While organising and arranging cables behind your media centre or brand new computer might give you a rush of adrenaline, untangling said cables after you add, remove and rearrange the stuff in your life is always a hassle.

Decluttering old or useless junk might make you feel jubilant and free, but not everyone shares that mindset. Whether it's a ratty old recliner your spouse won't give up, an overabundance of cookware in the kitchen, or a collection of weird posters your roommate hung in your living room, there are ways to compromise when it's time for a thorough spring cleaning.

Ever since Marie Kondo took the cluttered world by storm, simply having stuff has seemed like something of a faux pas. There are countless how-to guides on the need to streamline closets and pare down our book collections to only those that bring us "joy," whatever that means. I recently read an article that proclaimed the best minimalist workspace was one that didn't even include a desk, paper or computer -- ideally you'd just sit on the ground and think. As I looked around my desk, topped with books, journals, pens and pictures of my family and friends, I couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed about all of my possessions. Did I really need the 10-pack of Sharpies? Were the two new novels I bought for my upcoming trip bringing me joy?

Mac: Some people keep their computer desktop neat. Some people are happy to keep their desktop messy. For those who want a clean desktop but have trouble maintaining it, there's Declutter.

When we rounded up our staff's Weekly Upgrades last Saturday, our editors were giving in to the pull of Glossier, revisiting the Snuggie, cutting back on booze, and boosting our home Wi-Fi.

If it somehow hasn't happened to you yet, it will someday. You unwrap a gift from a distant relative or your beloved partner, and… it's terrible. You force a gracious smile and say, "Thank you so much, I love it." What happens next?

I'm gonna tell you a secret about picking your stuff up: It isn't any harder when you do it right away.

In a new study by researchers at the University of Toledo, toddlers who were given fewer toys played more creatively and were more engaged in their play than those who had many toys available. Mums and dads, this might be the time to remove that chicken robot, mustache plushie, emoji bingo set, and Spider-Man drone from your Amazon shopping cart. I'm sorry.

Marie Kondo has built an empire around her "life-changing" method of tidying up, inspiring millions to quit the cruelty of rolling socks into balls and start the practice of thanking inanimate household objects that spark joy. She's now reaching a new audience: Graphic novel fans.

One of the biggest critiques that people had of the KonMari method, the "life-changing" tidying technique coined by purging guru Marie Kondo, is that doesn't really work if you have kids.

Classic decluttering advice - the kind of stuff you've been reading on Lifehacker for years - starts with getting rid of what you don't use or need. But are you applying the same principle to your systems? A demonstration of an old vulnerability in SMB 1at DEFCON highlights this, with a Windows Server rendered useless by a Raspberry Pi and a few lines of code. Beneath the surface of your apps, lie dangerous vulnerabilities.

You can save a ton of money shopping at thrift stores, but those low prices mean you can also end up with a bunch of junk you don't need. This simple rule of thumb will keep your thrift store clutter under control.

If you have last-minute houseguests, you might be stressed at the idea of cleaning your whole house last-minute, too. Here's an idea: Don't. As Apartment Therapy points out, there are only three areas to clean in order to make your place presentable.

It can seem like our lives are filled with busyness, noise, distractions and often meaningless activities. What if we could filter out all that noise, and focus on the meaningful? What if we could find stillness instead of constant distraction?

If you've ever tried to clean out your closet or garage, you know getting rid of stuff isn't easy, even if you never use it. Here's what leads us to get so attached to stuff, and how that makes it hard to let go.

This video from Nonnahs Driskill of Get Organised Already! is full of organisation tips that will keep your kitchen and bathrooms tidy. One that stood out to us though: Use stackable baskets for laundry -- when you remove one to carry clothes, you'll have another to catch any dirties that appear before the laundry is done.

When it's time to declutter at home, there's no reason you can't get the whole family involved. You can even get your kids in on the action by letting them see how less clutter will make things better for them too.

This video, from Nonnahs Driskill and Get Organised Already!, is packed with tips to save kitchen counter space and make sure dirty dishes get into the dishwasher (and the clean ones back out.) Anyone with a small kitchen -- or who lives with another person -- can find something here to try.

The house I grew up in had a pretty limited square meterage, something I notice every time I visit my parents. It's essentially a two bedroom house with what amounts to a storage closet converted into a third bedroom when absolutely needed. The living room is very small and the kitchen is pretty tiny as well.