More space, more joy: Why makes clearing out happy

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You can tell it every year: in winter people spend more time at home. And with the additional time there is often the desire for more order. I have never noticed so many bulky waste on the sidewalks, boxes with "giving away" signs or long snakes from hardware stores.

Maybe people just want to make themselves more comfortable. Or you can see how much useless stuff accumulates in your own four walls. And I admit: Minimalism and mucking out are real heart topics for me!

But obviously I am not alone - because clearing out has long since become a trend.

Muck out: Team "Keep everything" or team "Way away"?

Basically there isTwo types of peoplewhen it comes to mucking out:

  • One faction struggles to let go. Everything has a value, could it be useful at some point - and throw away? Just don't!
  • The other faction (which I belong to) is the complete opposite. My family calls it "throw away everything too quickly" - I call it minimalism. Even if I am visiting somewhere else and find hardly any place for my glass, I catch my way to clean up inside.

If you are thinking about it at the start of the year or for spring cleaning, then finally mut the right way, stay tuned. Here are practical tips on how to get your chaos under control - and mucking out finally works relaxed!

You should sort out according to these rules

The "not used" rule? Not always useful!

The tip sounds logical:Everything you haven't used for a year comes away.But to be honest, I don't find it sustainable or really practical. If we would consistently do this, we would have to dispose of around 80 percent of our household - and that would be quite radical.

Everything you haven't used for a year just throw away? This often doesn't make sense! Winter clothing or timeless pieces can continue to be useful. Nevertheless, you should regularly check which things you really need.

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Ask yourself: makes me happy?

A method that really helps with clearing out-and is much more sensible than the "not used one year" rule-comes fromMarie Kondo:Ask yourself with every object whether he makes you happy.

And honestly: some things don't make us happy, but literally unhappy! Especially withFalse purchasesI often catch myself that I am annoyed every time I see them. So why keep? Precisely because we know that we have spent money on nothing, we should let go - instead of getting upset about it every time.

Best example: shopping queen. There, applicants often have to present their biggest bad buy. Ideally, there wouldn't be at all! And if? Then he should either never have been bought - or have long been looking for the width.

The book "Magic Cleaning - How Right Cleaning up her life" by Marie Kondothere is here at Thalia*.

Muck out sustainably: So you give things a second life

Mucking out does not simply mean:Cover up, things in, garbage can too.Many things can be used sensibly - be it through upcycling, donations or selling.

  • Clothing can be sewn in theGuarded clothing collection donatedor be sold online.
  • Household goods, furniture & decoration can be found via flea markets, classified ads or gifts.

If you find it difficult to throw away well -preserved things, you should be aware: there are sustainable alternatives! And the jackpot when clearing out? Sell ​​something. You make space, get money back - and you also have a good feeling. Better than throwing away - for you and the environment!

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Let's go: Muck your slaughter plan for mucking out! 🚀

Most important tip: make yourself a plan! Mucking out is not rocket science - but you have to know where and how to start. Here are the best ideas and tips for a successful start!

#ausmisten: The best method according to Marie Kondo

Instead ofin a roomTo proceed, recommend cleaning expertMarie Kondo, afterThe categoryTo make up - because similar things are often distributed across the entire apartment. So you get a better overview and avoid that unnecessary things will be resolved elsewhere.

  • Clothing- get everything out of cupboards and drawers, put it on a bunch and consciously decide what can stay.
  • Books & Papers- Sort out old magazines, invoices or unread books.
  • Small stuff (comono)-Cosmetics, decoration, kitchen utensils, technology gadgets-often slumbering a lot unnecessary here!
  • Sentimental- Memorials such as photos or letters only muck out at the end when you have practice.

Tipp:Ask yourself for every object:"Does that make me happy?"If not, it can go!

Attention before "sorting away" instead of mucking out!
Sometimes we just buyBoxes and storage systemsto clear things out of sight.Out of sight?Unfortunately not - they continue to take up space and lie around unused.

The goal is not to accommodate everything invisibly - but to really mute! So go to the file corpses that only eat space - and go away!

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Tip 1: clear everything up and put it on a bunch
This method isTypical for Marie Kondo! She recommends thatAll objects of a category(e.g. clothes or books) to get cupboards, drawers and other corners and collect them in a large pile.Why?Because the mountain of stuff youmakes it aware of how much you really have- and that makes letting go.

Tip 2: start small when it gets too much
Marie Kondo advises you to muck out categories instead of clearing up, but she also knows:Sometimes that can be overwhelming.If a whole mountain puts you off on clothes, you can go to oneSubcategoryLimit - e.g. B. first sort out pants or sweaters. This helps to get into it without being overwhelmed.

Conclusion:These tips follow Marie Kondo's principles, but leave enough flexibility for everyone who wants to slowly muck out.

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#ausmisten: Why space for space is not the best strategy

Bit by bitto migrate one room after the other, sounds logical at first. But this is exactly where the problem lies:Many things are scattered in several rooms, so that you always meet the same category andDouble decisionshave to meet.

Instead, Marie Kondo recommends thatto proceed by categories- for example firstAll items of clothing, then books, then paper stuff, etc.This ensures more clarity and prevents you from only to push things from one room to the next.

Difficult cases: basement, storage chambers & wall cabinets
Things you are often stored hereHave not mucked out several times. Now it's timebe honest:

  • "This is still good" or "Maybe I need it at some point" are no reasons to keep a little further.
  • Instead, ask yourself the question:"Do I really use it?"If ituntouched for yearsThe answer was actually clear in the closet.

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#Mausmisten: The right questions for your decision

When sorting out, it is difficult to separate from things. Thisfour questionsHelp you make a clear decision:

  • Does that still work - for its original or another purpose?
  • When did I use it last?
  • Will I realistically need it again?
  • If not: who could still enjoy it?

Book tip:Feng Shui against the junk of everyday life: mucking out properly -remain carefully kindle edition, by Karen Kingston, ->Now watch here at Amazon*

So you sort your things correctly

Based on your answers you can do everything inThree main categoriesdivide:

  • Keep- these things willcarefully grantedAnd get their permanent place.
  • Still unsafe- these objects remainFirst of all separately, so that you can make a final decision later.
  • Give away- everything youno longer need, is further divided:
    • Things to dispose of- in the garbage can or the bulky waste (please separate value materials!).
    • Donate- for social institutions or non -profit organizations.
    • Give away- for friends, family or neighborhood groups.
    • Sell- Everything that still has a value can be sold online or at the flea market.

Tipp:UseThree boxes and a garbage bag, to bring order to chaos directly. So the mucking out remains clear - and you will see results immediately! 🚀

Also read:Reading tip:

What can stay? Memorporation with heart!

Of course there are things that have no practical purpose - but stillextremely valuableare:Memorporation.

If an object is on youa special person, a situation or a phase of lifereminded and youReally close to my heart, then he can stay.

Memorporations have an emotional value. Keep consciously selected things that youreally importantare - but question whether you need everything.

Book tip: Mrs. Magnusson's art to organize the last things in life -bound edition -March 21, 2018 ->Buy now from Thalia*

The goal: more space, more joy!

As soon as you have freed yourself from unnecessary ballast, you will feel it immediately:No more chaotic corners, no overflowing cupboards - instead order, overview and a real feeling of wellbeing.

Everything has its permanent place, you find things faster and have toless clean up. Sounds good, right?

So that it stays that way:Ask yourself with new things whether you really need them and, above all, whether they make you happy.That may sound strict, but prevents chaos prevents itself - and at the same time helps to consume more consciously.

And now? Have fun mucking out! BecauseIt's worth it - and feels really good.