Freeing up some time by decluttering

I know, you’re probably thinking “I don’t have time to declutter”. But what if I told you that you could actually free up some time by decluttering?

It’s true!

Here is one way decluttering can help you create more time for yourself:

Physical decluttering

Let’s use a work desk as an example. If you have one that is piled high with papers and other objects, it can be hard to find the precise thing you are looking for at the precise moment that you need it. Even if you know generally which pile it’s in, you have to sift through things to get to that one slip of paper. Maybe it takes a few seconds of frustration, maybe it takes a few minutes.

Maybe it happens multiple times a day. According the book Joy at Work by Marie Kondo and Scott Sonenshein, “the search for lost things adds up to an average of one workweek per year per employee.” That is quite a lot of “lost” time, likely accompanied by a feeling of agitation or frustration.

If you (like me) sometimes have a mess at home, you know that this ability to “lose” things isn’t limited to a messy desk or workspace.

If you (like me) are in menopause (or perimenopause, where you get lots of the downsides of menopause without the upside of no menstruation), then you probably put things someplace “so you will remember where they are” and then forget where that is. Or, worse, you have put something someplace entirely illogical due to a glitch in your thinking (e.g., keys in the refrigerator).

It is maddening.

And it is made far worse if your space is untidy, because it multiplies the number of places that you need to check (or rifle through) in order to find what you are looking for.

Decluttering is a term I use to mean both (a) tidying up so there aren’t gobs of items everywhere and (b) reducing down how many belongings you have so that you only have things you love and use.

If you reduce the amount of untidiness or mess, then you are reducing the amount of visual clutter—which is is what I call untidiness that is out in the open. Visual clutter can stress you the fuck out. I know, because it is one of my most insidious nemeses.

Visual clutter starts innocently enough. One piece of mail that you will “deal with later” attracts an entire pile of additional mail and coupons and advertisements and the next thing you know, that bill you need to pay is missing and you have to sort through all those papers just to find it.

Or

You come in and put your mask and pocketbook on the counter (or wherever it is, it’s somewhere they don’t “belong"). The next thing you know, you are leaving additional items on the counter. Things that should be inside cabinets that are right there, or things that are supposed to live in other rooms entirely.

Now your counter isn’t usable, because it’s covered in stuff, and there’s a bunch of stuff there sticking its tongue out at you.

That stuff that’s just there, piling up? There’s probably an acceptable level that you can overlook, even though part of you is mildly stressed every time you see it. Because you know you should deal with it, but you don’t feel like it.

Until one day, there is (sometimes literally) one thing too many there and you just can’t take it anymore. Ahem. Ask me how I know?

So those things that are piling up—whether it’s in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, or elsewhere—are increasing your stress levels. Which can mean that you avoid them diligently by watching more TV or doom scrolling on social media, since out of sight is out of mind, at least for the time being.

But if you deal with that clutter you can both reduce your stress and anxiety levels (see this prior post specifically about that), and free up space in your home. And since you aren’t in avoidance mode any longer, you now have time to do something you truly want to do. Maybe it is to start a side hustle, write a poem or a chapter in a book, or create something else: a business, a quilt, a shawl, a sampler, a painting, another loaf of banana bread. Or maybe it is to watch TV, but in a way that allows you to be fully relaxed.

Clearing visual clutter and tackling the other sort of clutter you have that is in the form of too many things you don’t love or use enables you to clear space. Physical space, but also space and time to think and do the things you truly want to do.

Registration for The Declutter Course is now open

The Declutter Course combines practical decluttering tips with journaling and other coaching exercises in order to help you figure out who you are and what you like now. The course puts an emphasis on keeping only those things that you love or use, and on releasing those things that no longer serve you—whether that is a pair of jeans, a set of linens, a piece of jewelry, or something less tangible, such as “beating up on yourself for not being perfect.”

When you join The Declutter Course, you will get weekly emails that teach you how to declutter things that are weighing you down and holding you back so that you can create space (and time) to welcome in more abundance in all areas of your life. A private Facebook group to join others and discuss issues as they arise. Weekly Facebook Live group coaching sessions with me to talk through our weekly themes and assignments, and discuss any issues you might be having.

If you are interested in joining my coaching program, The Declutter Course, there is a live round of the course starting on Sunday, October 4th.

You can get the course at the discounted rate of $267 (that’s 10% off) until September 6th, so jump on it if you want in on this six-week coaching experience. It will walk you through decluttering the things you don’t love and use so you can make room for more abundance, and have a bit more time for yourself. Side effects may include feeling lighter and less encumbered; knowing what you have and where it is; greater satisfaction in your living space; and a clearer mind to allow you to envision what’s next in your life.