Minimalist Apartment | How to reduce clutter and eliminate stress

I have become somewhat of a minimalist apartment expert (self-proclaimed). My family of 4 have lived in 500sq/ft, 610sq/ft, 800sq/ft and currently life has us in a 1000 sq./ft apartment, which feels too big!

How To begin reducing clutter and stress – For me and many like me, clutter equals stress. Functioning on the border of clean and obsessive I find that in order to think clearly and improve my mood I need a clean environment. Thankfully my husband is the same way, so we complement each other well in this area.

Minimalism is a journey with only a beginning. As you start your journey to minimalism you will no doubt make adjustments along the way. You will find your style and you will find your comfort zone. Good luck and let’s get started together!

Here are 4 questions to begin reducing clutter and stress in your apartment

1. Do you use it
2. Does it have more than one purpose
3. What if it was gone?
4. Sentimental value

Now let’s take some time and work on decluttering one room in your house. I find it is always easier for me to start in the kitchen, but you can start anywhere you like. Find a box or a bag to put items in that you don’t think you will use. Keep that box stored away for 30 days. If you don’t take anything out in that 30 days, then donate the box. (you can wait more, less or none at all.) Check out this YouTube video for inspiration!

Ask yourself these four questions!

Do You Use It

We all do it… we keep an item because of its intended purpose and not based on how often we use it. If you are starting do declutter in your kitchen this is the perfect place to find items like this. How many potato peelers do you have? How many cheese graters do you have? How many different types of mixing, stirring, and serving spoons do you have? You can truly only use one at a time. If you have multiple of the same items, you should reduce!

 

Does it have more than one purpose?

Items should have more than one purpose when at all possible. A knife is a knife but how many different knives do you have? Stick to the basics. A simple example of this is my couch. It is a couch for sitting, rolls out to a full-size bed, and also opens for a lot of storage room. I could get a couch that only works as a couch with lots of wasted space, but this item serves three purposes.

 

What if it was gone?

This is a serious question that you should consider. What if it was gone? If two of my 10 wooden spoons were gone, I would not miss them. I could live without no problem. However, if my Vitamix was gone… we would have some issues. Clutter tends to be mostly made up of small items and typically we have multiples of these small items. It’s time to get serious and add to the box!

 

Sentimental Value

This is a hard one… everyone has personal attachment to items and often there is no reason why. My husband for example loves to cook and loves cooking and kitchen utensils. For him it is hardest to get rid of anything that is used for cooking, grilling or outdoor adventure. I have asked him why this is, and the answer is simple “I just don’t know, I like it all”. For me cloths have the most sentimental value and are some of the hardest items to part with. I vividly remember events and experiences in a specific t-shirt or pair of shoes.

Parting with items that have sentimental value is the hardest but for us we do ask ourselves the question – is it important and sentimental all the time, or have we forgotten about the item until we dig it out of the bottom drawer or back of the closet. If the latter is true for you then I would encourage you to enjoy that moment you re discover your favorite shirt, and then part ways.

 

Check out these others posts for further inspiration.

Minimalist Tiny Home

Minimalist Tiny House – family of four living in 600 sq feet