Post-Holiday Reset: Organizing and Decluttering After the Celebrations

The holiday season is upon us, but just as soon as it comes, it’ll be over. You’ll find yourself with more items than you know what to do with, and suddenly your space just doesn’t seem to hold it all. The holidays are a time of giving, and this year you can give yourself, your family, and your space a breather after the holiday chaos with these post-holiday reset tips on decluttering after the holidays. 

Why a Post-Holiday Reset Is a Great Way to Wind Up the Holidays

It’s late December or early January. You wake up to the quiet of an empty house; all your family and friends have gone home after days of festivities. You’re ready to relax, but first, it’s time to clean up.

While packing the holidays up till next year can seem like a chore, this time is a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to organize and declutter their space. You’re already in the process of putting things away or back in their place, and you’ve just received some new gifts from your friends and family. A post-holiday reset lets you shift gears, and you can easily use this as a chance to get it all done so your space is ready for the new year and new you. 

Practical Ways to Tackle Holiday Décor and Gift-Related Clutter

Holiday décor is a terrific way to get into the spirit of the season, but it can also result in an accumulation clutter. Add gifts from family and friends and you might have more than you know what to do with! When organizing your holiday décor, start with what stayed in the bins this year. If you are no longer using some decorations, why keep them? If they have emotional ties, consider handing them down. This is a wonderful time to sort out anything that you don’t use and might want to give away. Then, start putting similar things together so they’re easy to pull out for next year. When it comes to the gifts you’ve received, this is the perfect time to reevaluate what you want and what you don’t. Oftentimes, you’ll realize you’ve been holding on to something you don’t use, and your gift can take its place. If you find you’ve been gifted something you can’t use or don’t want, use this as an opportunity to regift it or donate it to someone who could use it. 

Creating an Organization System for Seasonal Storage

One important aspect of holiday organizing is logical storage for your seasonal decor. You want to ensure that your seasonal items aren’t in the way of what you use every year, but not so far tucked away that you forget they’re there! When storing seasonal items, find a place in your house where everything can go together. This might be a shelf in your closet, a small corner of the basement, or a hanging shelf in your garage. Keeping all of your holiday decor together ensures you know where to go looking for next year. While putting things away, consider what you actually used and consider donating or throwing out things that never seem to make an appearance during the season. Finally, label everything so you know what you have stored where!

Involve the Family in the Post-Holiday Reset

Getting organized doesn’t have to be a one person job, and the end of the holidays doesn’t have to mean the end of family gathering. Getting your family involved in putting things back in order can give a sense of teamwork and collective ownership over the household, as well as help everyone adjust to any substantial changes. Kids can go through their own things and make space for what they’ve received over the holidays, and everyone can chip in when it comes to cleaning up and sorting what needs to go back in storage for the next holiday season. 

Donate Unwanted Items and Simplify for the New Year

As you begin to sort through your holiday (and general) items, sort them into what can be donated or given away and what might need to be recycled or thrown out. Donations tend to dry up after the holidays, so it’s an important time to support your local thrift or charity shop. Once you’ve worked through this, you can look at organizing what you’ve kept and find storage space for all your holiday items ready to be brought out next year. 

The holidays are chaotic, both mentally and physically. By the end, you’re worn out and ready to reset. A post-holiday reset is a great start and organizing and decluttering builds habits that keep you calm and focused throughout the year.

Next
Next

Clutter-Free Gifting: Guide to Giving Organized and Practical Gifts