Home organization and decluttering is a hot topic as of late — and for good reason. Apart from serving a purely aesthetic purpose, studies have shown that decluttering can also help alleviate stress, improve focus and increase productivity.
Decluttering can feel like an oppressive task for those who have a harder time parting with beloved objects (we feel you). Because so many of us form emotional attachments to our things, deciding which items to keep or toss can be especially challenging.
But what if there was an easier way to make these decisions that didn’t require an emotional tug-of-war with each of your objects?
MORE: The ‘Five a Day’ declutter method gave me peace of mind within in a week
Enter the “Box & Banish” method. This method, highlighted in Apartment Therapy, involves putting all items you’re unsure about getting rid of into one single box, and letting it sit there for six weeks untouched. Yes, it’s that simple. Well, kind of …
For starters, you need to make sure you put the box somewhere you don’t access regularly (i.e. in the middle of your bedroom, a closet you frequent daily, the living room, etc.). This makes it easier to forget about and reduces the temptation to grab things out of impulse.
MORE: The Move-out method helps you mercilessly declutter
During the course of the six weeks, you’re only allowed to touch the box if there is something in it you desperately need, or can’t stop thinking about. After the six weeks have come to an end, you have the green light from organization experts to get rid of everything that’s left over.
The idea is that you’ve taken out what’s important to you, and that what remains no longer serves you and may potentially benefit someone else. The best solution here is to donate or sell unused items instead of throwing them away.
MORE: Is Goodwill becoming more expensive?
So what do you think? Will you be trying this novel and super easy way to declutter any time soon?
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