I tried the easy Reverse Advent Calendar decluttering method to clear out my home before Christmas – it's brilliant if overwhelm usually gets in your way

If you're looking to declutter your home and truly delve into the season of giving, the Reverse Advent Calendar method of decluttering is the perfect place to start. I tried it and loved it so much, I'm going to keep repeating it.

It's a lesser known method but simple to follow. For every typical day of advent (December 1st through to the 24th or 25th), you choose any one item to declutter from your home and place it aside in a bag or box. Then, after Christmas has come and gone, you donate your collected possessions to charity.

It's straightforward, has a heartwarming form of motivation to it, and is a great way to encourage your family to declutter, too. I decided to give it a go early this year to share my experience with you pre-holiday season so you can see if you'd like to try it yourself. Here's how the journey went from start to finish.

How to do the Reverse Advent Calendar decluttering method

There are few steps needed to carry out this method of decluttering:

• Every day of advent (December 1st to the 24th or 25th depending on your preference) pick one individual item from anywhere in your home to donate. You can go through your home category by category or choose hot spots to declutter for the holidays if it helps, but there isn't a strict rule.
• Place your items for donation in a designated area such as a box or bag. I chose a medium sized cardboard box. I don't recommend choosing a small box in case you declutter a bulky item.
• Enjoy Christmas and then after the day has passed, donate your decluttered items to a good cause. If you start yours now, you can also donate ahead of Christmas and hopefully help get some much needed items, such as toys, to those in need ahead of the big day.
• You can optionally keep track of what you declutter each day by noting it down on a piece of paper. This is a great way to make sure you don't miss a day and a rewarding way to record your progress.

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Before I began

Before the challenge, I felt excited to start but also a little nervous. I'd recently tried the one in one out decluttering method around my home so I was worried if I would be able to find enough items to donate.

If you truly can't find anything, don't force yourself to donate items that you don't wish to part with, but at the same time if you search around your home you'll likely find more items than you think that could be re-homed. A good rule comes from the easy Didn't Know decluttering method. If you didn't know, or forgot you had something, it's likely safe to declutter it guilt-free.

How the challenge went for me

Doing this challenge taught me a lot more than I first thought it would. On the surface it seems like a mindful little game where you gradually declutter your space in such a small increment that it may be difficult to notice. However, as the days went by, I felt more and more excited to find my daily item to discard.

Towards the end of the challenge I began to struggle to find items to give away but I reminded myself that it was a good thing. Struggling to find items was a sign that I truly valued everything in my space and had successfully removed what was no longer necessary.

The challenge helped me learn how to be more ruthless when decluttering but in a more gentle way: I had to think about what I didn't want as well as what I only wanted but didn't use.

There were of course hurdles and parts of the challenge that I liked more than others, which I detail below, but overall I felt personal growth undertaking this and would recommend it for anyone to try, either individually or as a family.

What I liked about the Reverse Advent Calendar method

There was a lot I really loved about this challenge, and I know during the holiday run up I would have loved it even more.

It felt like an incredibly mindful way to give back to others, picking items individually that I thought were of good enough quality to be sold or donated, and enjoyed by someone else. It encouraged me to really think about what was a 'need' and what was a 'want' in my life, as something I purely 'wanted' could mean so much more to someone else, and help charity at the same time.

I also really liked how easily this challenge fitted into my busy schedule. Choosing one item per day is very achievable. If you wonder how to declutter when feeling overwhelmed, I reckon this is the one for you.

It will still accumulate a decent amount of clutter over the term of the challenge and won't leave you feeling daunted by the job at hand.

This decluttering challenge would be great addition to a holiday decluttering checklist and would be ideal for kids to get involved with to teach them about gratitude, especially before Christmas day, and the decluttering could double as a light clear out before New Year rolls around too.

All in all, I found the reverse advent calendar method of decluttering to be simple, satisfying and effective.

What I disliked about the reverse advent calendar

Being honest, at times I struggled with the slow pace of the challenge. Stopping at one item per day, especially for a good cause, was difficult even though it helped to make decluttering fun. I felt I could instead spend an hour or two in one go hunting down all the items in a single day. It was also tempting to glance around my home and start deciding what else could go in advance.

The good thing with challenges like this is nobody is watching over your shoulder to tell you off if you bend the rules a bit. If you find yourself revved up and motivated to declutter, keep going. The idea of this one is to habit form, and strip away overwhelm. If one item a day isn't enough, add more into your box!

Another thing I encountered was due to the fact I spend a significant amount of time at my partner's house, so on the days I wasn't home, I missed days of the challenge. I got around that by completing those missed days (and therefore the number of missed out items) on my return, so the number of items decluttered stayed the same.

I feel the latter point is something you can think into and work around (e.g - if someone else is at home, perhaps you could contribute to the challenge together, or you could catch up on your own once you return home), but if you're looking for something to declutter your home fast, this definitely isn't the method for you if you're sticking to choosing one item daily.

That being said, if you struggle with decluttering or don't know where to start, this could be a great method to help ease you into the idea.

Overall verdict and tips

Overall I really liked this challenge, but I wouldn't recommend it to people who feel their home needs a big declutter. The reverse advent calendar is more suited towards people looking to dip their toes into decluttering or add a little more breathability to their space. It won't make much of a difference taking 24 or 25 items out of an entire home that's filled with surplus stuff, but at the same time it could be just the thing to get the ball rolling.

If you plan to try out the Reverse Advent Calendar decluttering method and will likely be away for days at a time, it would be worth deciding if you plan to catch up when you get back home, pick some items out in advance or a mixture of both (picking out a couple of items before you go and then picking out a couple more when you get back).

Out of all the other decluttering methods around, I'd say this one is somewhat similar to the 'mins game', where on day one a person declutters any one item from their space, then two items on day two, and so forth, except on a more minor scale with a holiday sentiment. The mins game would be far better for those looking to create impact on their space through decluttering, but if you're seeking to develop a better relationship between yourself and physical possessions in the long run, taking the slow, mindful approach of the Reverse Advent Calendar method will certainly make you think.

I rate this a 4/10 as a method to declutter a person's home that really requires attention, but an 8/10 as a method to cultivate mindfulness when decluttering, all while saving space and assisting a worthy cause.

If you're struggling to know where to start on your decluttering journey, we asked professional organizers which things to get rid of in December to make the busiest month of the year less overwhelming. Tackling these areas could be just what you need to get the ball rolling.