Strategies For Letting Go When Decluttering is Overwhelming
I’m going to go ahead and say it for you: decluttering is NOT an easy process. But, it is a necessary one if you want to lead a calm, collected, clutter-free life. Most people have clutter in their lives--some a little, others a lot. But, did you know that the majority of people with clutter are overwhelmed by it in their life?
Clutter is an energy drain.
Not only that, clutter can drain us of time and energy and in most cases, it has already drained us of money. People in cluttered homes spend vital time daily looking for lost items--shoes, keys, tools, etc. And that wasted time adds up quickly.
But the most obvious toll that clutter can take on a person’s life: stress. Although unseen and often not recognized as stress, clutter in your home can cause undue stress in many ways. From the embarrassment of having guests over in your home to visual reminders of ongoing projects and things in the way of cleaning or cooking.
Say it with me again: Decluttering is NOT an easy process. But, your health and wellness depend on it, and getting organized can lift this weight off of your shoulders.
Do not make the process harder than it has to be.
Decluttering can be a simple process if you break it down into three easy categories: Keep, Donate, or Garbage. When you break it down further into “selling” or “consigning” items it can only complicate what should be an easy process. Selling items should only be considered if the item in question is high value.
As you begin to declutter, there are a few things you can think about to make the process easier. Take the stress out of it by asking yourself these simple questions:
When did you use it last?
Will you use it again in the next six months?
Can you borrow this item from someone else?
Does it take more time and energy to maintain the item than you have time and energy to provide to it?
Remember, it is okay to let things go--even gifts. Your gift-giver, whether it was five years ago or your last birthday, wouldn’t want you to keep an item that you feel overwhelmed by. In fact, Marie Kondo teaches that a gift has already served its purpose--the act of giving and receiving it was the intention of the gift. Past this point, you can choose to keep or give that gift away.
You can have the item or the space, not both.
These wise words from The Home Edit can help you view your decluttering process as a path to more space, less things. Or in other words more calm, less clutter. The more clutter we have in our lives, the more stressful environment it creates. By processing through the items in our space and choosing to let go of items, we are choosing to simplify both our external and internal environments.
Your internal feelings are directly affected by your external environment. By approaching the task of decluttering from this mindset, remind yourself of the burden you are letting go of as you slowly sift and remove items that do not serve you in your space.
Decluttering Strategies
You want to feel in control of your space as you begin to remove clutter from your home. The easiest way of staying focused and not getting overwhelmed is to declutter room by room. Make a list of the spaces in your home and do one per week until you get to a comfort level where you can do more than one in a week.
Remember to start with spaces that provide less of an emotional attachment than others: focus on the utility room, garage, or pantry before going through old files, a child’s playroom, or your wardrobe.
As you go room to room, remember to keep the process simple by giving yourself 3 options only: Keep, Donate, or Garbage. By going through your space and decluttering, you can set yourself up for an organized lifestyle that promotes beauty, positivity, and calm.
