how to sort paper clutter without losing your mind
Paper just seems to accumulate on all the flat surfaces of our homes, doesn’t it? Bills, mail, newspapers, school papers, fliers, magazines… Aaaagh! The paper influx seems never ending!
If you have a bunch of paper piled up that you know you have to go through, it’s now or never, right? More like never?
Many people dread the thought of going through mounds of old mail and papers, and they feel overwhelmed before they even start. If this sounds familiar, then this guide is for you! It will take you step-by-step through sorting and tackling your paper clutter. This method that will allow you to go at your own pace. Have a mega-paper-sort-a-thon, or do a little at a time; its up to you. This is what I recommend for my clients and I hope it will help you too!
The first step is to designate places in your home for three different categories of important papers. These categories are To-Dos, Household papers, and Keepsakes/Memories. Once you have these places set up, the second step is to sort. With this method, your sorting process is efficient, and you can have it all put away quickly when you are done. My guide is below, as well as one simple rule that will keep you from getting overwhelmed with the process and losing your mind!
If you are ready to clear your paper clutter, I recommend having places ready for the following categories of important papers before you start sorting:
➊ TO-DOs (also called ACTION items)
➋ HOUSEHOLD DOCUMENTS
➌ KEEPSAKES or MEMORIES
Storing To-Dos/Action Items
To-Dos (also called Action items) are best stored in a visible, high-traffic area where you will see them daily and be reminded of them. Even if you prefer things out of sight, I think everyone needs their To-Do items stored where they can be seen. You might use a bulletin board near your entryway, an upright file folder in your kitchen, or a clear, vertical wall file. My “to-dos” are put on a cork board near our garage door. Every time I go in or out, I have a visual reminder of things we need to do.
Storing Household Papers/Documents
Household papers are the most important documents related to your household and family. These are documents that need long-term storage. You probably won’t need to access these often, but when you do need them, you need to be able to get to them quickly, so please don’t store these in the attic or basement.
If you have “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” tendencies, then “filing” your household papers in file folders and filing cabinets may not work for you. But good news, a paper’s home doesn’t have to be a file folder in a filing cabinet. A clear plastic bin, clear folders in an upright file, flat open trays, an open cubby, or an open basket can all work well for storing papers so that you can SEE them.
If you prefer your household papers “put away,” I recommend they be stored for now in a clear plastic tote box, large enough to hold the papers flat on the bottom. If some papers are already in folders, that’s fine, but there’s no need for more folders yet. Just getting these papers all together will help you be able to breathe a little easier because at least you’ll know where they are. You can sort this box and make labeled folders later. Right now, you are focused only on putting these items together in one place.
Storing Keepsakes
If you don’t have a keepsakes box already, start one! A large shoebox or medium plastic tub will work. Put a big label on it that says [YOUR NAME]’S KEEPSAKES or MEMORIES. An important thing to note: if your keepsakes are truly precious to you, please save them in a way that honors them. Display them, or store them in a safe place away from the elements and bugs. Cardboard boxes will work short-term, but tend to lose their structure over time and are a magnet for bugs. I recommend a medium-size, clear, plastic tote box on a shelf in your closet.
How to Sort Paper Clutter
Ok, now that we have homes ready for our papers, let’s get ready to sort!
Before You Sort
- Make sure you have eaten a snack or meal recently so you have energy.
- Set up a comfortable spot to spread out, like a bed, cleared table, or space on the floor.
- Place a recycling bin and/or trash bin nearby.
The following things are nice to have, but not necessary:
- Sticky notes and a pencil to make notes and/or label the piles.
- Paper clips or a stapler would be handy to hold related papers together.
- A paper shredder. (If you have one, I recommend shredding as you go which is easier on your shredder.)
- If you like, grab a beverage you enjoy, and get started. 🙂
My method of sorting paper is based on the three basic categories below, plus trash and shredding. I have a single rule for sorting: start by grabbing ONLY a small stack of paper, no more than ONE INCH high (about 3 cm). Sorting a smaller amount at one time will keep you from getting overwhelmed and give you a good stopping point. Remember, the goal is to stay focused on SORTING and to not jump up to take care of the first thing you discover that needs attention.
1. Action/To-Do
The first pile is called the ACTION or TO-DO pile. These are things you need to DO. These papers need you to follow up with some kind of task, like make a phone call, pay a bill, or mail a response, etc. It might be something that has a due date or an expiration date. Examples of Action/To-do items are invitations with RSVPs, bills to pay, coupons that expire, magazines you want to read, reminders, receipts for items that need to be returned by a certain date, or upcoming travel documents. *Helpful reminder: Remember this is NOT the time to stop and read or take care of these things; we are simply separating them from the other papers.*
2. Household
The second pile is HOUSEHOLD. This is anything an adult might need to run a household, like life insurance policies, birth certificates, current tax receipts, recipes, mortgage statements, household information, home renovation records/receipts, tax returns, medical records, academic records, deeds, leases, home owners documents, health insurance claims, warranties, and contracts, etc. We can sort through this pile later, but for now, just put all of these together. If you own a small business, I would place business documents separate from your household pile at this time.
3. Keepsakes
The third pile is KEEPSAKES. These are sentimental items that you simply can’t part with, like special greeting cards, photos, sentimental concert tickets, children’s special schoolwork or artwork, graduation pamphlets, or old letters. I have to emphasize: *DO NOT OPEN OR READ ANYTHING IN THIS PILE RIGHT NOW.* Trust me! Just glance to see that it is something you want to save. Don’t get distracted from your sorting task. You can go through the Keepsakes box when you’re finished and reminisce.
4. Recycle or Trash
The fourth “pile” is RECYCLE OR TOSS: I put pile in quotes because you can just put the recycling bin or trash can nearby and toss the stuff in. This includes anything that doesn’t fit the above categories and doesn’t contain personally identifiable information. This should include old coursework from college, newspapers, junk mail, used envelopes, and outdated catalogs/magazines. I don’t mind my name and address on envelopes and magazines in the trash or recycling, but if you are concerned about your name and address being seen, then rip that part off and add it to your final pile below.
5. Shred
The fifth “pile” is SHRED. Anything you would normally toss or recycle that contains personal information, like name/address, Social Security numbers, birthdates, account numbers, credit/debit card numbers, and usernames/passwords. These might be on things like credit card offers, old bank statements, old bills, old health insurance EOBs, and old investment statements. If you have a paper shredder, you can shred as you go, but don’t let the act of shredding distract you from your sorting. If you don’t have a shredder, I have shared some other options below for disposing of your sensitive info.
Whew! Have you read through this far? That’s a lot of info! But if you have finished sorting through your first stack, you are nearing the finish line now! How are you feeling? Are you ready to keep going? Grab another stack. If you are drained, at least take a few more minutes to put away the piles you created. This will be so easy if their homes are ready to go.
- If you didn’t already put the trash or recycling into the bin, then do it now.
- Move the Action or To-Do items to their home.
- Move the Household pile to its home (with business documents separated).
- Move the Keepsake items into your Keepsakes box straight away.
- If you don’t have a paper shredder, a cheaper option is to use an identity protection roller stamp to cover over your information before trashing. OR if you have a LOT of paper with sensitive info, you can save it and take it to be shredded elsewhere. Your local UPS store will shred paper for a fee, usually around $1 per pound. There are also companies that will bring a shredding truck to your home and shred for you so you know it is disposed of securely. (Note: you can also burn papers with sensitive info in a backyard fire pit or soak it in water in a bucket until mushy and unreadable. <— Full disclosure: I’ve never done either of those, but have heard of people doing it as a no-cost alternative to shredding services.)
Congratulations!! If you made it through your first round of the sorting process, but still have more to do, I want you to take a break and pat yourself on the back for a productive, satisfying, job well done! Progress is progress no matter how small it may seem. If you’re feeling good, grab another one-inch stack. Or wrap it up for the day. Look around. Can you breathe a little easier? Let your accomplishment fuel your motivation to keep going. You are doing great!
If you feel like you didn’t accomplish as much as you hoped, at the end of the day, I just want you to have compassion for yourself (something I harp on). Whatever the reason for the paper piling up, just let it go. Don’t beat yourself up about it or continue to have negative thoughts about it. Dismantling the habits that cause clutter is a journey, and it is during this process when you are learning and growing. You are doing the best you can, and you should be really proud of that.
What to do if you have a LOT of paper clutter
You may know that you have WAY more collected paper than you can ever bring yourself to sort through and this can be completely overwhelming. You may be avoiding it because you’re afraid of what you’ll find. Paper clutter takes a LOT of energy and time, simply because each page requires a decision to be made.
If you are overwhelmed at the idea of opening so many old mail envelopes, then I suggest you just don’t. Look at the stamped postage date first. If it is over a year old, the correspondence is going to be outdated. If you recognize the sender (like your credit card company, for example), you can get your statements and historical payment info online. So give yourself permission to toss something like that into the shred pile without opening it. Maybe just open the envelopes you don’t recognize.
If your piles of paper are college work, you have my very special permission to throw it all away (once you are done with school, of course). I know you worked hard on it, but the proof is in your degree. The likelihood of needing to refer to something is very slim, and there are about a googol Google pages out there for you if you do need to reference forgotten information. Marie Kondo’s advice is also to keep NONE of it, so I’m sure she would back me up here. I want you to realize that the relief of letting go of the weight of the worry and the weight of outdated paper is unmeasurable (because face it, paper is heavy!).
If you have questions about this post, please let me know. In all seriousness, if you are really swimming in paper clutter, and are looking for a way out, please reach out to a trusted friend or family member for help, or contact a professional organizer in your area who can help.
I’d love to help you on your way to freedom from clutter. If you are located in Central Arkansas, I’d love to talk to you about how I can help you create a system in your home for dealing with papers. If you are interested, my pricing page has more information.