If paper clutter seems to pile up faster than you can deal with it, you are definitely not alone. Mail comes in. Magazines stack up. Newspapers sit on the counter. School papers somehow multiply overnight.

So for this week’s 5-a-Day Friday challenge, we’re keeping it really simple:

Find 5 magazines, newspapers, or random papers you can let go of.

That’s it. Just five things. And listen, I get it. Sometimes there’s a reason we hang on to this stuff.  Maybe it’s a cooking magazine and you might want to make that recipe someday. Maybe there’s an article you wanted to go back and read.  Maybe your kids use magazines for crafts, and you save them to cut pictures out. Or maybe you keep newspapers for things like wrapping breakables or starting fires in the fireplace.

All of those reasons make sense.

But sometimes we hold onto these things with the intention of using them later… and realistically, life happens, and we probably won’t.

So here’s your gentle encouragement: Keep what you’re actually going to use. Let go of the rest.

If there are recipes you truly want to make, tear those pages out and keep them somewhere useful in the kitchen. If there’s an article you really want to save, pull out just that page instead of keeping the entire magazine.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is simply to clear out a little bit of clutter and make your home feel lighter.

Why Small Decluttering Wins Matter

One thing I always remind my clients (and myself) is that decluttering doesn’t have to mean spending an entire Saturday reorganizing your house. Sometimes the biggest momentum comes from small, attainable wins.  That’s exactly why I love the 5-a-Day method.

You are not tackling an entire room. You are not making giant decisions. You are simply finding five things you no longer need. Something that can realistically be done in under five minutes. And those tiny wins? They add up.

A Simple Trick for Deciding How Much to Keep

Here’s a decluttering tip I use all the time: Let the container be the limit.  Instead of trying to figure out how many magazines or papers you should keep, decide how much space you want to give them.

For example, if you enjoy saving magazines, give them a designated home (maybe a small magazine rack or basket) and let that container decide the limit. When it’s full, it’s time to recycle older ones before adding more.

No guilt. No complicated system. No overthinking.

I like using a simple magazine holder because it keeps things contained without turning into a giant stack on the counter. Small enough to limit clutter, but still practical if you genuinely use magazines or saved papers.

So today, go find your five things. A few magazines. Some old papers. That stack you’ve been meaning to go through. Just five. 

You might be surprised how much lighter your space feels afterward.

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