If the home is a temple, then the bedroom is its sanctuary. At the end of a long day, the bedroom is the final repository of rest where cares and concerns are set aside and energy and enthusiasm for tomorrow are replenished. But the purpose of the bedroom can easily go astray if the room is cluttered, disorganized, and calling out to you for a good tidying.

The good news is that it's easy to restore your bedroom to its intended purpose.

It Begins With Your Attitude

It's quite common for tired, exhausted, and stressed people to walk into their bedroom at the end of the day, see the clutter and mess, and then find their energy sapped. From there, just thinking about the mess adds to their stress level, and, unfortunately, lead to days or even months of simply ignoring the problem.

The secret to enjoying a clean, tidy, and inviting bedroom is realizing most of the necessary work takes place in your head. When you know what to do and exactly how to de-clutter your bedroom, you'll feel a great sense of peace even before the first item is cleared away.

Before attempting to de-clutter your bedroom, stop for a moment and breathe. Remember that it isn't going to be as big a job as you think it will be, and that it will take less time and effort than you're probably imagining.

Always Begin With the Clothes

When your bedroom is a seemingly insurmountable pile of items and objects that need dealing with, the task of where to begin can feel overwhelming. Therefore, it's essential to remember that the first task at hand is to deal with the clothes.

1. Gather all the clothes that need tidying together in one spot.
2. Sort out the items that need cleaning (in two piles if some things need dry cleaning).
3. Put the items that can be folded or stored away in another pile.
4. The last category of clothes will be items that you need to sell, donate, or give away.

Once this is done, this first task will start paying off dividends right away, as clothes are often the primary reason that bedrooms get cluttered. 



1. Wash everything that needs washing and/or send it out to the dry cleaners.
2. Fold, iron, hang, or otherwise store the clothes that need to be put away.
3. Bag up and deliver the clothes that you are going to donated or given away.

Remove What Needs Removing

Many times, objects and items that should be in other parts of the home start migrating into the bedroom. Once the clothes have been sorted, it's time to go through the entire bedroom and remove anything that should be somewhere else. This can include:

• Mail
• Food and/or dishes
• Books, CDs, games, and/or movies
• Papers
• Items that need to be thrown away (wrappers, receipts, etc.)
• Shoes, boots, and other footwear
• Work-related items
• Toys

Pro tip: Even if the room where these items should exist is cluttered (i.e. a child's bedroom or home office), you still need to put the items in the right place. Once you're done de-cluttering your bedroom, you can work on those rooms next.

Personal and Sentimental Items

The next step is to sort, organize, and deal with personal and sentimental items. This could be any range of objects or items, including:

• Photographs
• Letters
• Souvenirs
• Gifts
• Figurines, collectibles, etc.
• Stuffed animals

Pro tip: If sorting all these items seems too daunting, place them in a box. When you're done with all the other cleaning and tidying, you can then organize, clean, and place these items where they need to go.

Cleaning

At this point, your bedroom should have most of the objects and items removed or stored away, so it's now time to clean. You may feel tempted to stop once the visual clutter is gone, but resist this temptation as a clean bedroom is just as important to your mental peace as a de-cluttered bedroom.

Steps For a Clutter-Free Future

Once you've got everything sorted and your bedroom is clean, it's time to start thinking about how you can redesign the space so that it stays clutter-free. Here are some great options to consider:

• Open storage furniture like bookcases, stand-alone shelving, and shelving that you can attach to the walls.
• Think vertically! Adding cupboards, shelves, and cabinets on top of existing furniture is a great way to add more storage space.
• Walk-through closets - These require a substantial change to your bedroom, but will free up a lot of space.
• More drawers. Items that you don't use on a daily basis but need access to, can be kept dust-free and out of sight in drawers.
• Invest in a dresser or armoire. One of the principle causes of clutter is when clothes do not have one single place.
• Under bed boxes or storage units.

It's Easier Than You Think

Remember, the hardest part of decluttering your bedroom is in your head. Once you commit to a plan and start working on cleaning your bedroom, you'll find that it will take less time and energy than you had initially predicted. 

Be sure to savour the special reward that comes with a de-cluttered bedroom, entering your quiet, clean place of refuge at the end of a long, hard day.

Photo credits: messy couch, closet, drawers