Welcoming children into our lives is an honour and a blessing. We open our hearts to love more, open our minds to learn more about these little ones in our care and we also open our homes to a whole lot more stuff! It is so important to learn how to simplify life so that we can focus on what matters most.
How Do I Get Rid of Stuff and Simplify Life?
the amount of stress women experience at home is directly proportional to the amount of stuff they and their family had accumulated. (Motherly)
Continue reading to discover my top 10 tips to simplify your life with kids!
1. Visualize your ideal space
- Imagine walking into your home in its best possible state. How would you feel when you walk through the front door? What would you see as you walk through each room? What specific items are on display that bring you feelings of peace and joy?
- Do this visualization exercise in the space you are choosing to declutter first.
- Feel free to jot down key words in a notebook or on your computer.
Having a clear vision of where you are going in your decluttering process will motivate you to keep going!
2. Build momentum with a clean sweep
- Set a timer for 10 minutes, grab a garbage + recycling bag and a bin to collect miscellaneous items and get ready to do a “clean sweep’.
- Be ruthless and throw out or recycle any items that are broken, expired, no longer work or serve a purpose and are not in good enough condition to sell or give away.
- Use the miscellaneous bin to collect items that do not belong in this space.
- Repeat this process on a daily basis for a week in the same room or in different rooms in your home.
3. Start small
Does a cluttered kitchen have you running to the pantry to eat all the sugary things rather than deal with the mess on the counters? Is your closet busting at the seams with clothing that no longer serves you? Do you have a toy room that is so full of stuff, your child doesn’t have a place to sit and play?
- Start small and decide to declutter one drawer, cabinet or bin at a time to keep overwhelm from creeping in.
4. Ask yourself these questions when struggling with emotional attachment:
- Has this item served its purpose?
- Can someone else love it and use it instead of it just sitting and collecting dust on a shelf or in your closet?
- Is it an item that brings you a feeling of joy when you hold it? If yes, where can you display it?
- Would you be able to sell this unused item and put the money toward something that matters to you and your family in the season? (That trip you are saving up for, that class you’ve been wanting to take, etc.)
How Do You Get Your Family On Board with an Organized Lifestyle?
Having order in our homes reduces stress and allows us to whole heartedly focus on fostering healthy and happy families.
5. Embrace a “less is more” attitude
- this mindset gives you space, time and mental energy to invest in what matters most
- as you live out this motto, your whole family will experience the benefits
6. Schedule 10-minute decluttering blocks into the family calendar
- make it feel more like an important engagement than just another task to complete.
- Planning ahead gets everyone on the same page and mentally prepared for the task!
- You may find that momentum builds and those 10 minutes can turn into 30 minutes of focused decluttering time.
7. Involve your children in the process of decluttering
- Make decluttering fun! Turn on some upbeat music and give your children small tasks to do (such as sorting the play food into a bin, bringing you items that no longer work or are broken and choosing which items they would like to donate.)
- Lead by example and encourage their efforts often with verbal affirmation and high fives!
- Decide on a fun activity or reward to enjoy once your decluttering session is complete
8. Communicate with a spouse who isn’t eager to declutter
- Set aside some time to talk about how clutter is affecting your emotional and physical well being and how having their support is important to you
- Ask your spouse what tasks or spaces in the home they would prefer to declutter
- Provide them with a manageable checklist that they can complete at their own leisure
9. Declutter Your Calendar
- Reflect on the things that bring you the most joy, the experiences that fill you up and those aspects of your life that will matter most when you look back on your life as a little old lady.
- Prioritize the important stuff of life and then schedule in appointments and your daily to do list after.
I’m so passionate about creating an intentional calendar that I wrote a whole post on it! Check out 5 important questions to ask yourself today to reclaim your calendar.
10. Simplify Your Self-Care Practice
Friends, I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t give on an empty tank! When you give constantly to others without making time to meet your own needs, feelings of stress, resentment, anger, and extreme fatigue can begin to surface.
- Schedule in a block of time each week where you will focus on you
- Set your alarm to wake up earlier than your kids – having even 10 minutes of quiet time in the morning can set you up for a more focused and peace filled day
- Ask for help: can your partner watch the kids for an hour so you can enjoy a bath, get a quick workout in, phone a friend or read a book?
- Create a self-care station at home that includes a diffuser or a candle, a journal, a plant and a speaker to play some relaxing tunes when you need a reset
I hope today’s post has encouraged you to take the first step toward reclaiming parts of your life that may feel overwhelming. You are not alone in this process! Pretty much every mom has had feelings of anxiety over all of the mental and physical clutter that comes with having a family.
I love this, Sarah! This post is full of practical and uplifting ideas to implement today 💗
Thank you, Charlene! That is always the goal – simple and practical tips!