Did you ever watch Marie Kondo and feel totally inspired to declutter every nook and cranny in your house? Only to get started and feel completely overwhelmed by it all? Are you looking for advice on how to declutter when you are feeling overwhelmed?
I think we can all relate. Decluttering your space can be a very overwhelming experience. Just the thought of how to declutter or where to start can feel like the biggest decision of your life.
Clutter in the home is a big problem in most households. Sometimes it even contributes to feelings of dread, stress, and just feelings of hopelessness.
If you have ever experienced this before, you are in the right place. In this article we will take you through some steps to help ease the task of how to declutter when you are feeling overwhelmed.
JUST GET STARTED
Yes, I get it. This is easier said than done. But once you make that first move, it is difficult to stop.
Just throwing out that one box of magazines you have had hanging around for the past 3 years can lead to the next box, and the next.
Nothing happens overnight, especially not a home devoid of any clutter.
Do not beat yourself up. Just take it one step at a time – or rather one box at a time.
TAKE YOUR TIME
As we mentioned above, the clutter did not arrive overnight, so it sure won’t disappear overnight.
Give yourself permission to tackle your decluttering project one space at a time.
It is easier if you break the space up in smaller spaces to deal with, such as a certain space of a room, or one drawer at a time in the kitchen.
You could start your decluttering process with the stuff you’re storing under the coffee table or that famous junk drawer everyone has!
Each part you complete will be a small victory as you make your way to the end goal – a completely tidy and clutter-free home.
Try a 30-day decluttering challenge if you love the idea of decluttering slowly but have no idea where to begin.
LABELS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND
Many professional home organizers will agree that labeling your boxes is a simple way to clear an area quickly. An example would be to get a few empty boxes or crates and to label them, perhaps in the following way:
- Charity/donation
- Sell
- Trash
- Keep
This way you can take each item and allocate them to their new space and once the box or crate is filled – take it to its “new home.”
Then, repeat the process.
HAVE A PLAN IN MIND
Although you may feel overwhelmed at the sheer sight of your project ahead, you should have some kind of plan in mind before you get started.
Think about the messiest or most cluttered area – and tackle that first. Then work down from there.
Another way to plan is to say that on the first day you will sort through one area and then on day two you will tackle two and so forth till you have worked through every area in your home.
Even if you decide that you’re going to declutter as quickly as possible, like following a Weekend Warrior Decluttering Challenge, you should follow a plan so you don’t get distracted or overwhelmed.
Get the Conquer Your Chaos Bundle to get access to my 30-day Decluttering Challenge and Weekend Warrior Decluttering Workbook.
TAKE A BREAK
If during the process you are still feeling like you cannot cope, take a break. Focus your mind and figure out why you started this project. Even sleep on it and get up the next day and start again.
However you get through it, make sure you do start again. I promise you that once you have conquered the clutter monster, you will feel so much lighter and so much less stress and brain fog.
You may even want to enlist help at some point – but sometimes once the worst is over, the cleaning and organizing can be somewhat therapeutic and you may want to just do it all on your own.
THIS IS NOT A PUNISHMENT
You should not feel forced into decluttering your home. This will make it feel like a punishment, and you will most likely never see the end goal.
You need to make sure you are doing it for yourself and your family and that your peace of mind is all that matters.
Keep it simple and sweet and make your work matter.
MAKE IT FUN
Okay, I know you probably think that sounds crazy. Have fun decluttering? Yes, it is possible. Get some music playing, do a funny dance while you are shoveling stuff out the way or even do a slam dunk or three when you are dumping some trash.
Doing these seemingly silly things could really ease your feeling of being overwhelmed, plus it could really speed up the process without you really even trying.
CONCLUSION
Are you still feeling overwhelmed? I certainly hope that knowing there are ways to declutter your home without it having to be stressful is helping to ease that overwhelmed feeling.
And another way to get through it all is to start with the end goal in mind. If you have a space that you want to change into a nursery, hobby room, office or anything other than what it is – think about how it will look once the clutter is gone.
Are you wanting more packing space in the kitchen – imagine your new pots or set of crockery beautifully displayed in your clean and decluttered cupboards?
Whatever your reason is for embarking on a decluttering journey – make sure you take care of yourself first before you completely throw yourself into the project at hand.
Happy decluttering!