5 Easy Ways To Declutter Your Bedroom

Did you know that there is a clear link between a tidy house and your mental health?

Clutter, particularly in the rooms that you spend the most time in – like the bedroom – can leave you feeling sluggish, stressed and anxious. A 2016 study from the University of New Mexico even found that having a messy home can have a serious impact on how satisfied you are with your life.

But don’t worry, no matter how much mess you have, decluttering isn’t as hard as it might seem. Here are a few easy ways to tidy up your bedroom and make a big difference to your mental health.

1. Invest in the right storage

Often, if you find your bedroom overwhelmed with stuff, it comes down to not having enough storage.

This is where storage solutions, like baskets, trays and sliding drawers all come into their own. Baskets can be filled and stacked on top of wardrobes or in the corner of your room and sliding drawers are a great place to keep shoes and handbags under your bed.

If you have a desk area or open shelves that you’re looking to streamline, repurpose cardboard boxes from your online shopping hauls into storage spaces for paper and other ephemera. You know what they say, out of sight, out of mind.

2. Tidy up the bookshelves

A clump of books is not only ugly to look at, but one of the most common types of clutter in bedrooms. Thankfully, it’s easy to fix.

There are a few ways to arrange books in a more aesthetically pleasing way. The first is stacking books by size, keeping hardbacks together and smaller, chunkier paperbacks in their own section.

The second way, though, is a bit more exciting. Have you ever thought about colour coding your books? It’s one of the biggest trends in interior decoration and it’s so simple to achieve. All you have to do is split your books up into vague colour groupings and stack them accordingly. The effect is beautiful, like a piece of art that you’ve designed yourself. Just remember to put each book back where you got them from when you take them out to read them or lend them to a friend.

3. Get a laundry basket (and use it)

Are you guilty of having a ‘chair’? You know what we mean, a little armchair in the corner of your bedroom that is the dumping ground for all your dirty clothes week to week.

It’s time to end that habit once and for all. Buy a beautiful laundry hamper (we’re partial to a woven basket to bring the provincial vibes) and use that instead. It will also be easier to haul all your dirty clothes to the laundry in a basket, rather than gathering them up from the chair in your arms. You’re welcome.

4. Trays, dishes, bowls and plates are your friends

Clutter is often the result of not having a place for everything. Do you come home and take your jewellery off, discarding it on your dresser or bedside table, for example? Beautiful though your earrings and necklaces surely are, leaving them lying can lead to an excess of stuff.

Think about repurposing some beautiful pieces of ceramics, like trays, dishes and bowls, to store some of your finer items. A wide, flat dish is perfect for jewellery, while a deep bowl can be the best place to keep your keys, loose change, business cards, lip balm, and all the other bits and pieces that end up in your pockets and loose in your handbag throughout the day.

5. Step into neutral territory

Aside from a physical thing, clutter can be visual too. It’s possible that your bedroom appears to be clogged up because there’s too much going on decoratively, whether that be colours, prints or pieces of furniture. So, your permission to redecorate is here.

If you are concerned about your health, wellbeing or sleep, your first port of call should be your GP, who will advise a correct treatment plan.

Now that you've decluttered your bedroom, style it for good luck according to the principals of feng shui.