How to Simplify and Declutter Your Home for the Holidays

Simplifying and decluttering before the holidays can help you feel more peaceful, calm, and centered throughout the season. With decorations, gifts, and visitors likely filling your home, it's the perfect time to clear out excess and make space for what matters most.

Here are some tips to help you simplify your home for the holidays:

 – Edit holiday decorations: It can take a great deal of time and effort—not to mention physical space– to collect, use, and then take down and store holiday decorations. Therefore it is important that you truly love your decorations and enjoy the decorating process. As you unpack those holiday boxes from storage, check in with each item and make sure that it still has meaning to you--- does it make your heart sing? If not, it may be time to give it away. You can thank the item for how it served you in the past and send it off with the intention of bringing joy to someone else. For any broken items you can throw them away or recycle. If something has sentimental value, but you no longer love or use it, taking a picture of the item will make it easier to let go.

– Simplify holiday decor: If you love decorating, then go for it! But if it feels overwhelming and wears you out, it may be time to simplify. Maybe you hang a wreath on your front door, but decide not to decorate your staircase with garlands. It is easy to go into autopilot around holiday traditions because they are just that—traditions, but each year can be different—really! Also, you don’t need to use all your decorations. If you like them all, but it feels like a lot to put them all up, then consider rotating your decorations. If you do not have a large collection of holiday decorations, you’re in a great position to think ahead and decide if you really want to invest the time and money. Our family is big on ornaments and my recent move has made me think about just how much time, energy, and expense has gone into caring for and preserving these decorations. Not to mention that our Christmas items occupy about a third of our storage closet-- a lot of space for items used for one month out of the year. I often wish I had chosen to decorate for the holidays with more perishable items—like homemade dough ornaments, popcorn and cranberry garlands, candy canes, or simple white lights and pinecones—before we became so attached to our current ornaments and decorations.

– Edit toys: If you have young children and know that gifts will abound, make space by letting go of and donating toys that your children may have outgrown. This is a great time of year to donate gently used toys.

-Clear out your pantry, refrigerator, and kitchen to make room for holiday foods, and streamline your holiday cooking.

– Rearrange: Think about how you can rearrange furniture to better accommodate family and guests. You might simply expand your dining table by adding a leaf or, for more space, consider transforming a home office into a temporary guest bedroom. You can also rearrange your living room to make room for a Christmas tree or create a more welcoming layout for everyone to gather.

– Prepare guest rooms: Make space for guests in advance—you and your guests will enjoy your time together more if you’re both comfortable. For example, if your home office also houses a pull out sofa decide where you can move your office while your guests are in town. This is a great time to clear any clutter that may have accumulated in the guest room, so you can make space in the closet and drawers for your guests. If you have a dedicated guest room, take time to make it an inviting space for your guests. Stock the bathroom with toiletries—add plants, flowers, candles, and great books. It is more pleasant for everyone if guests have a private space where they can unwind and take a break.

– Decorate for the season: If you live in a cold climate, it is wonderful during the winter months to add light and life to your home. Put up holiday lights, light candles, and pull back drapes to maximize sunlight. Add fresh greens and flowers to your space as greens bring vitality and harmony to your home. If you live in a warm climate you will want to choose things for your home that help you connect to the season, since the outdoors may not look much different from summer. Place a bowl of pinecones on the table, decorate with garlands, wreaths, branches, or bowls of seasonal citrus fruits or pomegranates.

– Clutter clear and space clear: Whether you anticipate more people and activities in your home, or more time spent indoors during the winter months—this is a great time to clutter clear all areas of your home, particularly with the New Year around the corner.  Also consider an energy cleansing. Clearing the energy in your home can be a great way to set intentions and bring more peace and happiness to your holiday. It’s also a great ritual to perform at the beginning of the New Year and/or after guests leave.

– Have a Plan for Gifts: Even if you have chosen to reduce or eliminate gifts, chances are you can still expect gifts from people outside your family, gifts to and from your children, co-workers, etc to find their way into your home. If you receive a gift that you don’t believe you will use and will just become clutter, it’s okay to let it go. Unwanted gifts can be particularly challenging for many people to let go of. Just remember you can appreciate the thought and effort and also value the person regardless of whether you keep the material representation of their thoughtfulness!

Beyond the joy of a fresh, clutter-free space, the true benefit of decluttering is the ability to show up fully present and connected in the moment. The holidays are the perfect time to simplify, allowing us to embrace the joy and magic of the season.