What To Do After You Finish Decluttering
You heave a sigh of relief. You finally have finished decluttering your home! The project has taken you months to complete, and it seemed at one point like you would never get there. But you have finally achieved your goal! Looking around at your clean drawers, empty corners, and free closet space, you feel a […]
You heave a sigh of relief. You finally have finished decluttering your home! The project has taken you months to complete, and it seemed at one point like you would never get there. But you have finally achieved your goal!
Looking around at your clean drawers, empty corners, and free closet space, you feel a sense of pride, but also uncertainty. What now? Is there life after decluttering? What is the next step?
If you are not sure what to do after decluttering, you are not alone. For a lot of folks, decluttering is a goal which takes months or even years to achieve. As such, you may not even think about the future. The possibility of success may seem so remote as to be insignificant, so you might feel lost once you do succeed.
Okay, so I am exaggerating a little—but I have seen quite a few almost existential posts from people who have finished decluttering only to be met with a feeling of “emptiness.”
Why does it happen? For some, it could just be that the massive undertaking was filling all their free hours. With all that time suddenly back on their hands, they don’t know what to do with themselves. Others may struggle with the realization that they were living through material possessions, and now need to find something else.
So back to the main question, and that is, “what can you do after you declutter?” Here are some ideas:
• Get organized around the house. You’ve finished decluttering, but have you found organizational systems for your home which work yet? With your clutter finally out of the way, this is the perfect time to do it!
• Change your habits. New clutter will make its way back into your life quickly if you do not do something to prevent that from happening. Come up with strict rules to curb impulse spending, and limit gift exchanges you participate in. In short, take decluttering to the next level. Start thinking about an ounce of prevention. That way you are less likely to need a pound of cure again in the future!
• Make use of that new space in a creative way. Don’t let the space you’ve freed up go to waste. Instead of filling it up with more stuff you probably won’t want in a few years, start a new hobby or just rearrange and redecorate for a refreshing new ambiance. That in itself can become a new pastime.
• Relax. You have worked really hard to declutter your house. Maybe you have gotten into a habit of working hard, and have forgotten how to relax. But sometimes it is okay to just unwind for a while and do nothing at all. Just enjoy being in the clutter-free space you’ve made for yourself.
Decluttering is a huge task, and trying to figure out what to do afterwards can be difficult. But there are a lot of ways you can continue to beautify your home and get more joy out of life. I hope these ideas get you started!
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