Some of us love it, some of us hate it, but none of us are immune to it. I’m talking about Christmas. A clutter catastrophe can occur at Christmas, but you’ve still got time to stop it.

If you already have clutter, and who doesn’t, then along will come Christmas and soon you’ll have a whole lot more. If you’re not careful you could reach the point where you get overwhelmed.

Picture This

Picture your home as it is now. A bit, or a lot, cluttered. Then add a Christmas tree, paper chains, tinsel, advent calendars, strings of flashing lights, lots of presents and lots of people. The result; clutter overload. But it doesn’t have to be like this.

You Can Stop It

If you act now then you still have time to de-clutter before Christmas. Clear away (and preferably give away) excess ornaments, unnecessary furniture that will trip people up and last year’s awful presents.

Unsuitable Gifts

You can be safe in the knowledge that fifty per cent of your gifts this year will be unsuitable. If you keep them all, then year on year this collection of duds grows and grows. So put a stop to this cycle of uselessness right now.

If they’re great but just don’t suit your lifestyle, then recycle them to someone who will appreciate them. If they’re truly awful in every sense then sell them (if you can!) or give them to a charity shop.

Make Room For Decorations

Even quite a spacious looking room can look crowded once you import a six foot Christmas tree and sundry other decorations. If your room already looks cluttered, then I shudder to think what effect the decorations will have upon it. Have a good clear out beforehand. If the room looks a little bit bare before Christmas then you can be sure that once the decorations have gone up, it will look just right.

Make Room For People

People are what Christmas is all about for me. I’m not too bothered about gifts, but I love the general celebratory atmosphere of Christmas. I like the way you can put aside thoughts of work, deadlines and other stressors, and simply enjoy some quality time with your family and friends.

If you feel like this too, then you’ll need to make room for the important people in your life. Don’t limit the numbers due to lack of space. Remove excess coffee tables, ornaments, foot stools, or anything else which will get in the way and ensure that there’s space for you to entertain without getting harassed.

Make Room For Enjoyment

Christmas is supposed to be enjoyable, so remove the obstacles to your enjoyment. Remove clutter, don’t spend more than you can afford, don’t obsess about gifts, and enjoy the company of the people you like.

Without clutter, you’ll feel feel calmer, more able to cope, and will be able to relax and enjoy Christmas in the manner that it should be enjoyed.