Top tips from a u3a decluttering group

Crouch End u3a's Decluttering Group helps members sort out their homes and lives. Here, group leader Mary shares the group's top tips.

Mary is the convenor of the Decluttering Group at Crouch End u3a. Members of the group get together every month to share with each other the successes and challenges they face decluttering their houses and lives.

The group provides a bit of accountability for its members to work towards something each month between meetings.  For them, decluttering is about more than just an organised home. It's a path to reclaiming one's life and helping process grief. Here are some top tips from Mary and the group to take the first steps towards decluttering your home and life.

Where to start

It's easy to feel overwhelmed with the amount of stuff you have and not know where to make a start with discarding or shedding. Starting small and tackling one thing at a time can help make the process more manageable. Here are three pointers to help you take the first step.

Define your goals: list the key areas you want to declutter.

Work out what needs to go: the first step to effective reorganisation is disposal. Before you go out to buy new storage boxes, see what you can get rid of first, and then you'll know if you even need to buy storage.

Start small: choose a simple task and set yourself a time frame to complete it, even if it's as little as 15 or 30 minutes.

Decluttering top tips

Now you know how to start, here are some clever top tips to help you on your decluttering journey.

• Tackle one thing at a time and celebrate the achievement of each task, no matter how small.
• Organise into boxes or piles and label them "keep", "charity shop", "recycle", "throw away" etc
• If you have a lot of medical records, you could try sorting these by body part.
• If you find it hard to get rid of sentimental items, take a photo of it to preserve the memory
• If you don't use it, you don't need it.
• Accountability is key: ask a family member or friend for help. Or start a decluttering group in your u3a!

Are you in any groups that could share some top tips for other u3a members? Let us know by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..