How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed
So you are surrounded by stuff and want to end the chaos, where to begin? Do you need some guidance on how to start decluttering when overwhelmed?
Figuring out how to start decluttering when overwhelmed is not an easy task. Staring at the piles of stuff is daunting. You are likely asking yourself where did all of this stuff come from? How did it get like this?
You are not alone, we all find ourselves drowning in the extra “stuff” we collect over the years.
Whether you are looking to tidy your junk room or in need of a complete overhaul of your entire home, we’ve got you!
Below you’ll find some simple steps to help you stay on track and be successful in your decluttering mission.
Feel free to print our free decluttering checklist to help you identify some areas to focus on.
Everyone’s decluttering mission is unique. Don’t be too hard on yourself and keep at it! You will be successful 💖
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How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed...10 Steps for Success!
Keep scrolling to get your free decluttering checklist!
1. Start Small
Let’s be real, staring at a room full of junk is daunting, stress inducing, and just overwhelming!
Try not to focus on the whole space and instead start small. Select a closet, a corner, a chest of drawers…anything that you can accomplish in a short period of time. Think, one hour or less.
Once your small area is identified, set a small goal for yourself. “I will declutter these 3 kitchen cupboards by tomorrow at 9pm” for example. If you are successful in reaching this goal, you will experience a sense of accomplishment, naturally increasing motivation to continue.
Quick wins are still wins! Celebrate every step of the way 🎉
2. Three-Box Rule
The 3-box rule will help you get organized to make progress quickly, and its simple:
Get 3 boxes and label each:
- keep
- throw
- donate
Select your small space to declutter, lets say a drawer. Go through every item in that drawer and decide-keep, throw, or donate? Put the item in the appropriate box.
Try not to overthink this, if you need it you need it; if you don’t, you don’t; if someone else could use it, donate it. DONE!
Don’t let the boxes hang around. Once full, deal with them. The toss box should be chucked in the garbage, the donation box given to charity.
Stay on track and committed. If you fill the boxes and just pile them in a room, you are creating more clutter, or “moving the mess” as I like to say 😂
3. One Thing at a Time
Try to focus on one thing at a time. If you are cleaning a closet that is piled high with clothes, toys, books and more, pick a category. For example, sort the clothes first, using the 3-box approach. Once the clothes are done, you can move onto other categories.
Sorting through each category at a time helps you stay on track of what you are keeping vs throwing, allowing for more efficient decision making.
4. The Happiness Test
Once you start digging through the clutter, it is going to be hard to decide what needs to stay and what needs to go.
Some items will be obvious-a toaster, checkbook, and phone charger would likely be put in the “keep” box for most people. However, some items are tricky.
What should you do with that cookbook you received for your birthday three years ago but never used? Or the socks that have never been worn and were found buried in the bottom of a drawer?
For items that you do not use regularly and have no specific purpose, ask yourself – “does this item bring me happiness?”
If an item is not needed regularly and serves no real purpose for occasional use, let it go!
5. Sentimental Items
This gets tricky. These are the items we tend to keep, holding on to them for many years. Sentimental items may serve no practical purpose in our lives, other than to bring forward memories and feelings of the past.
It is absolutely ok to keep some sentimental items. We all have a small number of items that truly hold deep meaning, we just don’t want too have too many.
Embrace the art of letting go…it gets easier over time!
Select the most important sentimental items, the ones you really cannot let go of. The rest can be captured in images and stored digitally. This way you can preserve memories without the physical clutter 👍
6. Duplicates and Excess
Do you really need three spatulas and two can openers?
Over time, we can easily end up with duplicates of items and, although the items are needed, we really don’t need more than one of each.
If you get a gorgeous new set of pots and pans for Christmas, why not donate your old ones to make room for the new ones? Same goes for bed linens…do you really need twelve fitted sheets when you only have three beds in the house?
7. Paper Trail
Paper creates clutter…fast!
The already present paper will require sorting but you can start to limit the introduction of new paper items immediately by opting for paperless billing, digital newspaper subscriptions and ebooks.
If you have a large number of paper documents that you would like to keep record of, consider scanning them into a digital file so that you can store them electronically.
For a small number of documents, you could snap a quick picture of them creating a digital record without the need for storing the actual paper copies.
8. Storage Solutions
Invest in storage solutions, this is worth every penny.
Clutter will never cease if you don’t have anywhere to put things.
From closet organizers to storage containers, find a spot for everything and stick to it!
Once you have incorporated storage solutions into your living space, maintaining order will come much more naturally.
9. Maintenance
The reality is that decluttering is not a one time task, it is truly a mindset.
To maintain a decluttered space, regular assessment of possessions is vital.
Once the initial decluttering process is complete, regular sorting should continue to prevent the unnecessary build up of items.
10. Celebrate Progress
Finally, the last step in how to start decluttering when overwhelmed is to celebrate progress! This is a big undertaking, celebrate small wins 🥳
Treat yourself to a new drawer organizer or shoe rack! Go out for dinner with a friend after a long day of sorting! Whatever works for you to keep you motivated.
Be careful not to celebrate by buying more unnecessary “stuff.” The point is to get rid of clutter, not at to it.
The key is to find a system that works for you!
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