All of Your Excuses Not to Declutter: Debunked

Clutter. It happens to all of us. After years of living a life full of experiences, memories and relationships you’re bound to accumulate a certain amount of stuff.

Seasonal clothes, household décor, children’s art projects – you name it, your house probably has a little too much of it.

All of this stuff clouds our space and our minds as well.

What’s one of the best things you can do for yourself and your psyche? Let. It. GO.

Decluttering is way easier said than done for many of us, so what are the reasons holding us back? It varies. Hopefully, after some digging and getting to the root of the problem, we can overcome them and actually give that stuff away. Not all of it of course… but some of it. 😉

Emotions

One of the biggest reasons we all can’t let go of stuff? We’re attached! Physical belongings hold a ton of meaning for us – but how can you tell what’s truly worth keeping and what can be thrown away?

Certainly there are things that hold a lot of meaning, and nobody is saying you have to part with those things in order to achieve a minimalist lifestyle. But, most things do not fall into this category.

If holding on to everything is a source of emotional comfort, consider what you’re holding on to psychologically that is actually causing more stress than comfort. Turns out, there are some pretty strong psychological effects of clutter, and your brain will thank you even more if your space is clean and minimalist.

Too Busy

A lot of the procrastination of decluttering comes from being too busy – and the whole process feeling like way too much of a hassle for it to be worth it.

If this is you, consider taking it piece by piece. There’s no reason to do it all at once! Chip away at it little by little – maybe a drawer or countertop every Sunday morning. After a few weeks and months, your surroundings will start to feel quite different.

Additionally, if that’s not enough impetus, think about how much time your cluttered space actually wastes daily. If you constantly find yourself digging through crowded drawers and tripping over piles of shoes in the closet trying to find the pair you actually want amongst all of the ones you never wear anymore, it might be time to give a few things away.

Too Overwhelming

This one ties to the one above – but like any big challenge, take it one step at a time. No one is asking you to quit your job and become a full-time organizer until your house is spotless. If you notice something you never use anymore on the kitchen counter – just get rid of it right there and then. Make it a daily habit to have your eyes peeled for things you can release.

Or, schedule it in! Maybe every Saturday afternoon, Tuesday evening or Sunday morning you set aside 30 minutes to declutter. Trust us, once you get going – it’ll start to feel good and you won’t be able to stop!

Family Heirlooms

Last but certainly not least, the other super common resistance to decluttering comes from family heirlooms. We inherit so much from our family members – sometimes it’s emotional baggage, and other times it’s literal stuff.

Again, decluttering does not mean throwing everything away that means something to you or your family. Quite the contrary! This is the stuff you keep. It’s the stuff that makes you happy and is filled with memories.

Once you throw away a bunch of other stuff you’ll be able to spend more time appreciating it, and that’s a beautiful thing.

So how can you get started today? Look around and identify key rooms that need the attention. Schedule a time, and just start. Make it a goal to throw away a certain amount in a certain amount of time – and see where that gets you.