Stress Free Holiday Tip No. 5: How to Declutter

I have written about prioritizing how you use your time and money during the holidays. Now it is time to discuss how you use your space during the holidays. Leading up to Thanksgiving, I have been helping many clients declutter their kitchens, family rooms and dining room tables. It is great fun and the rewards are plenty.

If you plan to decorate for the holidays at home or in the office, all of your beautiful decorations will be overshadowed if clutter abounds. Now is the time to declutter. This can be very empowering. Not only will you make room for those beautiful decorations, you will also make room for new gifts.

• Making room for decorations

Holiday decorations are usually displayed in the most public areas of a home or office. These are the areas that you want to look nice for visitors throughout the year, but especially at the holidays. If you are overwhelmed by clutter in these spaces, focus on one area at a time that you plan to decorate. For example, if you want to decorate your staircase banisters, focus on clearing the steps of any clutter.

• Making room for new gifts

This tip is great for anyone that expects to receive a gift during the holidays. Have you ever heard of the "one in, one out" rule? This is a way of achieving equilibrium in your space. If something new comes into your space, something old must go out. This simple rule can keep clutter from taking over. By letting go of some things before the holidays, you can free up space and share with others that may be less fortunate. It is also a great lesson to teach children.

Getting and being organized is a process, not an event. For continuing tips on decluttering, sign up for my monthly e-newsletter "Your Simply Organized Life."

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and the founder of Simply Organized Life.