If your home or office has a lot of clutter, to avoid becoming overwhelmed, start small. Whether it’s a drawer or closet, getting started is half the battle. You’ll find that the act of decluttering becomes contagious. Now only for ourself, but often for other family members, as well.

If children are involved, make it a game. Set up boxes or totes and let them determine that which can be donated, or maybe later sold in a garage sale. If children are taught charity (the gift of sharing and giving to the less fortunate), they will soon learn how to easily give up toys they are not playing with.

As you declutter, you may encounter some items to which you have an emotional attachment. If you’re not willing to let go of these items, think about packing them up and putting them in storage.

On thing I learned from reruns of the “Home Made Simple” show on TLC (The Learning Channel , is to have either a “path” or a “home” for everything you own.

A home for your clothes would be a closet or drawer

A home for dishes, pots or pan may be in a cabinet, drawer or hanging off of a pot rack.

A home for books would be a bookcase or shelf

A home for a family heirloom may be a curio cabinet

A path for excess toys, clothes not being worn, or decorator items not being used may be…”to our favorite charity”

A path for broken or worn out items would be ….to the garbage

A path for seasonal clothes or sports equipment would to …..to storage

A path for important papers would be……to be filed.

I now use this technique when I go shopping. If I see something, and I think of buying it, I ask myself, “Do I have a home for it?” Often the answer is no. By using this technique, I’m not only saving money, but reducing excess clutter.

Some say, if you bring one new item into your home, you should remove two like items. Although this appears to be a great system to declutter a home, I haven’t tried it yet.

Photo Credit: ifindkarma’s photostream

Peter Walsh, author of “Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?: An Easy Plan for Losing Weight and Living More was a guest on Oprah.

The show was a rerun, but ever since I saw it the first time, it has stuck with me. Clutter is bad, for many reasons.

But, it’s tough to let go of clutter. In some odd way, we become attached to our “stuff”. It makes us feel secure, but often wanting more.

But, the problem is, if we hoard stuff, we can create a breeding ground for all kinds of unhealthy stuff…spider nests, black mold, mildew, and other unhealthy airborne viruses and respiratory problems. It’s lack of air circulation that partially causes these problems.

Oprah’s show motivated me. I got rid of stacks of magazines, cleaned out my closets, and cabinets, and had a good collection of stuff to donate or to sell at my garage sale.

It also opened my eyes to what I bring into the house. I now try to only buy stuff I need or will use.

As I get older and wiser, I find I now only want to be surrounded by stuff that “makes my heart sing”. Stuff I really, really, really enjoy looking at. That’s right, that’s 3 “reallys”.

I also keep my receipts. Often, a day or two after I buy something, I change my  mind and decide I really don’t want/need it. Now I take it back to the store and get a refund.

UPDATE: As you may have noticed, the topic of hoarding is becoming more prevalent. It’s been discussed on Larry King Live, as well as getting a show of it’s own, named, “Hoarding – Buried Alive” on TLC (The Learning Channel).

It was also noted on Larry King that some hoarders will need professional help. Screaming, begging or nagging is NOT the answer. Hoarders need support from family and friends as they make the journey from hoarding to healing. Many hoarders are also finding help online via support groups and/or forums.