5 low-stress ways to start decluttering

NONE OF THE TIDYING clichés ever really clicked with KC Davis, a therapist in Houston and mom to two young kids. "I've always been a messy person," she says. "I've never been able to 'clean as I go'." Davis knew there were plenty of people just like her: those who wanted a serene space but lacked the time and energy to get started. After finding bite-size strategies that worked for her, Davis wrote How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing.

- ANGELA HAUPT

A messy house can feel overwhelming to tackle, and progress may seem incremental at first. But there's good reason to work on building a healthier relationship with your home. Research suggests that clutter increases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and that cleanliness is associated with better self-rated health. Other studies have found that being surrounded by lots of excess stuff contributes to procrastination, diminishes focus, and leads to decreased life satisfaction.

We asked Davis and other experts to share their favorite strategies to kickstart a realistic decluttering routine.

1. Tackle one category at a time

One day, Davis looked at her messy room and realized that every item could be sorted into one of five categories: trash, dishes, laundry, items that have a place (like books that belong on the shelf), and odds and ends that don't. She started cleaning up by category (and then found a home for her random objects). "I would get a trash bag and pick up all my trash, and then I'd get my laundry basket and pick up all my laundry," she says. "It provided a really simple road map for my brain."