According to this UCLA study, there’s a direct correlation between a woman’s cortisol levels—which are associated with stress and depression—and clutter.

With the right decluttering tips, you can organize your surroundings and your life. Get a handle on your stress and go minimalistic with these five decluttering methods. 

That way, you can reserve your energy for what really matters in life—instead of making a mess of it.

1. The KonMari Method

The KonMari method was developed by the author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Netflix star Marie Kondo.

Kondo’s decluttering tips are as simple. Pick up any item and ask yourself if it brings you joy. Determine which items matter emotionally, then declutter the rest.

This decluttering and minimalism method allows you to prioritize what you keep.

Gaining popularity throughout the world, this is also one of the most well known decluttering tips. However, it’s sometimes more time consuming than the other methods we’ll discuss. 

2. Four Box Method

According to the National Soap and Detergent Association, eliminating clutter would also cut 40 percent of the time we spend cleaning. 

With the four box decluttering methods, you can reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning and decluttering. To start, grab four boxes and categorize your possession in these categories:

  • Put away
  • Give away
  • Throw away
  • Undecided

This straightforward decluttering method is flexible and easy, so you can get straight to becoming a ‘getting rid of stuff’ minimalist!

3. Make it Minimalistic

For a decluttering method that turns cleaning into a source of fun, try the minimalist game. This method gamifies cleaning, so even the kids can get involved.

On the first day of a month, declutter one item. Then on the same day, declutter two. Continue this pattern for a full month.

In a 31-day month, that means you’ll have decluttered 496 items from your home.

You can even challenge friends and family to see who can keep playing the longest.

For a quick and easy way to remove the rubbish in your home, click here to learn more.

4. Pack It Up

It’s a packing party! Invite friends over, grab a ton of boxes, and start packing up your life. That means everything.

When you need something, take the item out of its box. After three months, any items that remain packed up are meant to get decluttered.

While this decluttering method is a little extreme, it also helps you recognize what items in your home have actual use and value. 

This decluttering method is also great for offices. Discover more business tips here!

5. One Method

For a method that makes learning how to declutter super simple, go with the one method.

For this to work, you just get rid of one thing every day. You can set a time limit for yourself or choose to fill one box each day.

That way, you develop a habit for decluttering that can help you in the future.

Master the Mess: 5 Decluttering Methods to Tackle the Mess

With these five mastermind decluttering methods, you can pack up the mess and live with less!

Check out this section of our blog for more helpful lifestyle tips!