Decluttering and Downshifting

Lately we often hear about Decluttering and Downshifting, two words that literally translated mean respectively “eliminate what clutters" is "downshift“. These are very distinct lifestyles that have in common the choice to live with the essential, that is, with only what one really needs.

The Decluttering

It is believed to have originated in Anglo-Saxon countries and, as already mentioned, it means "to eliminate what is cluttering". It consists of freeing one's home from clutter, generated by useless things accumulated over time, which causes anguish, stress and discomfort to the person who lives in that environment.

A question arises spontaneously. If this accumulation of things brings bad mood and unhappiness, why does that person not get rid of it?
You have to understand that it is not easy to detach yourself from your things for three main reasons:

1. The laziness. Deciding to start cleaning and tidying up involves physical and mental effort, especially for those who work and have little time to rest.

2. The emotional value. Every object kept in the house has its own story. It may have belonged to a loved one, it is the memory of a trip or it is a gift given to us by a loved one. This causes difficulty in detachment.

3. Repentance. This is a reason that is often not linked to the memory that a given object evokes but to the insecurity that one has in detaching oneself from it, due for example to the economic aspect or because one believes that it may be useful in the future.

To practice decluttering you need to overcome these three situations by following these simple steps:

1. Don't make excuses. This point is essential. Undertaking the tidying up of a given place without the will to finish the work can lead to worsening the situation.

2. Finding the time. To start practicing decluttering, even 5 minutes a day are enough. The important thing is to GIVE YOURSELF A TIME within which the work started must be finished.

3. The third point introduces the practical aspect. The first thing to do is create a list of rooms to tidy up, placing the least messy one at the top and finishing with the most chaotic one.

4. Take a photo of the room before and after tidying up. This will serve to give a moral boost and the desire to continue.

5. Get 4 boxes to write on THINGS TO KEEP, THINGS TO THROW AWAY, THINGS TO REUSE, THINGS TO DONATE, inside which the objects that are to be kept, because they are really necessary, will be placed, or they will be sorted according to their condition.

6. In case you don't know where to put some objects, you will create a fifth box on which it will be written UNDECIDED. This may be placed in a storage location for 12 months to verify whether they are still useful or not. After the established period, if not used, the aforementioned objects may be disposed of.

7. Recycling. The environment must also be taken into account, so everything you decide to throw away must be separated according to the material it is made of.

8. In reference to the box “TO DONATE"it will be possible to decide whether:

• Create a flea market.  
• Sell ​​items on the Internet.
• Donate it to a charity.
• Create a party between acquaintances where you can exchange items.

Practical tips for tidying up your kitchen and closet

The Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the environments that most requires excellent organization to avoid unnecessary waste of time looking for accessories or ingredients needed to prepare a dish.
The advice is to divide the kitchen into three distinct areas:

• Conservation area: this area includes the refrigerator for fresh and frozen foods, the upper cabinet, or wall unit above the refrigerator, for storing canned or long-life foods, and the highest shelf inside the wall units for storing less frequently used accessories.
• Washing area: the washing area is made up of the dishwasher, the sink base equipped with baskets or trolleys with special compartments for storing detergents and waste bins, the dish drainer wall unit in which to store plates, glasses and bowls used daily.  
• Cooking area: this is the most complicated area to organize. It includes the hob base, which is generally equipped with three drawers. The first drawer is for storing cutlery and small accessories, the second is for storing tablecloths and tea towels, and the third, deepest, for pots and pans. The space above the retractable hood and in the wall units next to the hob is for storing ingredients that are used daily, such as containers for spices and pasta. Finally, the oven column is for storing all bulky accessories and those suitable for the oven.

The closet

The wardrobe is the piece of furniture that tends to get disorganized over time, because we buy new clothes without getting rid of the old ones. In order to tidy up the wardrobe, you must first empty it completely, placing its contents on a large surface such as the double bed and, after having cleaned and disinfected it, you can carry out the various phases of decluttering.
After sorting, it is advisable to arrange the clothes kept in the following way:
Use the central column as a COMMON space and the side columns for yourself and your partner. Hang trousers and t-shirts on hangers so as not to crease them, put elegant clothes on top and everyday clothes on the bottom. Arrange all the garments by colour, from light to dark, and by length. In the central part, place underwear or new towels still in their boxes on the top shelf, hang jackets and coats on the rod, preferably kept in protective bags, while tracksuits and home clothes in the chest of drawers.
Finally, arrange last season's clothes in suitable containers in the empty space under the hanging clothes.

Practicing Decluttering must be a conscious and well-considered choice because once you have made the decision to get rid of your things, it is difficult to get them back. On the other hand, having a clean and well-ordered house also helps the psycho-physical aspect of a person, improving their life and social relationships.

The Downshifting

While decluttering may seem like a drastic life change, the Downshifting it is even more so. It is assumed that it also originated in England, probably among wealthy people, who, tired of dedicating their lives to work, began to reduce the hours dedicated to it by choosing a lifestyle that was less rewarding in economic terms but more fulfilling in terms of personal life, being able to dedicate themselves to their family and their hobbies. Hence the name downshifting or “shifting down a gear”, slowing down your way of life by choosing a simpler one, abandoning excess and living only with the necessary. Unlike Decluttering, Downshifting does not have any real rules but lifestyle choices that mainly lead to reducing working hours to dedicate time to yourself and living in a more sustainable way.

1. Shift down a gear. The first principle to adopt to adhere to downshifting is to live more slowly, reducing one's pace by freeing oneself from a frenetic life and making more time for oneself, for example by choosing to walk or use a bicycle instead of the car or public transport.
2. Reduce working hours. If this is not possible with the current job, it will be necessary to replace it with one that allows you to work less.
3. The family. This is one of the main reasons why people decide to join downshifting. Spending more time with loved ones and being present in their important moments gives great personal joy.
4. Making little dreams come true. Having more time available means being able to realize your secret dreams, such as learning to play an instrument, taking a cooking or dance class, or dedicating yourself to activities that make you happy.
5. Ecology. Adhering to downshifting also means taking care of the environment, preferring zero-mile foods, eco-friendly vehicles and using recyclable products.
6. Enjoy the present. During life we ​​always think about accumulating things or money for the future by depriving ourselves of them in the present. In downshifting the opposite rule applies, that is, enjoying the present by thinking little about the future. This does not mean wasting all our possessions, but enjoying the present more by benefiting our own happiness and that of those we love.

These are the 6 “rules” that summarize the life choices of a pure downshifter. However, not everyone has the opportunity to follow them to the letter, as only those who are well off financially and do not have a family can do so. An ordinary person can, however, approach downshifting, choosing to follow a simpler lifestyle, reducing unnecessary expenses to a minimum, enjoying the present and their family.