What not to do when decluttering and organising

Here’s what not to do when completing a declutter project:

Empty your entire wardrobe and pile all your clothes on your bed – dealing with them all will sap your emotional energy and you have to complete the job before bedtime!

Buy storage before beginning to declutter – you may not need as much as you think and if you don’t use it you will have more stuff in your home.

Have an unrealistic idea of how long something takes – estimate the time and multiply by three so you don’t put yourself under too much pressure.

Think a system that works for you will work for someone else – we’re all different and this can be a source of disagreement.

Begin a project before you’ve finish another one – this can be overwhelming and make you feel like giving up.

Declutter without a clear plan of where everything should go – decide on your things’ destinations before you begin.

Declutter someone else’s possessions without their permission –this can be upsetting and annoying for people and devastating for someone with hoarding behaviours.