20 Simple Things You Can Do To Declutter and Live Minimally

A collection of simple, bite-sized tips and hacks that will help you declutter and live minimally; these are easy things that you can do right now to embrace a minimalist lifestyle. 

I need to be honest with you—I’ve got a toddler and newborn at home, so my brain has felt pretty fuzzy lately. I don’t have the mental capacity for too many big projects. 

Instead, I’m all about breaking tasks into bite-sized pieces. What are small, manageable things that I can do to work towards my goals? 

If you can relate, then this list is for you. Here are 20 simple things you can do to declutter your home and simplify your life, without adding any additional stress or overwhelm.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I recommend products and make a small commission on purchases at no additional cost to you. Click here for the full disclosure statement.

Simple Decluttering Tips and Hacks for Minimalist Living

Remember that minimalist living is a journey, not a destination. Choose one thing off this list to work on and then, when you feel ready, try something else.

DECLUTTER BY CHOOSING “ONE LESS”

I know that decluttering can feel overwhelming, but there’s one super simple way to get started—by choosing one less. 

• Want to declutter your closet? Choose one less t-shirt. 
• Want to declutter your shelves? Choose one less knick-knack.
• Want to declutter your schedule? Choose one less social commitment. 

You get the idea. Keep it simple and declutter your life by choosing one less item at a time.

PRACTICE DOING NOTHING

Don’t over-think this one. Just spend a few minutes sitting quietly every day—don’t pick up your phone and don’t think about your to-do list. Instead, allow yourself to simply be.

For Your Reading List: How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

Related Post: How to Create a Culture of Slow Living

STOP WINDOW SHOPPING

Have you ever noticed that you can feel perfectly content with what you have—and then you go window shopping? All of a sudden, you’re craving new things that you didn’t even know existed a few hours ago. 

If so, the solution is simple: stop browsing. It will only sow the seeds of discontent and make it more difficult for you to feel happy with what you already have.

MAINTAIN A CLUTTER-FREE ZONE

An easy way to start living minimally is by designating at least one “clutter-free” zone in your home. I recommend choosing a surface like a kitchen counter or hall table to start. 

Practice keeping it clutter-free every day and watch as you build healthy habits that you can apply to the rest of your home.

KEEP A SHORT TO-DO LIST

Want to declutter your mind? Try keeping a shorter to-do list. I like to limit my list to a maximum of five tasks. 

Anything else is stored on a master list in Trello (a free online list-making app). I refer to this list a few times a week to make sure I’m on track, but it’s not my daily to-do list. 

It’s a subtle change that makes a big difference to how overwhelmed I feel.

DOWNLOAD MINDFUL DECLUTTERING

Want to declutter your home and life? A simple way to begin is by downloading Mindful Decluttering, my free decluttering guide and workbook.

I’ll teach you a mindset shift that will make decluttering so much easier, and I’ll help you troubleshoot your biggest decluttering challenges. 

To get your free copy, simply subscribe using the form below. As a bonus, you’ll also get my regular newsletter with tips, inspiration and special offers (but don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time and still keep the workbook!).

DECLUTTER YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE

Want to start the day on the right foot? Then here’s a simple tip: declutter your bedside table.

Clutter is often a reminder of unfinished jobs and besides, who wants to see a mess first thing in the morning? It’s so much nicer to wake up to a clean and inviting space, so get rid of anything that isn’t necessary.

Related Post: 15 Ideas for a Simple Morning Routine

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH MINIMALIST STORIES

I have no doubt that the media we consume influences our thoughts and beliefs. If you want to declutter and live minimally, you can use this to your advantage by surrounding yourself with the right stories. 

Here is a list of my favourite simple living podcasts, which are great for listening to on the go. Or if you prefer to read blog posts, you can read more about how I became a minimalist or check out this round-up of real-life minimalist stories.

For Your Reading List: The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store by Cait Flanders

USE NATURAL BARRIERS TO LIMIT SOCIAL MEDIA

If you find you’re spending too much time on social media, try this simple trick: only pick up your phone when you know you another commitment will “naturally” limit your time. 

For example, if you have to leave for work at 8:00 am, give yourself permission to browse Facebook at 7:45 am. You know you won’t be online for longer than 15 minutes.

DECLUTTER EXPIRED PRODUCTS

Take a few minutes to hunt down any expired or outdated products in your home. Check your medicine cabinet, your beauty supplies, your pantry and your fridge. 

A few helpful tips:

• Set a reminder in your calendar and do this regularly.
• Pay attention to what you’re getting rid of—this is a learning opportunity! What are you buying that you’re not using? Or what are you buying too much of? What can you learn, and how can you do better moving forward? 

Make sure that you dispose of old medicine safely.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Want a “secret weapon” that will help you declutter your home? Create a go-to list of clutter busting questions. 

For example, Marie Kondo famously encouraged us to ask “Does this spark joy?”—but if that doesn’t resonate with you, here are a few more ideas (or write your own!).

DECLUTTER PAPER YOU DON’T NEED

Look around your house—can you do a quick declutter of paper you don’t need? 

Check the front of your fridge, your desk drawers, and hall table for things like take-out menus you never use, receipts you don’t need, invitations for events that have come and gone, expired coupons and more. 

Remember that a lot of this information can be found or stored online. There’s no need to keep little piles that just end up shuffling around the house.

PRACTICE “MAKING DO”

Thanks to modern technology, we can order almost anything online within minutes. As a result, many of us are forgetting the lost art of “making do”. 

Do you really need a new [insert object of your desire] or do you have something else that could do the job?

Press pause and try to make do with what you have before bringing something new into your home. You might be surprised to learn your “must-have” wasn’t that important after all.

ACHIEVE INBOX ZERO

Want a quick and easy way to declutter your inbox? 

Create a folder called “Archive” and move everything from your inbox into this new folder. 

I know, I know—you’ll probably feel a lot of resistance to this idea (I certainly did at first!). But it really does make sense if your inbox has gotten out of control. At some point, you have to draw a line in the sand and give yourself a fresh start. 

You can always go back and organise your archives later, but in all honestly, you’ll probably never get around to it (which just proves how unimportant most of those emails really are!).

DECIDE HOW MUCH IS “ENOUGH”

This is one of my favourite minimalist living tips: decide how much is “enough” for you. You can apply this to everything from your home to your budget or even your calendar. 

Minimalist living is personal and there are no set rules, but this doesn’t mean you can’t write your own. Decide how much you need to be happy and then adjust your life accordingly.

DECLUTTER YOUR HANDBAG OR WALLET

I love tackling little decluttering projects that have a significant impact—like your handbag or wallet. 

These are small spaces, but they get a lot of use. If they’re cluttered, it can lead to a lot of unnecessary stress and frustration. (If you’ve ever struggled to find your keys with two cranky children in tow, then you’ll know exactly what I mean!)

Tackling this simple job on a regular basis can make your life easier. Plus, there’s just something so satisfying about having a neat and tidy handbag, don’t you think?

ACT QUICKLY ON YOUR DECLUTTERING DECISIONS

One simple habit that will help you maintain a clutter-free home is to always act quickly on your decluttering decisions. If you’re going to sell something, list it right away. If you’re going to donate something, make plans to drop it off as soon as possible. 

Keep the momentum going—the longer you hang onto your unwanted goods, the higher the odds that they’ll never make it out the front door.

USE UP YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS

Looking for a fun and easy way to declutter your life? 

Instead of storing your favourite things, use them now. Drink your good wine, burn your favourite candles, and use your expensive eye cream. They’re not doing you any good sitting on the shelf and collecting dust.

DECLUTTER UNCOMFORTABLE CLOTHES

We all know how horrible it feels to wear uncomfortable clothes. Anything itchy or too tight … if it doesn’t feel good, then what’s the point of keeping it? 

These should be the first and easiest things to declutter from your closet.

Related Post: 20 Minimalist Wardrobe Tips (How to Have a Minimalist Closet)

WRITE A BUCKET LIST

And finally, why not make a list of all the fun things you want to do. 

How does this help you live minimally?  

By helping create perspective. It’s a mindset switch—the more you focus on experiences that bring you joy, the less attached you’ll feel to the stuff in your life.

More Decluttering Tips and Ideas for Minimal Living

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:

• 10 Simple Decluttering Tips For When You Feel Stuck
• How to Declutter When You Regret Spending Money
• 6 Powerful But Unexpected Minimalist Lifestyle Tips
• 20 Ways I’ve Simplified My Life

Is there anything on this list that you’d like to try? Or do you have tips to share? Let us know in the comments!

Sharing is caring!