Decluttering is hard. Why?
There are many reasons, but I’ve listed a few of the higher levels of reasons behind the mindset.
In order to move forward you will have to re-think how you approach the situation.
Feeling Overwhelmed
One day you wake up and realise you have too much stuff. How did that occur?
Having a cluttered life is a slow and developing process that people don’t notice until it’s too late, then you’re overwhelmed.
You take one look at it, think it’s all too much and then give up
That’s the overwhelming part. The way to get round this is to start somewhere small and simple to declutter for a quick win.
That quick win will in turn spur you on to do more. So a simple trick is to start with a cluttered drawer, empty it out and get rid, keep or donate items from it.
Rearrange the drawers, purchase drawer dividers and have a place for everything. This simple trick will make you realise you can take control back, one small step at a time.
Enlist help
Ask someone who you trust and is non-judgemental. This will help to spur you on and 2 people are better than 1 in getting the job done.
Reward yourself and your friend with a takeaway or a glass of wine afterwards. The commanderie will help see you through and make it an enjoyable process.
Over thinking the problem
You could term this as an ‘excuse’ mindset. You subconsciously think it’s all too much so you compensate by trying to do too much too soon.
That only ever leads to failure, because quite simply, decluttering is hard and you’re not used to it.
Again start small, declutter a drawer, hang your clothes in the wardrobe or make your bed.
These are simple tasks that require minimum thinking but can have a big impact on improving your negative mindset.
Stop trying to overthink and just do.
Have a decluttering plan
The process of planning should not be underestimated. If you invest time in planning, this is the start of the decluttering process.
It has been shown that by starting small and investing some time, however small kickstarts the process. Once this has started, even if you stop, the mental need for completion remains.
Make a simple plan and write it down (important). Always start in a single room or area, have storage or boxes and bags available and decide how to tackle it.
Write each stage down and when complete, draw a line through it. Working to lists is a very satisfying process and mentally spurs you on.
Societal Pressure
We live in a materialistic society where the ‘biggest is best’ mindset. You need the biggest house, the best car, more money, the latest gadgets etc…
All this puts undue pressure on people to deliver more and more. This all adds to a house ‘full of stuff’
So what do you do? Buy more cupboards to store more stuff or buy a bigger house to store more clutter?
Sometimes growing families mean a bigger house is needed. But buying a house because you think you’ve outgrown your current cluttered home, would be a mistake.
Always go with the mindset of being happy and grateful with what you have, not what you don’t have.
Aspiration to achieve is a good thing, materialistic want is not. You’ll just end up spending money on worthless items and a house full of stuff.
Learn to be happy.
Conclusion
Finally, you’re probably reading this because you’ve realised decluttering is hard. But it can be made simple.
- Make a plan. This will negate the overwhelm and trying to overthink the problem
- Enlist help. Get someone else to help who you trust and get on with
- Don’t worry about what society or others think. They don’t live your life, like you don’t live theirs
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