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We love to think about decluttering and organizing, but we don’t always love to do it.​ People watch _The Home Edit_ on Netflix to see pantries and bookshelves organized in a rainbow of

colors and messy garages and bedrooms transformed. They look to Marie Kondo to organize their closets and drawers by tossing items that don’t spark joy. Decluttering in real life , however,

often feels overwhelming - like there’s no time to go through the mugs, memorabilia , furniture , books, papers and accessories that find a way to pile up in our homes. But the reality is

that a few small steps can help jump-start the effort and make it feel more manageable - and the end result may even improve your mental health just as much as your home. SIMPLE WAYS TO

DECLUTTER YOUR SPACES​ * Start by removing trash.​ * Begin by choosing one small area to organize — like a drawer.​ * Sort items into three piles: Keep, donate and toss.​ * Find a specific

home for everything you intend to keep — for example, a hook for your keys.​ * Group similar items together, instead of storing them in multiple places, so you always know where to find

them.​ * If you buy something new, pledge to get rid of something else to limit items in your home.​ * If you’re holding on to items to pass to the next generation, ask your heirs if they

want the items. Be prepared for them to say no, and be gracious.​ * Don’t try to do everything all at once. Schedule limited amounts of time to work on decluttering and organizing on a

regular basis. ​START SMALL AND MAKE PILES “I always suggest starting with removing the trash first,” says Nikki Bell, a professional organizer in Houston. “Grab a trash bag and just walk

through the space throwing away anything broken, damaged or actual trash.”​ Cardboard boxes can take up a lot of space, so removing them changes the way you view a room, Bell says. After

that, pick one small area to tackle, like a drawer, in order to ease yourself into the work.​ To start her decluttering project, Sabrina Hamilton, 55, of Colorado, picks one room, assesses

the clutter, and starts sorting, using a system many professional organizers follow.​ “I create three piles: what I’ll keep, what I’ll donate and what I’ll throw away,” she says. “With each

item I’m considering, I decide if it’s meaningful, useful or useless.” Meaningful items get to stay, useful items that she no longer wants are passed along, and useless stuff goes in the

trash.​ From there, Andrew Mellen, a professional organizer in New York City, encourages people to start organizing. He suggests following what he calls his “organizational triangle” — “one

home for everything; like with like; and something in, something out.”​