5 Simple Ways to Avoid More Clutter this Holiday Season

We LOVE the holiday season. Regardless of what you celebrate, it can certainly be the most wonderful time of the year. 'Tis the season for time spent with family and friends, parties, celebration, and also...shopping, gift giving and receiving. And sometimes... a lot of unnecessary stress and overwhelm that could (read: can) be avoided.

Consumerism can be defined as immense value that is placed on the excessive consumption of material goods and services. Basically, businesses want to make money, so they figure out the best way to entice you with what they have to offer. A manipulation to get your money, if you will.

Now we aren't saying that purchasing things isn't necessary...or fun. We love a good shopping trip as much as the next person. But the point is, do you need it? And are we placing more value on things than we are on the people in our life or the time we get to spend with them? Something to think about.

There truly is a difference between getting someone a meaningful gift or buying a gift because you feel like you have to. There's also a difference between keeping a gift because you love it or keeping a gift because you feel like you have to. Really, it just adds to the clutter most of us are already dealing with it, and clutter has been proven to lead to illness. Clutter can cause things like depression, insomnia, anxiety, weight gain and asthma. When you clear out the clutter in your space, you clear out the clutter in your mind. So what do you say we shoot for a clutter-free holiday season, so we can truly enjoy the time spent with the people we love?

Below are a few super simple ways to implement the idea of a clutter-less holiday season!

1. The One In - One Out Method

The one in, one out method is the idea that when you bring something into your home, you remove something else. For example, you buy a new shirt, you get rid of one you don't wear anymore. To relate it to the holiday season, if you're out shopping and find something you love, or you receive a gift that brings you immense joy- amazing! Buy the thing or keep the gift! Then when you get home, choose something similar or even completely different and toss it into the donate box! Need an easy way to know what to get rid of? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Have I used it in the last 6 months?

2. Do I like/love/need it?

3. Is it in good shape?

Then from there, we recommend having a donation box somewhere in your house where you can place these items until you have time to take them to be donated! It's important not to keep things "just in case". Things are not actually useful if you're not using them, and haven't in months or even years.

2. Buy Only What You Need

It's true that when we buy things, it feels good. There is certainly a dopamine hit when walking through your favorite store and finding an item you love. It really can be like a drug. The thing about that hit though, is it's short lived. It later leads to distress, and that distress is more clutter. As we mentioned previously, more clutter leads to more issues, especially health-related issues. Not to mention, spending money you don't have can also create a lot of health issues, too. I think we can all relate to that feeling of buying something we can't really afford, experiencing the dopamine high, and then shortly after, experiencing the anxiety and immediate regret. When you own too many things, your things start to own you. So don't buy the things you don't need, and don't buy a gift just to get a gift for someone. Only buy something if it's going to be truly meaningful to you or another person.

"Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." - Dr. Seuss

3. Spend Quality Time, Not Money

What if this year we made the holiday season about the people we love instead of the gifts we can get for them? Now, again, we aren't saying don't get the gift if it's meaningful, but we are saying don't purchase it if it isn't. This season, have a conversation with your family and friends and try to plan events that don't require a gift. Or, create new traditions, maybe some that require less gifts. For example, instead of everyone buying presents for everyone in the family, draw names and make a game out of it! That way, you're not headed home with a pile of "stuff" you'll put at the bottom of your closet and forget about until you spring clean in May.

4. Only Keep Gifts if...

..you love them, you'll use them or you need them. Don't keep gifts simply because they're from Grandma or Aunt Carol and you're afraid that you'll hurt their feelings if you don't. It's ok to return something, donate something or give something to someone who will appreciate it if it's not something you'll use!

5. Things are not People

The last and most important point is that things are not people. Not keeping a gift from someone does not equal rejection. This goes for much more than just the holiday season. For example, if you decide to get rid of Grandpa Jack's old musty jacket that has been hanging in the basement for a half a decade, it doesn't mean that you're doing an injustice to his memory. It simply means that you are honoring yourself and what you need to create a sense of calm and ease in your space. You're also taking care of your mental health, too. When you donate things you no longer use, like or need, you're giving someone else the opportunity to find that item, give it a good home and love it more than you ever could. The energy of that is incredible, and truly what the holiday season is really about.

In Closing

Ultimately what it comes down to is, more consumerism inevitably equals more clutter, which equals more stress and overwhelm. The holidays are supposed to be a time to enjoy the people and places we love. So this year, let's make it a goal to participate in the calm and coziness of it all vs. the chaos, shall we?

Thanks so much for being here! We appreciate each and every one of you.