Overwhelmed by Clutter?

Are you feeling overwhelmed by clutter? It is a very easy trap to fall into, because clutter happens slowly and over time and will build up without you noticing. Until one day you can’t live with it anymore

Start small to get going

When overwhelmed by clutter, it’s important to make an assessment of where to start. 

A quick and easy win would be to start with a drawer. This is starting small

This will help you psychologically start the process and develop the mindset for further decluttering.

Create a plan and write a list

The next step would be to create a plan as you are already in the decluttering mindset by your small drawer decluttering.

Make a list and write it down. This process of writing a list is important. Don’t store it in your head, it would just overwhelm you again. 

It is also very satisfying when you can strike items of the list as you progress and will spur you on to do more.

Focus on a single room/place

Deal with a single room or a space at one time. This will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by clutter everywhere.

Use the 3 box/bag method of keeping, throwing away, giving away or storing long term. Sometimes this is done best with someone to support you through this process and help you make those tough decisions.

Now you are in the decluttering mindset by the quick win of decluttering the drawer, now’s the time to make a real impact.

Make an real impact 

Start with the room that you live in and use the most. This will have the most impact on your life. Getting this one room completely decluttered, will start to relieve the stress of being overwhelmed by clutter. You will start to see light at the end of the tunnel. 

Set realistic timescales

As clutter has probably built up slowly over time, give yourself proper realistic timescales in sorting it out. This probably cannot happen in a single day. 

If you find it daunting, give yourself regular breaks. Aim for simple minute durations of 10, 20, 30 minutes. The decluttering durations will start to grow as you get your head into the process.

Positivity and reward 

Try to see the decluttering as a positive experience, rather than a chore. Decluttering can be hard, physical work and there’s great satisfaction with achieving something that’s hard. 

Reward yourself with regular breaks with a nice cup of tea or coffee. This reward process allows you to work towards the break and spurs you on. 

Take photos of before and after to see your progress.

Don’t be a perfectionist.

“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”. This should be a mantra going forward. You will probably find that decluttering one room will probably clutter another room. This is perfectly normal.

Getting rid of rubbish or giving away stuff to charity, should be a regular process to help keep the clutter to a minimum around the house.

The decluttered items, now cluttering up another room have already been logged into your mind of what you are going to do with them.

Every great journey starts with a single step

Finally, you have decided to deal with the issue. See this process as a journey to initially deal with the problem.

Going forward, you need to keep the clutter to a minimum. 

You’re not a perfectionist, no one really is when dealing with clutter. 

If you fall down and clutter starts to rear its head, recognise the problem is starting again and deal with it before it becomes a problem. 

A 10 minute declutter is much easier to deal with than a full day or weeks worth of decluttering.

Give it go. If you don’t get there 100% always remember that 80% is always better than 0%.