Utilize lists and timelines to make responsibilities easier to remember.
5 Helpful lists to use:
Limit the number of decisions you make each day and the options within each decision. For example, instead of choosing from five different cereals at breakfast, narrow it down to just two. Simplifying your choices saves time, reduces stress, and prevents clutter. Options are good, but too many is overwhelming.
Unsubscribe from as many mailing lists as possible. Doing so reduces both paper and electronic clutter, cuts down on daily decisions, saves time, and minimizes the effort needed to organize your mail.
Here’s a broad list of the kinds of mailing lists someone can unsubscribe from (both paper and digital):
Paper Mail (Postal Mail):
Catalogs (clothing, home goods, tools, hobbies, etc.)
Charity solicitations (fundraising letters, donation requests)
Political mailings (campaign flyers, party newsletters)
Credit card offers
Insurance offers
Magazine subscriptions
Store promotions and coupons
Local business mailers (restaurants, gyms, salons, real estate agents)
Email Mailings:
Retail/store newsletters
Promotional offers/discounts
Charity fundraising appeals
Political campaigns
Subscription services (newsletters, online magazines, podcasts)
Travel deals (airlines, hotels, booking sites)
Social media notifications (friend requests, updates, reminders)
Text Messages / Calls:
Retail promotions (coupons, flash sales)
Political texts
Charity donation requests
Survey companies
Subscription alerts (shipping updates, appointment reminders you no longer want)
Some of these can be stopped by directly unsubscribing, others through services like DMAchoice.org (for U.S. paper junk mail), the National Do Not Mail List, the FTC Do Not Call Registry, or simply by contacting the sender.
In our consumer-driven society, it’s common to have more coming in than going out. Aim to equalize your belongings—become an “equalizer” by letting go of as much as you bring in. This simple habit helps reduce clutter and makes cleaning and organizing much easier.
Help letting go:
Wishing you a happy summer!
I hope you’re having a relaxing summer filled with carefree moments and simple pleasures. Since my husband is a teacher, I tend to go into “summer mode”, where I work less and play more. We go on trips, have friends over for cookouts, and enjoy nature. However, we also have a summer to-do-list made up of household chores and things that need to be addressed while he has more free time. What about you? Do you have a summer to-do-list? Is decluttering on your list?
Have you ever stopped to consider why we hold onto certain things even though we haven’t used them in years? Is it possible our reasons are excuses, a form of procrastination, and…
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