If it’s not, do not procrastinate, discard it immediately rather than relocating to a new space. 
• Learn to delegate chores and hold family members accountable for managing their own belongings. 
• Don’t get tripped up in nostalgia and hold onto things just because they evoke memories.  If it’s that sentimental, take a photo of the item and then toss it away.

Getting organized is a team effort, so be sure to get everyone in the household on board with the program as well. Understand it is a commitment of time and patience, and the results, while they don’t have to be picture-perfect, are well worth it.  The happiness and satisfaction you feel from being organized will hopefully be all the incentive you need to stay that way.

Be Sure to Check out Matco if you are in need of professional movers and storage!

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*This is a sponsored post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are solely my own. I only share reviews with my readers, I feel will be beneficial or informative in some way.