14 Ways to Reduce the Stress of Decluttering

 

Decluttering can be a lonely business. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and to bum yourself out. Don’t do that! Here are ideas to help you wrap your mind around this thing called decluttering. It’s good to really think clearly about what you’re up against and know that sinking feelings are sometimes a part of the process – so you can ignore them and keep going. Having a game plan, some help, and a good attitude are your secret weapons to success.

 

Before you start to declutter, think through this list—some will be more important for to do than others.

 

1. Determine how long you want to work on this decluttering project. You can plan your approach around how much time you’re planning to devote. If it’s a day-long affair, have a simple lunch prepared ahead so you won’t be distracted by finding food. Make it a light meal or you’ll want to nap in the afternoon.

2. If you’re planning a big decluttering project, accept that you’re going to get down on your hands and knees. Wear your “play” clothes.

3. If you need inspiration, read something about decluttering—but don’t read longer than 20-30 minutes. Inspiration can turn into distraction and delay.

4. Think about why you want to declutter the space you’re focusing on? What’s in it for you? How will it make your life easier, more pleasant, more appealing? Are you creating a sanctuary, simplifying your life, organizing for wellness, or getting on top of life? Have a vision for the space—beautiful, simple, open, friendly, fun, quirky, organized, etc. This vision will pull you forward. Use just one or two words to describe your vision. My words are beautiful and efficient. If an item isn’t beautiful AND efficient to use, then it’s easier for me to let it go and move it out of my house.

5. Accept that when you move things away from the walls and take them out of the cupboard or closet, there is going to be a lot of dirt that will gross you out. You might be tempted to criticize yourself for being a slob. Don’t do that. Why add pain to this task? No need, so don’t do it.

6. Think about whether you’d like to dejunk with an in-person or virtual buddy. I highly recommend getting help – why do it alone? A virtual buddy (phone buddy) can connect with you periodically throughout the day by cheering you on or listening to your progress report. You can provide the same support for your buddy.

7. Decide ahead of time how much stuff you’d like to eliminate (what percentage). Or if you prefer, determine how much stuff you’d like to have left. Or how much room you’d like to have between each outfit in the closet or between your objects in your cabinets. In other words how much open space would you like to have? Or how many cabinets would you like to pare your stuff down to? Are you wanting to open up some space in your filing system and go from 4 full drawers to 2 drawers?

8. Determine where you will unload the excess that you’re letting go of: Goodwill or Salvation Army, a consignment shop, a friend, a church sale or garage sale, the dump (if it really is trash) or recycling. Check out www.freecycle.org for a freecycling group in your town. You can give your stuff away free to somebody else who needs and wants it. And, they will come pick it up!

9. If you’re decluttering a large space (e.g., basement, garage, bedroom), have four baskets, tubs or boxes labeled: relocate, trash, sell, give away. Sorting things in these boxes will help keep your process organized and keep you from getting distracted if you stop to take stuff to another room.

10. Don’t scare yourself, criticize yourself, or get frustrated. Accept what is. You’re decluttering and it’s a messy task. You can make it unpleasant if you have to, but I suggest you don’t. Why not make it fun and satisfying? Again, it’s your choice.

11. Accept that it might get chaotic—everything everywhere. No order. A big mess. Have an organized friend help you make sense out of the chaos or ask for moral support. Having a game plan helps. See #12.

12. Have at least a vague plan about how you want to manage the decluttering task. What tools if any will you need? What process will you follow? I like to use this strategy: first, take everything off the shelves. Clean the shelves and dust or wipe objects taken off the shelf. Stare at the empty space for a while and enjoy the emptiness. Take a little break – maybe eat lunch. Come back to the empty space and admire it again. In the meantime your subconscious will have had a chance to think about how to use this “new” open/empty space. Don’t just put things back where they were. Ask “How can I make this space more useful and attractive?”

13. Finish the task before your scheduled time runs out. An unfinished project is depressing. It might make you feel as if you have failed. Whatever it takes, finish it. If it’s too large to finish in one session, break the project down into sections and finish the section you were working on. This is not only important. It’s critical. Plus it sends the message that you’re serious about decluttering. That’s an important message to send and get.

 

14. When you’re finished, stand back and truly enjoy what you have accomplished. No criticism allowed. Not even, “why didn’t I do this before?” Well, before you didn’t do it, so why bring yourself down with even that seemingly small criticism?

 

 

Use these tips to help reduce the stress of decluttering so you’ll be more likely to declutter regularly. Take a deep breath and get started.

 

 

 

Books I Love

 

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui - Karen Kingston

This book will inspire you to get rid of your excess clutter ... because it promises improvements in your life when you do.  Very motivating. A friend of mind read it cover to cover while sitting on my deck. It’s a quick read – fascinating.

 

Here’s the amazon.com review: There is very little of actual Feng Shui here, and certainly nothing you can't get elsewhere, but the clutter problem gets full and complete treatment. Kingston reminds us that clutter is stuck energy that keeps you stuck in undesirable life patterns. Therefore, you can "sort out your life by sorting out your junk." Kingston covers the reasons we keep things as well as the amazing stories of people who have cleared their clutter away.

 

More than just junk, clutter is all those things that have negative symbology and that collect stagnant energy. This latter can also apply to bodily, emotional, and spiritual clutter, all of which Kingston describes with characteristic passion. In an age of accumulation, it's good to see a book that frees up life again.

 

 

 

 

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