Clutter can infiltrate all areas of our lives or just a corner. We can be comfortable with our clutter or overwhelmed by it.

Are you looking to make some changes? Below are ten of the most common areas that clutter collects and some simple strategies to manage them.

10 Most Common Clutter Areas & Solutions That Will Help

1. Paper Clutter – Be honest. Do you have to keep as many papers? If released, could you easily replace them IF you needed to? Statistics show that we only retrieve 20% of the papers we file.

2. Clothing Clutter – Be ruthless. Clothing clutter management begins by asking good questions. Does it fit? Do I feel fabulous wearing it? Does it look good on me? When was the last time I wore it? Can it be donated, consigned, or given to a friend?

3. Toy Clutter – Less is easier. How many trucks, dolls, superheroes, balls, or magic wands are enough? Fewer toys mean easier maintenance, better organization, and less overwhelm for you and the kids.

4. Electronic Clutter – Establish boundaries. With 24/7 potential access and availability, setting limits about how much electronic noise you allow during the day is essential. Protect yourself and your time by turning off beeps, taking “tech-less” hours, and minimizing the sources of digital input.

5. Mind Clutter – Release thoughts. Our minds can feel as cluttered as our spaces. Too much activity “upstairs” can make us lose focus and feel frazzled. Try a brain download by transferring thoughts onto paper, computer, or voice recorder.

6. Calendar Clutter – Evaluate schedule. The “too busy” syndrome is often a function of saying “yes” without considering how that affects our stress level. If you’re overwhelmed by overscheduled days, consider these questions: What is on my “yes” list that I can convert to a “no?” What can be delegated? How much downtime do I need or want in a day?

7. Gift Clutter – Move on. Receiving gifts that we don’t like, want, or have room for is another clutter source. You do not have to keep them. Let go. Remove the guilt and the clutter by permitting those gifts to move on. Exchange, donate, or re-gift.

8. Handbag Clutter – Quick sort. An assortment of things collects in our handbags, from empty wrappers to expired ticket stubs to receipts that need to be filed. Take 5 minutes at night to do a quick clutter check. Remove all items that are expired, no longer useful, or belong elsewhere.

9. Space Clutter – Reclaim control. Excess clutter can cause stress. It’s no fun to hunt for hidden items, trip over paper stacks, or negotiate through overflowing closets. Pick one area to begin organizing and decluttering. Determine use for that area. Re-route things elsewhere that don’t belong. Be ruthless about the remaining contents. Release what isn’t useful, you no longer want, or has overstayed its welcome.

10. Someday Clutter – Don’t postpone. Keeping things because you “might” need them someday are a source of clutter accumulation. When you hear yourself uttering the “someday” phrase, ask these questions: Is it worth taking up space? Is it worth the mental energy? Is it likely I’ll actually need or use it? Is my focus on “someday” preventing me from fully living and enjoying now?

Taking action and working on just one of the cluttered areas can significantly reduce your stress and restore some balance. What area is calling your attention? Share your thoughts, tips, or other clutter challenge areas.

Our oldest daughter just graduated from college. As we returned from our trip, it became clear that an integral part of any transition, whether it's graduation or otherwise, often involves clutter reduction and management.

Clutter can be overwhelming. If you need some help, consider experimenting with some of these seven practical tips.

7 Practical Tips for Reducing Your Clutter

1. Clear Slate

Return things to square one. That might include putting away the dishes, clearing off your desk, or placing dirty clothes in the laundry basket. This will help to maintain clutter and promote mental clarity as you begin your day. When returning from our trip, it felt great to come home to a clutter-free space.

2. Think Less

How much is enough? The less stuff you have, the easier it will be to manage and maintain. While away, I was amazed by how many things I didn’t need.  I only packed a small portion of my belongings, of which not all were used. Remember the 80/20 rule. In general, we only wear 20% of the clothes we own. We only reference 20% of the papers we file.

3. Complete Cycle

Develop an awareness of what you are doing. If you have just entered the house with groceries or purchases in hand, take time to put them away. The few minutes spent doing this minimizes clutter that might otherwise collect in hallways, corners, and floors.

4. Create Homes

When things have no place to go, they start to gather in piles. Establishing a place to put your things helps reduce clutter. Make sure that what you keep is “home worthy.” Is it useful? Do you love it? Does it fit? Do you need so many? Is it time to let go? Ask the questions before putting things away.

5. Pass On

What if the clutter represents things no longer wanted? Do I really want to keep my marble collection or pants that no longer fit? Is it time to reroute them? Many people would appreciate them. Can you donate to a local charity or give it to family or friends? Many charities will pick up clothing, linens, furniture, and household items. Especially during transitions, we may find that our things “no longer fit” who we are or where we are headed. This can be a clutter-reducing motivator.

6. Use Minutes

Clutter management doesn’t have to involve hours. Doing periodic ten-minute sessions can be less overwhelming. Unpacking from our trip included clearing out my travel folder. Some items were filed, and others were recycled. I used additional minutes to look through the four-year-old college folders and clear out papers that are now irrelevant.

7. Purchase Consciously

Before purchasing, consider whether you genuinely need it and where you will store it. Factoring in this aspect of purchasing habits will prevent clutter from entering your home.

What are your favorite ways to manage and reduce clutter? 

Clutter occupies our thoughts. We wonder:

• Do I have too much? 
• Where does it come from?
• Will I ever get it organized?
• Why does other people’s clutter consume my space?

While all these questions are useful to ponder and solve, right now I’m thinking about the other side of clutter. What happens when we’ve answered those questions? Where are we then?

This spring in particular is a time of transition. Recently, I made a connection with this period of time to clutter. Our oldest daughter is about to graduate college. The four years have zoomed by. To acknowledge her journey, I created a photo album for her. As I looked through and selected the images, what I saw was a life full of “good clutter.” Spaces were filled, but not with physical clutter. Instead, they housed the most important things like family and friends sharing lively conversations, wonderful meals, laughter, love, and tears.

Like the de-cluttering process, these past years also included letting go.  We let go as both daughters went off to college. We became empty nesters. Letting go had its challenges, but it also provided the opportunity for growth.

The other side of clutter is about making room in your life for what is most important. What do you value? When you think about the clutter that takes up your space, your thoughts and your time, is it blocking you from getting to that other side? Perhaps you also are going through change. It’s a natural stage to rethink your clutter, release the extraneous, and open the door for something wonderful. What’s possible for you on other side of clutter?

Are you and clutter on a break? Your space is clear and you’re feeling stress-free. Perhaps everyone around you is clutter obsessed, but it’s not on your radar. Piles that have accumulated on floors, surfaces, corners and closets don’t bother you. Or, does the clutter in your physical space, and also in your schedule and thoughts overwhelm you? What is your relationship to clutter? Are you on a clutter hiatus, oblivious to clutter or overwhelmed by it?

Thinking about this relationship will help locate where you are with your clutter and give you ideas for possible next steps. I recognize that it’s not this black and white. Our relationship to clutter can shift regularly. This is just one concept. Find what makes sense to you.

Clutter Break

• You know you’re on a clutter break if you can easily move around your space, find what you need when you need it, and are not experiencing daily stress that is often associated with too much clutter.

• Next Step: Your relationship to clutter is positive. You have no clutter worries and can shift your energy to other areas of your life. Choose what interests you like focusing on better self-care, having more time with friends and family, or learning something new. What’s possible for you?

Clutter Oblivion

• You don’t quite get what all the fuss is about. You have some piles here and there. What’s the big deal? You sometimes hunt for things, but for the most part you can find what you need. You prefer your things out and visible, but it’s the people you live that don’t like it. They give you a hard time because their clutter tolerance and yours are not the same.

• Next Step: Conflicts arise when needs are contrary. It’s not that your way or their way is right or wrong, it’s just different. Living with people involves compromise if you desire a more harmonious environment. So what might work? One suggestion is to create zones for communal and private areas? Establish boundary rules for these areas. The private areas can be kept any way the “owner” wants. The communal areas can include respect rules agreed on through compromise. What else might work?

“Living with people involves compromise if you desire a more harmonious environment.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO

Clutter Overwhelm

• The spaces, the thoughts, and the schedules are overflowing. There is not enough room to do what you need, have mental energy to feel calm, or time to make any changes. Or, at least it feels that way. The days aren’t flowing well. You spend time hunting for glasses, keys, the library book that’s due. You have so much going on in your head that you feel like it’s going to explode. Your calendar is over-scheduled and you feel like there is not time to relax.

• Next Step: You always have choices. Especially now because you are so overwhelmed, it’s critical that you take a step back. No prizes are given for those that burn themselves out. Find a quiet space, make a cup of tea, and start to brainstorm about what can be released. For the physical clutter, can a closet, a drawer or a surface be de-cluttered? One small action can make an enormous difference. For the mind clutter, can you take 10-15 minutes to do a brain download? Get those floating thoughts out onto paper, computer or voice message. With the full calendar, think through your commitments. Can you convert any of the “yeses” into “not nows?” Self-care might seem like an impossibility right now. It’s more critical than ever. Break it down. Think small. What single tiny step can you take now?

What is your relationship to clutter right now? What comes next? Come join the conversation and share your thoughts with us.