Nothing is worse than a cluttered home – it can make us feel anxious and unproductive and can generally put us in a bad headspace. Whenever you start to feel this way, it is important to try and declutter your home.

Get rid of everything that you never use, throw out that pair of shoes you’ll wear “one day” and be honest with yourself: if you haven’t yet opened the juicer for the cleanse, you were planning a year ago, you probably won’t ever open it.

Decluttering can do you a world of good and help you feel calm, while at the same time, bringing you clarity. However, a lot of the time, we procrastinate when it comes to getting rid of clutter, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that we often make the mistakes listed below.

We move around

It can be easy to get distracted from decluttering. Oftentimes, we move around from room to room, starting on another cupboard or chest of drawers before we even finish what we were just working on. While it may seem like you are covering more ground this way, it is actually counterproductive.

Make sure that you finish decluttering one section in its entirety.

This way, you know exactly what you’re dealing with and where it came from. Otherwise, you might just end up with a huge pile of belongings and no idea where they came from or what to do with them.

We create ‘maybe’ boxes

‘Maybe’ boxes are what we use if we’re not sure whether or not to get rid of a few things, so we leave them in there in the hopes that we come around to using them one day. However, decluttering experts agree that most ‘maybe’ boxes will just turn into more clutter in the not-too-distant future.

When decluttering, we need to make a firm decision between ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ If an item is a ‘yes, it can go back into the cupboard. If not, it should be thrown out, given away, or donated. You may even be able to sell it, effectively making money for free.

We don’t have a plan

The thought of decluttering your entire living space can be incredibly overwhelming, which is likely why you keep procrastinating instead of just starting. However, it is almost impossible to take on such a big task without at least some form of a plan. When decluttering your home, start in the corner of one room and then move on to the rest of the room.

Don’t start in another area of the house, as this will distract you and derail your plan. Rather set a goal and when it’s reached, you can play online now as a reward.

Next, you need to decide how to properly store everything that you plan to keep, as well as who you are going to give items to or which charities you plan to donate to. If you have a plan in mind, your chances of succeeding in your decluttering task increase significantly.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to declutter your living space. Not only will it make your home easier to navigate, but it will also go a long way in helping you feel less stressed and overwhelmed by your surroundings.