Decluttering Overwhelm
People everywhere are embracing the minimalist philosophy and mindset. Simplifying your life by getting rid of unnecessary, physical possessions and instead concentrating on the experiences that bring fulfillment is appealing to many. However, the actual process of lessening your load can be daunting, especially if years of stuff have accumulated all in one place. I call this decluttering overwhelm. To help make things more manageable, take a look at some specific ideas for how to handle decluttering overwhelm.
Know Your Why
In the field of multi-level marketing, the phrase, “Know your why,” is used as a motivator to remind associates of the reasons they went into business for themselves in the first place. This same concept is essential for keeping you on task when the decluttering process becomes difficult. Understanding your reasons for wanting to live a minimalist lifestyle is crucial to success.
Set Aside Time
The first step to getting a handle on your feelings about decluttering is to understand that nothing needs to be accomplished overnight. Set aside blocks of time for the project, knowing that your timeline can be extended or lessened as needed. Having a time frame provides structure, but allowing wiggle room takes away the pressure.
Make a Plan
Having a plan is essential to the smooth completion of any goal you hope to accomplish. It only makes sense that mapping out your steps to decluttering would also be beneficial. Remember the brain dump exercise I wrote about in Helping You Get Organized?
Write down things in an order that helps you tackle your clutter. Decide how many rooms or areas you would like to complete each week, the manner in which you want to sell valuable items, and where you will donate the rest. This proactive step can go a long way toward making it all seem more manageable.
Do not forget about bite size steps. If decluttering becomes too overwhelming, you might not finish, or even start, which leads me to the next step.
Visualize Your Ideal Space
The final step before you start decluttering is to spend a few moments in each room and visualize your ideal space. What do you want each room to look like or if that does not work, what do you “not” want each room to look like? Sometimes it is easier to figure out what you do not want in your room. Pick a room, look around, close your eyes, and see if you have a vision. Are there things that stand out one way or the other?
Next, visualize spaces as sparse as you can while still feeling good about your home. It may even help to jot down some drawings and notes. Doing so will help you decide what to keep and what to discard because you will have a better idea of whether a particular item will compliment your vision.
If you have items you want to hang up but are not sure where to put them, try Command Hooks and Over the Door Racks inside closet doors. I use both of these and enjoy being able to find my scarves, purses, and other things at a glance.
It is true that the hardest part is getting started. Now that I’ve given you some concrete ways to manage the overwhelming feeling of decluttering, join our Busy Woman Facebook group and let us help you begin.
See you on the next post…
Speak Your Mind