You may have heard about one of the hottest trends in interior design in the recent years: Aging in place. 

Part three of our series on getting rid of clutter should be your last case scenario, although we all know that's not always the case. Upcycling, donating or selling your used items is a great way to ensure someone else finds value in them, and they don't just end up in a landfill or recycle center somewhere.

Part two of our series on getting rid of clutter is going to focus on ways you can actually make money downsizing and decluttering. Yes, it's true! All those items that are eating away at your space and your sanity may actually be able to fetch you a pretty penny. How's that for some spring cleaning motivation?

One of the most difficult aspects of clearing away clutter and excess is actually, physically getting it out of the house. Sure, cleaning up closets and counters feels great and makes you breathe a sigh of relief when it's finished, but if you're just boxing up all the junk and sticking it in the garage or attic, that's not really "decluttering," is it?

Decluttering is a deliberate change, something that requires dedication. But you still have to begin somewhere. Look no further. Below are six excellent jumping off points to begin your clutter-less lives.

Fads come and go. Any home designer can tell you as much. From year to year, interior design trends can change drastically. In the past several years, reducing clutter and minimizing has been becoming increasingly popular in home design, leaving many people to wonder, "When will it end?"

Ok. So you are sold on the benefits of decluttering (What's that? You're not yet? This should help), and you are ready to start organizing your home.  But you have some items that you just don't know where or how to store. 

You aren’t what you own. Don’t let the things you own, own you. Learn to let go. You’ve heard all these clichés before. Maybe you even believe there is some wisdom in them. Maybe you’ve even said them before.

But you are still no closer to decluttering your home are you? You still have boxes piled in the garage and drawers overflowing with who-knows-what. Maybe you even began the twenty-one day decluttering challenge, but you couldn’t finish or you didn’t end up getting rid as much stuff as you wanted to.

Clutter can make its way into all areas of our lives if we aren't diligent in keeping it at bay. Making a conscious effort to stay organized and decluttered can make us more productive at work and school and happier and less-stressed at home. 

The interior design team at OKA put together the following infographic about decluttering stats and the benefits of keeping your organized.

It may be surprising to hear, but spending a little bit of time and money getting your home organized may actually produce fairly significant improvements in your personal health. In previous blogs, you have heard me talk about some of the actual physical benefits of ridding your home of clutter, things like lower stress levels and reduced allergies. This post is different. This post will show you how to use the process of organizing your home to improve your general health and put yourself on a road to greater well-being.

The benefits of simplifying and decluttering are likely much broader than you could have guessed. It isn’t just about not having to eat dinner with a plate on your lap or not having to panic if someone stops by unexpectedly. In fact, people are discovering that, by tidying up their homes and lives, they are seeing benefits in their health, happiness, and relationships, along with a host of other unforeseen advantages.