With the festive season fast approaching, it’s a great time to start slowly clearing away the clutter and preparing your home for Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year can also be incredibly stressful, with planning, decorating, cooking, and entertaining guests taking a great deal of time and energy, so it’s beneficial to start preparing early.
If you change your approach to the festive season slightly and clear the clutter accumulated throughout the year, you could end up with lower stress levels and less holiday chaos. Here are a few tips to help you declutter and start the festive season with a sense of order and clarity, allowing for positive effects on your mental health and well-being.
MAKE A PRE-FESTIVE DECLUTTERING PLAN
Make a list of the rooms in your house that need decluttering and organisation, identify the tasks you need to complete, and tackle them day by day in the lead-up to the festive season.
Think of what could present a potential problem and how you would like your home to look on Christmas, then tackle your list with consistency so that the tasks are achievable within the timeframe you have and don’t overwhelm you.
USE THE “FRIEND, ACQUAINTANCE OR STRANGER” METHOD
When approaching clutter, having a method will simplify what you need to keep or throw away, to maintain order in your home. Thinking of items as friends, acquaintances or strangers is an easy way to clear the clutter.
Items that you don’t want, need or even recognise anymore are ‘strangers’ and should be recycled or donated if it’s still in good condition. Those that are useful, but you don’t use can be categorised as acquaintances, and should also be recycled or donated. Anything you see as a friend, that you use daily or can’t live without, should be kept.
CLEAR OUT AND REORGANISE YOUR FRIDGE, FREEZER AND GROCERY CUPBOARDS
Over the festive season, there’s always a lot of food and you’ll need space to store fresh ingredients for meals and leftovers. Be ruthless when clearing out food. Throw out anything that is past its expiry date or unusable, including herbs and spices, to make space for the fresh groceries you will inevitably buy.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, use up the food you already have stored or frozen. Move opened food items to the front to keep them front of mind. Use smart storage solutions like stackable food storage containers to maximise the space in your fridge and grocery cupboard.
BUY CONSCIOUS GIFTS – EXPERIENCES RATHER THAN POSSESSIONS
There is a global shift toward environmentally conscious living, so instead of buying gifts that could be discarded or turned into clutter, buy experiences for your loved ones. Stocking fillers and sentimental gifts are fine, of course, but try to be mindful. Buying experiences not only minimises waste like boxes and wrapping paper but creates memories that last a lifetime.