National Simplicity Day offers a opportunity to declutter

Wednesday is National Simplicity Day — and an expert has some simple tips on how to clear clutter from your life.

The day designated for simplicity honors the July 12 birthday of Henry David Thoreau, the 19th-century writer who detailed his foray into the simple life in “Walden.”

Jen Groover, a motivational speaker for more than 20 years, echoes some of Thoreau’s philosophy on    topics such as simplifying your life and decluttering.  Her mantra: “When in doubt, throw it out.”

“Look at the things you haven’t used in a while — that aren’t really that important to you because  you haven’t used them in a while — and start throwing everything out,” she advised. “That scares a lot of people who hold onto things, but it’s so much more freeing.”

Making a schedule will also help simplify your life by giving you a daily blueprint to follow, said Groover of Philadelphia. That’s especially true for families in the summer.

“Kids are more unclear as to what their schedule is, things become a lot more cluttered,” she said. “So if you let your family know in advance or your colleagues know of that schedule, that helps a lot of people stay in alignment.”

Once the clutter is gone and organization reigns, Groover said, most people are happier.