"Clutter: a disorderly heap or assemblage; litter"
(Definition courtesy of www.dictionary.com)

This month at Here To Help we are focusing on helping people to de-clutter their lives. It’s not always an easy task but once you have done it, you will feel a whole lot better! De-cluttering is a fantastic way of getting rid of the old to make room for the new and many people find that having a good clear out—whether at home, in your office or even in your life— is a terrific way to start again and it often gives us renewed focus and helps us to feel energized and positive.
If we are surrounded by clutter every day it can make us feel physically and mentally disorganized, leaving us feeling unfocused and unmotivated. Clutter even blocks creativity! Whether you believe in feng shui or not, de-cluttering our lives really is a fantastic way to feel lighter and happier and it gives us a renewed sense of purpose.
Some of us have been hanging on to the same things literally for years—our attics are full of memorabilia, old clothes, gifts we didn’t use or want, junk that we have brought from house to house with us but couldn’t bear to part with...sometimes knowing that all this “stuff” is up there in the attic is too overwhelming and we cannot bear the thought of tackling it!
Here are some quick tips on how to tackle that physical clutter in our homes and offices and get organized this Spring:
Get Set! Set a date or dates on which you are committing yourself to sorting it all out and decide in advance which charity shops will benefit from your de-cluttering session
Skip It! If you have an attic/garage full of clutter then organize to have a skip delivered— once that skip arrives you have to follow through on your promise to yourself to sort it all out!
Sort It! Sort the clutter into piles of “must keep” and “must throw away” - resolving to make the “must throw away” pile considerably larger than the “must keep” pile!
Store It! If you don’t have adequate storage for the things you really want to keep, it is a good idea to get some storage solutions sorted before you start...IKEA and home stores such as Homestore & More, Homebase and Argos offer great storage solutions and the big plus is that they don’t cost that much to buy. Two key items to consider buying if you are looking for some practical storage solutions, are different sized plastic boxes with lids and lots of bags for vacuum packing—essential when storing those clothes you really can’t part with! If you want to find some prettier storage items for areas that will be on display such as in kitchens or living rooms, wicker baskets and faux leather boxes look great in any room and don’t cost the earth.
Okay! That's the physical stuff sorted...but what about the more difficult emotional clutter that we hold on to? How do we tackle that?