Overwhelmed by Too Much Stuff? Here's What to Do
One of the things I regularly hear from clients is that they are embarrassed about how their clutter has accumulated. Some people stop having guests over because they are ashamed of how their home looks. And time after time, clients will begin their conversation with me by saying they are overwhelmed with too much stuff in their home and don’t know where to start.
So here are two places to get started. Pick one that resonates with you and use it to see your possessions through a new lens.
Stuff
If you are completely overwhelmed by clutter, pick one of these categories to deal with:
Trash. Go through the house with a garbage bag, tossing everything as needed.
Dirty clothes. Get all the dirty clothes off the floor. If you have energy to run a load through the washing machine, go for it.
Dirty dishes. Gather all dishes from throughout the house and put them in the sink or dishwasher.
These all work well for a 10-minute family clean-up time. Put on some music or offer a reward for whoever collects the most dirty clothes!
When you’re feeling more motivated, do some decluttering.
Start small! Try a junk drawer, the bottom of the coat closet, or underneath the kitchen sink.
Have a trash bag, box for donations/yard sale, recycling bin, box for “other room,” with you.
Take everything out of the space and make a decision for each item: keep or go.
When you put the “keep” items back, keep similar things together. Baskets or bins may be helpful.
Space
Think about a room in your house and decide the top 3 uses for that room.
Remove the things that do not fit those uses.
Organize what remains.
You’re thinking that it’s easy for me to say to just take away the things that don’t match, and you’re right! But although it may not be easy, it will make a big difference in that room, allowing you to declutter and organize the things that remain in a way that functions better for your household.
If the things you took away fit into the top 3 uses of a different room, put them in that room. When you have time to organize that space, you will. And if you can’t decide where these things fit, consider if you need to keep them or want to donate them to a community organization. Otherwise, box them up to store in the basement, garage, closet for now.
Finally, a few tips for when you’re looking to maintain clutter-free living:
When considering whether to keep something, ask yourself:
Is this thing important for making me and my family happy, healthy and comfortable?
Everyone in the house should help! It is not just one person’s job to keep things organized. (Unless of course you live on your own. I have never convinced my German Shepherd to help me clean up.)
Consider adding a clean-up routine. Whether it’s 10 minutes every night before going to bed or 30 minutes every Saturday, an easy routine will make a habit of putting things away.
Remember to give yourself grace. It took a while for your stuff to accumulate and it will take a little while for you to get back on top of things. You can do it, but it’s not easy! I really do understand that change is hard. Grace In Cycles is here to help when you need it. We serve clients in Harrisburg, Camp Hill, Hershey, Mechanicsburg, and throughout south central PA. Contact us today for a free phone consultation!