We are almost 3/4 of the way done with the Happy Healthy Mama Healthy Year Challenge! Can you believe it? Let’s take a quick look and see what we’ve focused on each month for this amazing year-long challenge.

January:  Cut the Sugar Challenge

February:  Eat More Plants Challenge

March: Healthy Sleep Challenge

April: Move More Challenge

May: Use Less Plastic Challenge

June: Gallon A Day Water Challenge

July: Mindfulness Challenge

August: 31-Day Smoothie Challenge

What a great ride it’s been! Thanks to every person who’s joined and focused on 2016 being a healthy year for your mind, body, and soul.

Are you ready for the September Challenge? As you probably surmised from the title, September is the Declutter Challenge month!After spending all summer with the kids in the house, I am ready for this challenge. Gone are the lazy days of summer, with long days spent outside and having too much fun to care about the state of the house. The busy school schedule is back and it’s time to declutter!

Now, I know some of you may be thinking that decluttering has nothing to do with health. I’d like to politely disagree with you. Research has shown that there’s a link between clutter and our emotional health. It makes sense, doesn’t it? I know I can feel my stress levels rise when there is clutter everywhere I look in my home. And when my home is clean and clutter-free? I feel peace.

Studies have also shown how a cluttered space can negatively affect our ability to focus. Clear home, clear mind. Think about how this could have a positive effect on our relationships, our children’s ability to focus on homework, and so much more.

I want to be clear about one thing. This challenge is about decluttering, not cleaning. Sure, cleaning a space may come naturally when we are decluttering, but my main focus is going to be decluttering. The definition of declutter is to “remove unwanted items from an untidy or overcrowded place.” That’s what we are going to focus on. Getting rid of what we don’t need, the things that are weighing us down, so we can have a tidy space in which to live and breathe.

It’s also about setting up systems or ways of living so we don’t have to have a “declutter challenge” every month. Decluttering a space means nothing if it returns to its cluttered, untidy state a few days or even a few weeks later. Let’s focus on how we can change our habits to make a decluttered life our reality.

As I thought and researched how I wanted to execute this challenge, I realized that above all else I wanted this to be doable without a huge life disruption. I wanted a realistic challenge that even the busiest person could manage. I settled on having one large decluttering task to accomplish each week (1-2 hours time to complete) and one small decluttering task each week (15 minutes or less to complete). The large task can be a weekend project that you complete all at once, or something that you do a little each day. Whatever works for your life.

I knew that for me, a one-task-a-day-challenge just wouldn’t work. I would get behind, stressed, and would ultimately be setting myself up for failure. Only two tasks a week allows for flexibility and gives some leeway for those days when we don’t have any extra time to devote to house tasks. Yes, it’s still a commitment, but a commitment everyone should be able to complete if it is a priority.

There’s one more part of the challenge. Along with the two decluttering tasks a week, we are going to commit to 10 minutes of general decluttering before we go to bed every single night. Toys, mail, school papers, whatever it might be, take care of it. Either throw it away or put it where it belongs. This doesn’t have to be a singular task, unless you live alone, of course. Get the whole family involved. Set a timer. Make it fun. Just make sure you do this every night. This is one thing I typically already do, and it makes a world of difference.

Each Thursday this month I will give you an update on how I did with my decluttering tasks for the week. I’ll share before and after photos and I would love if you shared your photos, also! You can email them to me at thehappyhealthymama {at} gmail {dot} com or post them on my Facebook page.

After sharing the results from the week, I will also give you the tasks for the next week. Included will be action steps to help you have a solid plan to execute your declutter challenge. Let’s get started with this week’s tasks!

Week 1 Decluttering Challenge Tasks

Big Task: Take Control of Papers

Papers are the biggest culprit of unwanted clutter in most people’s houses. If you let it, paper can overtake just about every room. This week, we are going to put a stop to the paper problem.

Get Rid of Paper Clutter Action Steps

1. Gather every single piece of loose paper in your house. Look in every room. The top of the fridge. On your desk. In the junk drawer. Get all the loose paper! It’s really important that you get it all.
2. Start to sort the paper. You’ll need to sort it into three main piles. You can use boxes or containers of some sort for this if you prefer. This is especially helpful if you aren’t going to finish this part in one sitting. These are your piles: a.) to throw away/recycle b.) action items c.) to be filed
3. Start with pile #1. Throw away or recycle all of the papers you no longer need. Be generous with this pile! You probably don’t need to keep as many papers as you think. Is the information available online? Toss it! Is the information out of date? Get rid of it! Is it something you “might need” someday? You probably won’t! Make sure you are shredding anything that has your personal information.
4. Move on to pile #2. These are the items that need your attention. Just take care of them now. Pay the bills, sign the permission slips, fill out the registration form. Just do it now and then put the paper where it needs to be. If you don’t have a “home” for these types of papers, create one! Some papers will need a “holding space.” Where will it be in your home?
5. Finally, tackle pile #3. These are the papers that need to be filed. Be very picky about what you file, because these are papers that will take up a permanent space in your home. Only file what you absolutely need to hold onto.

Small Task:  Declutter your Purse (or Wallet)Having a messy purse and/or wallet can weigh us down. A purse that is free of clutter weighs less (so it’s easier on your body to carry) and is more functional. Let’s clear out those purses!

Declutter Your Purse Action Steps

1. Take everything out of your purse and/or wallet.
2. Make a decision about every item you take out. Ask yourself these questions: Can I throw this away? Does this need to stay in my purse? Is there room for this in my purse? If the answer is no to all of these questions, you need to find the item’s home and put it there.
3. Take action on all items. Only keep things in your purse that absolutely need to be there and find a home for everything else that can’t be thrown away.

I’m really looking forward to the results that will come from this challenge and I hope you are, too. Remember, in addition to these two tasks, we are also going to spend 10 minutes each night taking care of general clutter around our living space. Let’s do it!