Looking for more? Check out my NEW E-BOOK, called ‘Simple Happy Zen's Ultimate Decluttering Guide’. It's all my decluttering tips and advice, bundled up into one beautiful 90-page e-book. As well as new content and checklists I haven't shared anywhere else. It covers both the practical and mental aspects of decluttering. Everything you need to tackle all categories of clutter in your home and create the space of your dreams. Click here to get your copy: simplehappyzen.teachable.com/p/simple-happy-zen-s-ultimate-decluttering-guide By purchasing, you’re not only getting a beautiful e-book, but you are also supporting the Simple Happy Zen channel and you're helping me to keep creating free videos and content for the community. Your help really goes a long way, so I truly appreciate your support. 🌷 Much love, Vera
Hey Vera, I just wanted to ask you, how did you get introduced to Lord Ganesha and Lord Buddha. I see their statues in your home and it really fascinates me that someone who is not from India and is a minimalist finds them valuable enough to keep them in their house. Lots of love. ❤️❤️
We are moving in four weeks and our 3 years of decluttering made this move so so easy. It will take us one day as a family of 5 to move into our new home. The new home has hardly any lawn which is exactly what we wanted. Now no need for lawn storage. This decluttering journey changed our life. Thank you for your videos which motivated us! Family of 5 from USA (Georgia)
Yesterday I gave all my scrapbooking supplies, a cricuit machine, and al huge rolling craft bag to a grammar school teacher. She was delighted and I no longer have to feel guilty about not using them. Plus two empty shelves in the closet. Everybody wins.
I’m always impressed to see people talk about something they value in a such clear maner. You’re calm and in control of your subject. This is inspiring on its own. Thanks for sharing all your tips. Very professional looking videos. I hope I can integrate these habits to my life.
I did seven days of zen and have watched most of your videos. I am a minimalist too, and I declutter often. The book by Marie kondo helped me alot. But I am not a vegan. Nice to have a person like you in RU-vid who provides such positive vibes. Lots of love from Nepal🇳🇵
I love the maybe box. I usually use them to save time. I get decision fatigued easily, so throwing any difficult items into a maybe pile allows my to actually get through all the items I wanted to go through before I get tired or overwhelmed. Once I've gone through everything, I'll go to the maybe box immediately and decide what to do with each item. The momentum makes the decisions much easier, but I always end up with a few items I really don't know what to do with. I usually just put them away with the intention to get rid of them later, but I'll definitely use your idea of a time limit to use the item or get rid of it!
Thank you, so much for all your videos. I am trying to put them into practice. It's hard, because no matter how much I declutter, my friends and family gift me the same amount that I decluttered. Still, I am going to keep at it. Minimalism has given me a lot of peace in the last few months.
So glad minimalism has given you peace! Maybe this video can also be helpful for you, it's an older video but I talk about dealing with gifts and communicating to people about what you do and don't want to receive: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iACgdFhF9DY.html
Thanks so much for the video. I love Decluttering and organizing. It keeps me efficient and know what I have. as a mother if 4, full time nurse and healthy promoter RU-vidr/health blogger, I don’t have too much time to waste time looking for pieces of clothing in the morning when we need to get going. Thanks so much 😊
I do not like the minimalist philosophy, but do enjoy learning about things that others find helpful for their lives. You seem genuine about your ideas, and that is to be applauded. I have great respect for that.
Hi, Vera! I’m tackling books and bags this weekend. The problem I’m running into is getting rid of the relatively expensive handbags and work satchels ($200-$400) I purchased that didn’t meet my needs. I think I’m going to set a basic price of $40 USD and let them go at that. Knowing what I spent on them hurts as you mention, so that’s why I’ve held on to them for so long.😖 For all of the books that I own that I have not read, I am making a list of them and letting them go for $5 USD. When I decide to read those books, if ever, I will check out an ebook. Having a plan has eliminated so much of my frustration with my clutter.Thanks for the reminders.👍🏾💚
That's great Teresa, sounds like a solid plan that will definitely help! I know exactly how you feel about the expensive items, I had a few dresses in my closet that I hold on to for a long time. They were suited for office life but I don't plan to return to a corporate job if I don't have to haha. So eventually letting them go felt very good. Good luck with decluttering and let me know how it goes!!
Teresa Be Careful Re-Gifting. At Christmas we have Secret Santa and I bought and wrapped 2 gifts and went through my large collections of ornaments and used one on each of the gift ribbons. The person that got the gifts yes both, was the wife of the relative that hand made the ornaments for me years before ....I will NEVER Re Gift again 🙄
Thank you. Your video actually tackles issues that practically happen during the process of decluttering. It's great to see someone finally address those issues.😊😍
My hubby been declutting all day his clothes drawers under the bed omg he’s done it yeh 4 black bags of clothes for the charity and 3 bags to the rubbish bin he’s knackered but so happy it’s done xxx I told him to be roofless this time no maybe what if no none of that and it worked he can’t believe all the clothes that didn’t fit him anymore or he had them for years xx
@@Michelle-qd9gm I'm no good at spelling either! 'Roofless' just made me picture kids opening up the roof of a dolls house and rearranging everything. Quite fitting on the subject of decluttering :)
Great tips! I found that everyone has a different declutter style. For me, doing a little bit at a time works perfectly. Others are more successful by taking EVERYTHING out. I think it also depends on your personality and the amount of time you have to declutter.
Loved the tip about taking photos of sentimental things before letting them go, thus keeping the good memory of that person - I'll do that with some of my dear mother's things.
ARRGGHH! Decluttering collections! The first three you mention are EXACTLY what I struggle with! Books, DVDs and figurines! It's like you read my mind like a book! Hahaha! Thanks so much for the very practical tips! This is my favourite channel on minimalism!
Oh I do love my books. Shakespeare, Poe, Blake, Keats, etc. are my book friends. I spend as much time with each of them as I can. They keep my life simple, happy, and Zen. ;)
So my library has been the biggest source of my decluttering pain. I decluttered my whole house except for that. Now I pair down and eliminate four books per week. I pick them at the beginning of the week and try to skim through them all week. Usually I still want to get rid of them at the end of the week because there is a reason those books were the first ones I wanted to eliminate, and I have already skimmed the best parts of the book by that point. Hope that helps. 😆
I think you have to go through your house at least once a month. These so much stuff you can still find even if you think you’ve finished I am amazed how much stuff creeps in your home it’s hard work and mental tiring but well worth it good luck if anyone is starting out from the beginning xxx
Hi Vera, I love the tip about keeping all papers in one binder. Something I need to work on. I recently sold my kitchen aid stand mixer and Vitamix high speed blender because I just wasn’t using them enough. I kept putting if off because they were expensive but I’m so happy I did because now my kitchen counters look so much better without the clutter 💕💕
Just for a suggestion, you can make a video on how to organize our books in different categories, label them, and keep them organized in our bookshelves😇 Because people like me (bookworms) don't really want to get rid of their old books😋
I also have a 'it doesn't fit at the moment box' ha!ha! I feel better when I reach a decision about 'stuff'.I Sew and repair refashion etc. where I can. Thankyou. So much.xxx
Thank you for the helpful information Vera! Next week, my mom and I are going to declutter the garage. We are going to try and take a month to declutter everything from old appliances, to luggage, clothing, sentimental items, books, Knick knacks, etc. These are things we have had for decades and haven't used them in years. Hopefully we will get rid of or donate a lot of the stuff.
Love the tips, it is so relieving to minimize our belongings and to let go of things. I do try to sell more expensive items, if I don't sell I donate them to second hand stores.
I'm enjoying going through some of your videos, I'm on a huge declutter kick right now. I inherited a house from my folks and now have to go through 3 generations and parts of 5 houses worth of stuff. I did have to chuckle about your comments on choosing a number of books to keep. For me, many of my books are like old friends. I can certainly cull the mass, but 50 is a laughably small number. Like every other category of things, everyone's perfect equilibrium is unique to them.
Wow you've got a wonderful decluttering challenge to do :) And yes, like you said 50 was just an example but it can be a number that feels right to you. :)
You're so right, Cathy. Books have been my hobby since childhood which is why it is so hard for me to part from them. Unfortunately, here in Spain we have no yard or garage sales or anything else to do with books. Books here are very expensive and most people don't read all that much anyway.
You are so wise, and I live for your videos, they are relaxing, and I always get tidbit a new of information that I use. I wanted to tell you, I saw your matcha bowls displayed, and I sort of have the same set up, my counters are very free of clutter, but I just get such JOY seeing my matcha cups on my countertop thru out the day, also the whisk and scoop, I have a gold small Buddha in the grouping .... Have a great weekend 😀❤️ I keep a donate box in my trunk of the car, and I add to it, when it gets full, I take it to the thrift store to donate, only once in 6 months I went into trunk, and brought one thing back into the house, it seems to work for me when decluttering
Oh that's a great idea for keeping to your donate box there! And yes I'm the same with matcha stuff 🥰 They're so beautiful and they remind me of Japan. 💕 Thank you for your compliments and support!
Fellow RU-vid’r here. I love your videos. Very interested in minimalism. I’m going to be doing some videos on my journey. A little overwhelmed though cuz I have a lot of junk, but you have some great advice!
Gifts are the hardest to give up because the relative who gave it to you is likely to notice you no longer have it. The old saying from early minimalists was, “touch paper once” and you’ll keep the amount of paper down to a minimum. The thing I’m not parting with is books. I’ve read all of Kondo’s books and I’m keeping my books. Of course I donate the ones that need to be read by others.
Hi, we just went through our 3'rd huge decluttering process in our house. I thought it was pretty much clutter-free from last time, but we ended up giving away 2 more big boxes of clothes and other stuff. I have to study some more, I guess 🤓
3-6 months is not enough time for a maybe box if you live somewhere with very different seasons. Sometimes you need to wait for the applicable season for the item to decide. ☀️🍂❄️🌷
Well i really need this, just having a real hard time starting, due to a lot of anxiety, but i can feel this is for me. I think i became closterphobic, not sure if it's due my mom being a hoarder. It cause so much issues for everyone. I realised, that now, too much of anything sorta stunns me, if you know what i mean. Things, in my opinion, hold me down, & i know it definitely held my mom down! Is it normal to feel like i need to heel from it, by minimizing?? 😏😏 Today, I know, without tests, that i am an empath.
I think that's normal Debra and it's perfectly okay to feel a bit overwhelmed and to take your time. Slowly but surely, you'll make real progress :) Good luck!
Hey Vera..you are my inspiration , I have learned a lot from you about decluttering and minimalism, Thank you so much for sharing beautiful videos. Well last few weeks I was extremely busy with my events couldn't check your channel, , but today I found time to watched all of those videos. Very nice.
This was lovely! I have done most all of these tips. In order to not get stressed or overwhelmed, I began with not traking out more than I could easily deal with in say, 15 to 30 minutes. My tip is to always keep a timer so that I don't take out more than I can put back in " said" time. This way, the house always stayed tidy in the decluttering process. Do you ever use a timer to stay focused, stay motivated, and be encouraged? I only have some bins of papers in our garage left😊 Happy decluttering!
Yes, I love the timer idea! 🤗 So practical and motivating. I actually use a timer when I'm working haha, every hour I have to take a 10 minute break 😆 Not the same but still very nice. Otherwise I'll forget the whole world around me and I'll forget to drink, eat and take breaks
I have this fancy expensive dress that takes away lot of space but doesn’t fit me anymore and I never even liked it (it is a bridesmaid dress). I tried to sell it on a second hand website. I asked my friend if she wants it but her answer was „maybe“. And now it’s been weeks and I just want this dress out of my life!! Should I just donate it? Thank you Vera for your wise words!! 💕
Ah that's a tricky one! 🤗🌺 I actually don't feel comfortable telling people which choice to make haha, since I don't want you to regret it later. But maybe you could keep exploring different options, asking around a bit more, before you find an option that feels good to you?
Simple Happy Zen thank you! Yes I totally understand 😅 thought maybe some people would have suggestions. I now set a date for the dress (in about 2 weeks) and when I cannot sell or give it away in that time I just will donate it 👍🏻
Taking out everything doesnt work for everyone, it could be the worse advise for some people. I declutter per section each time and it works better for me
Maybe I didn't explain clearly enough. :) Certainly, for most people (including myself) it works best to do it by section, one small section at a time, like one drawer or one shelf. Then, the advice is to take everything (only from that shelf) out and sorting through the items by holding each object in your hands one by one. So if you're going to declutter one shelf today, don't leave half of the stuff on that shelf on there, but take everything off and go through them. Hope that helps :)
im not a Friend of leaveing stuff in box..many people keep the boxes...for long time or ever..bring it immediately next day if possible in a bag to that place where you think to leave it!and the bag you need it again..;)
Happy decluttering my friends! 🤗⭐ Watch next: MONEY SAVING TIPS > 14 ways I save money with minimalism 👇🏻 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dVVCSp5jBqI.html
Do not throw things away. Give them to friends or leave in the street with a 'Free to take' sign. If not taken send to a recycling centre. But not to a donation shop. Because then the things go to landfill. That is very bad for our precious environment. Food for thought. Kind greetings from Switzerland.
Do you have tips for decluttering things that were specially made for you by people you love? I have a bunch of decorations that were made by a family member who can show up at my house to see what their creations look like in my house. I don’t even need or like the stuff by I don’t want to hurt this dear person’s feelings. What can I do? How can I stop them from giving me more stuff? How can I get rid of the stuff I already got without feeling guilty or hurting their feelings?
Hey there! Yes I can imagine that would be very tricky.. of course you don't want to hurt the other person's feelings but at the same time it's your home, and you can decide what things you want to keep and not keep. I would recommend having a heart-to-heart with this person about it. Just explain kindly that you want to start living more minimally and have fewer things around, and because of that you also don't want to receive any physical items. That way, you're not 'attacking' them or the things they make, but you're keeping it general. If you have an open and honest discussion with them, you're doing your part. They might still get upset a little bit but that's not something that you can control, you can only control how you approach the subject. Know what I mean? :) Good luck 🤗🌸
This was a very helpful video! The clutter in my home is unbelievable as we have moved several times and am now in a smaller home so things just stuffed all over the place. My biggrst problem is my HUGE recipe collection: recipes from family, friends, magazines, books, etc. etc. etc. Number two - my book colection, a few hundred. There are some I could easily get rid of, but don't have the heart to just toss out. I would love to donate them in 5 different languages), but here in Spain noone wants books. The few that do read use Kindle , etc. Could you give me some hints on what to do, please?
Most people don't want books, anymore. Most donation center do not accept. My local library does accept used books, about 3 months of the year. Then they hold s giant yard sale if them for a fundraiser. Anything left gets tossed to trash. Start over. It's easier for them to toss in their regular dumpster, than the previous owners. People relationship to books is very human and connected, they feel bad throwing out a friend, so to speak!
Hi Vera great advice as usual I will definitely be trying the tip for books 👍 I have far too many any suggestions where to sell books ? have a lovely week 🧘♀️
Hi Therese!! Glad you enjoyed the video :) About selling books, reading the comments from this video told me that it may be different per country. Here, we can quite easily sell them secondhand online, people will buy them. And donating is also a good idea. We even have bookcases in supermarkets where people can take a book for free as long as they leave another. But some people here commented that in their country, book donations are not always accepted and people don't buy them secondhand. 🙄
Sounds good! :) I'm actually quite happy with my e-reader haha, that way I can keep my books (I read most of them more than once anyway) and it doesn't take up much space 😋
Simple Happy Zen I agree Vera i have a kindle ( I will make better use of it ) and I also read books more than once as I like factual rather than fiction 😀
Great tips Vera! I am curious, you said you do not got a lot of mail. I know here in the US one of the big ones are credit card applications, people here generally up to 10 a week! Do you get things like that? Also great you share my love of Goodbye Things! It's a book I have recommended to everyone.Cheers! ☺️
Thanks Daniel!!! Actually, in the Netherlands people hardly use creditcards. Most people only have one (if at all) to use on trips to other countries, or if they want to order something from America. So we use debitcards to pay for stuff directly. And that data is only available online, so we don't get our bank statements via mail.
Hi Cynthia, no need to declutter things that add value to your life/happiness and that you want to keep :) This is only regarding the things you want to get rid of, but feel guilty about doing so :)
But what about actual pictures? I have a bunch of them from my past that mostly my mother took. I rarely look at them, but scanning them in is such a lot of work.
Sure, it's all about what you find important and if you find it 'worth it'. I keep most of my best pictures in physical albums. Don't look through them every week or something, but I do enjoy looking at them every once in a while. I also have a bunch on my computer but to be honest, I like physical photographs more. However, if they bother you, it might be worth it to invest a little time into making them digital. Every person can make their own choice about what works for them.
@@SimpleHappyZen Yes, I thought it would be a more personal thing in minimalism. The term itself is rather subjective I think. Would you like to make a video about minimalism on your computer? I've found a few one on RU-vid, but they approached it from a Mac perspective. I have Windows, like you.
Ines Perenyi I'm just curious to know where you live? We are always just used to having what we have and mostly don't think about other places not having it. We Love Our Library, so that makes me Sad you don't have them. I have great childhood memories from ours and I think that's why I enjoy them so much.
by me its always emotional ..yoi have only.ONE order for you ALL..???! and what do you do with your studie stuff.you all threw away??paper is for.me.the most emotional.and difficult .always.I.can read my souvenirs from.past and Informations Im.afraid to loose them and forget
I quit watching as soon as you said take everything out of the closet. I've seen others talk about much better methods. Who needs the mess you're talking about? Yes, I also unsubscribed.
