Welcome to decluttering activists. I've been decluttering during years, like a hobby. That is because I tend to keep things, collect them, or store them while they are waiting to be used in a future project. I think this habit comes from my family, so I have many examples not to imitate. My house is big and can store hundreds of things.
Now I am a minimalist, so my mind tends to declutter spaces. It's as easy as tidying up your room when you haven't been doing it for some days.
**Why? How?**
I developed some new values and rules that make easy to take decisions. Maybe you also want to create a decision-system: Values like abundance feeling without having a lot of things, to being sure you are doing the correct things. Courage to say goodbye to things you loved or you were attached (many times without hard feelings). I also reduced/prioritised my future projects or hobbies. You don't need so many stuff to be happy.
Rules: Don't store physical memories, but digitalize them (take pictures). Don't have more than one tool for the same purpose (spare parts are ok). Always group your stuff, this will clear your mind and your room. Then pass more demanding filters, sometimes in the same day and sometimes months later, when you feel ready and encouraged.
Enjoy the process and create habits of decluttering. They will help you to be free. Good luck!!
Yes it does. And your tolerance for clutter decreases which gives you more motivation. I always do multiple passes of areas that need decluttering. Just go until you feel you have achieved something, then take a break and come back later. I mean like days or weeks later. It is a long process imo, because it is so emotionally/mentally/physically draining.
I think it does improve with time. You learn some technique, optimize the process, as well as you feel less emotionally drained to choose what to keep what to throw away. So I say it's normal it takes time and energy in the beginning. It still gonna take some energy/time even after a few years, but definitely the process is easier. I decluttered my closet this year and it was a matter of a few hours compared to 4 years ago when it took me the whole day or more.
Yes decluttering becomes easier the more often you practice it and make it a habit. Bask in the glory of your work every time you’re done. Show it off. Treat yourself to something you love. Eventually your brain will create an association between the stimulating pleasure of serotonin and decluttering. Making each decluttering session easier and easier.
for me it's less that it becomes easier or faster w/ time and more because there's less of it to do in the first place because i've gotten better over time at accumulating less clutter in the first place.
I suggest this in complete (lighthearted) seriousness as a guy who modeled the cluttering of my family--including unwittingly taking their hand-me-downs--and then, rolling depression into the mix, got into a vicious cycle. Since I learned about mindfulness and meditation, I actually ruminate less about my decluttering progress while still finding I get it done. There's no longer a constant critic in my head. And without attachment to the outcome I actually complete tasks more easily, so I trust myself more and more--a GOOD cycle.
I’ve found that decluttering gets less stressful the more I do it. Over time, i’ve learned that I rarely regret getting rid of anything, so the thought of decluttering doesn’t scare me. I used to go into full-on panic mode whenever I tried to declutter my closet, and now i’m on my way to being more mindful with what I own! Marie Kondo’s book has helped me quite a bit, as well.
Totally. I did the Marie Kondo method (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) and she kind of addresses this. She recommends going by category, and starting with easy category (she recommends clothes, then books, etc) but basically you just choose whichever category has the least amount of sentimental value for you. You kind of strengthen your judgment of what should stay and what should go by getting rid of the easy stuff first. I found this really helped me get some momentum going since I wasn't overwhelming myself with the hard stuff right off the bat.
Good luck!
Yes 100%. But you have to take the first step. I noticed after the big items I got rid of like TV, PS4, golf clubs, the little things were easier started getting easier too. Just take the first step to decluttering the one thing you have had your mind on, then it shouldn't be hard after that.
It doesn't matter—just keep doing it. Your sanity needs it. You will need to do it again later anyway, no matter how well you do the first time around.
With time and practice, you will learn not to buy things that you will declutter later. It's a great feeling when you can do this at the time of purchase, or even when you're about to add something to your shopping cart.
Keep at it. It gets better.
Yes definitelly. I suggest take one area at a time, example do only bathroom one day or multiple days and finish it. Move on to the next. You dont have to be done in a week, it can take several months.
Once you do the first big declutter, maintenance really takes zero time after that. And each time you do it will be far easier than the previous.
First day is the hardest, but its so worth it!
It gets a lot easier with practice. I think Marie kondos book really outlines the process for teaching people how to declutter.
I do really suggest Marie kondos method of not decluttering areas but types of items. One day declutter all your pants, another work on pens, ect.
I've completed my first Kondo sweep, now I just pull out items that I accidentally collect by accident (or missed the first time).
You could try the Pomodoro Technique. Part of the idea is that breaks are required, so it helps you to maintain the energy needed to accomplish the longer term goal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
>There are six steps in the original technique:
>Decide on the task to be done.
>Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).[2]
>Work on the task.
>End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of
paper.[6]
>If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5
minutes), then go to step 2.
>After four pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.
But in general, yes, like anything else, it gets easier the more you practice. And it's a lot easier to clean and straighten up a decluttered space than a cluttered one.
Read the life changing magic of tidying up. Cleaning up clutter should be easy daily. Whereas “tidying up” is a 6 month process that you do maybe once in your life. It talks about your mind set and relationship with the things you own. The concept of going through everything and asking if it sparks joy, throwing it away if it doesn’t. And tidying, putting it where it goes if it does.
I've been on a decluttering journey for six years or so. It did get easier for me with time and practice. Like others have said, some things are harder to declutter than others. Paper and sentimental things are hard or time consuming. I'm getting close to a click point where my home is pretty manageable.
It gets easier and once you have some real successes you will want to make the whole place look like the more or less perfect one.
Perfection is the enemy. It doesn't matter if you keep some paper that isn't important. Really. You'll have to go through paper again anyway, maybe next time you'll discard it. Make decisions quickly. It's trash/donate/recycle or it isn't.
Yes. It is a muscle memory, the more you do it, the easier it is, and some projects that you have to work yourself up to become easy once you finally get there. Keep pushing, you can do it! And it is so worth it!
It all takes time. I've been working at it for the last few years progressively donating and removing more items from my home. I'm looking to move within the next year so I'm getting rid of even more now. Start with the easy items such as trash and expired or obsolete items and snowball into keepsakes down the line!
Definitely can take a few rounds, I usually have about 2 hours of decluttering/ organizing in me at a time. Currently going through everything bc I'm moving, then I want to maintain more minimalistic lifestyle from there.
I'm looking to move soon as well. What items do you find yourself getting rid of or not needing most? I don't have a lot of expensive furniture worth moving across the country, so I've been listing it in the free section of craigslist and putting it at the curb.
Mostly clothes tbh, that's where I keep to much thinking I will wear it but I don't!!! Art/crafting supplies as well. I was able to minimize in most other areas.
So lucky! Clothes are easy to go through mostly (I admit I've kept some I should have gotten rid of), art stuff is already sorted as I use it all the time. Its the dvds, books, lego, games and power ranger toys that are the issue. I've gotten rid of most of my dvd and game cases so they mostly all fit into a couple of boxes. They're not an issue now. Books I've been hunting down digital editions and getting rid of the physical copies which has helped a ton, but some I'm attached to or there is no digital version.
The lego and the ranger stuff I think is the biggest issue. Even after going through it all there is still too much, plus I have to sell it. There isn't enough time to sell it between now and my move so I'm screwed. I hope I can fit in my new place.
A piece of advice that I learned: if you dont want to spend hours picking up, DONT PUT THE OBJECT DOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE UNLESS ITS WHERE IT BELONGS. Whether thats the garbage, in a drawer, shelf, etc. do it when you have it in your hand.
Once I started doing that, my declutter time went from a whole day to 20 minutes TOPS every weekend or two. Even when you cant do it with every item, if you do it often enough, it cuts the time down dramatically.
Yes! One reason is because you eventually have less stuff. Second is that you will soon get used to buying less, or bringing less into the home. The one in one out rile is good for this. And third, look up decluttering tips, watch kon Mari, YouTube tips ... Don't rely on just your own unskilled brain to know all the skills. If you're jumping into decluttering and struggling, seek a teacher. There are many methods and ways to organize yourself and your home. Find the one that works best for you. Trial and error until you find something that works.
Lastly, if something works for a bit and then doesn't, you're not broken. That's normal. Switch it up and remember you can always try that old method again in a few months when you need to switch it up again. Keep your brain interested and it overly bored.
You'll get there, keep at it. A little bit every day even. Just 15 if that is all. It helps. Good luck :)
I second the person who says to allot more time to sentimental stuff. I’m a mom whose mom passed in late 2017 and am still processing (in every sense) her material belongings. She kept EVERYTHING and I feel such a weight on me to do right by it. She kept her father’s high school diploma from early 1900s—who am I to trash it? You get the point. PLUS I have my children’s artwork and stuff from their elementary years I need to pare down. My job is in museum/archives and it’s hard to throw away! :(
Well definitely keeping the diploma it's a family history thing. I have my grandmother's diplomas and my grand's citizenship papers. Those I would never get rid of. I know how you feel about getting rid parental stuff. My mother passed many years ago and I basically stored most things & barely dealt with anything. A few years ago the chickens came home to roost when I decide to finally get rid of my storage space and found many, many things I thought were gone that I still had. I'm still dealing with that clearing out. This year I'm determined to make a big push on it all. What I thought was important, isn't. What I thought I'd use, I haven't. But it was my mom's and THAT is the hard part.
Don’t feel like there’s something wrong with you that you can’t settle in for a long session. Decision fatigue is a real thing,and decluttering is all decision-making.
Also remember this from physical exercise such as fencing, piano playing, etc. it is better to do several short sessions than one long session because your technique will flag as your muscles tire, and you will learn bad habits.
I think you’ll build a decluttering mindset better by doing frequent, shorter sessions.
If you CAN get on a roll for a big session, go for it!
But don’t think that shorter sessions is bad.
ALSO: why have you avoided it? Because when you do it, it’s hard and you don’t feel like you accomplished anything.
Define your goals smaller, and build a sense of accomplishment by talking to yourself about what you DID accomplish and not what is still left to do.
Our homes didn’t get cluttered in a single day or even week. They won’t get streamlined in a day or even week.
This isn't really what you asked for, so ignore if it's not relevant to you, but I've noticed that when someone is having to spend ages decluttering something, it's often because they have a trash problem. Specifically, they are decluttering AROUND trash and/or they aren't willing to admit how much of the clutter IS trash. So my advice is, when starting a decluttering session, always have a big industrial trash bag at your side, and begin the session by filling it with all obvious trash. Get a second one for donations, but don't lie to yourself. If an object is broken, stained, or just generally undesirable, it's trash. Be ruthless. Don't spend a lot of time trying to think of ways to re-use items you no longer want in your life.
This. Taking out trash, recycling and obvious donations is the *easiest* thing to do. Start there and the sorting/putting away/hard decisions will be a little easier.
Personally once I start seeing results decluttering becomes somewhat addicting. I love to declutter/konmari (my preferred declutter method) with a tv show on and really take my time with the process. Plus I almost always have a donation box going so I can declutter passively
When you have less stuff, its way easier. I stopped buying so much, so it was easier. The things I kept before lost their mental hold on me, so it was easier to get rid of them. Stuff is already sorted into categories, so it's easier.
It's less of the practice, more of the lifestyle.
This is an important point! If you keep acquiring new things (purchases, hand-me-downs, freebies, etc.), eventually you'll run out of space. You'll need to keep decluttering over and over.
But if you become very careful about what you allow into your house, then you won't need to declutter nearly as many items, or as often. Instead of needing to declutter and reorganize an overflowing bathroom cabinet, you'll just need to pass on one bottle of unwanted gift lotion to someone else, and throw away an expired makeup product or two.
It takes way, way longer than you think it should. I wait till the mood strikes ( like bin night or quarterly verge pickup) and hit it then . Best tip, don't bring in anymore stuff 😀
Glad to know it may not be just me being super slow and methodical (which I am), but that it might just take longer than planned, I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait until the mood strikes, but I am trying to limit unnecessary purchases.
Another tip is don't buy "storage solutions" like tubs or shelving. I did that and my "stuff" was organised but after a cull I got rid of two bookshelves and 3 plastic tubs.
For me it depends on the mental energy needed for the task. For example, decluttering my pantry or clothing was fairly straightforward and I was able to do it in one go, whereas decluttering keepsakes, work papers and digital files takes A LOT longer and several sessions to get the same results.
But ultimately yes, as you practice you will get better at making choices. Just make sure you stop when you feel decision fatigue or plan decluttering when you have the energy to spare.
Yep. Mental energy becomes a very tangible thing when you're working through emotionally charged objects. Papers aren't so much emotionally charged but there's certainly some decision-making on value and consequences of disposing of it.
Thanks. I have noticed that the area had a lot of papers, so it seemed to go slowly but each piece was a decision so it took a long time. I think today I’ll set a timer to plan breaks.
My paper trick is to have a rule i have to handle 10 pieces each day no matter what. Then if there's something that I'm watching on TV, I sit down and do a few.
When baseball comes back I will watch with a basket of papers or laundry and handle it during commercials. (This is why my papers and laundry are behind. No sporrs has messed me up!)
>Papers ALWAYS take the longest. For myself I would just put any papers id find into one stack, when they day came I had the energy I devoted it all to it being just a paper sorting day & nothing else.
That‘s something I’ll have to consider. My problem is I never seem to to go through them in the future. But maybe I can do easy papers, and leave more time consuming decision papers for later just to get a boost of finishing an area.
>I'm happy to say all of my 'keep' papers as well as quite a bit extra(notepads, folders, manila envelope of pics, accordion file keeper) ALL fit in 1 milk crate right now! I've gone thru it again & again of the course of several months just to shave away any access that stopped meaning anything to me. It takes time but the more passes you do at it the easier, & smaller, it gets :)
That is really the way to go! Stack up papers and then you can take an evening while watching t.v., or not, and sort through them. Shred, tear or keep. Any you decide to keep, get a nice folder from the discount store and stash them there. They'll be tidy & contained. At a later date you can go through the folder and sort again.
Dividing a big job into manageable chunks, going through an area in layers, and staying aware of how much time and motivation I have remaining is what helped me.
yes, of course. but it takes 1-2 year of practice until your methodology set. for instance, i do a short run of decluttering in every 3 months. this way it is not overwhelming and you can gather ideas or try out things.
you know the cheesy wisdom: practice makes perfect. also, try not to be stressed or obsessed with decluttering, should be fun and should feel satisfaction if you've gotten rid of unused items (selling or donation alos an option).
OP you can also 'divide' the room into quadrants and just deal with that section. If you feel more energy to go forward, then pick another quadrant and work on that. It won't seem so overwhelming that way.
It depends what you are decluttering, some things are easy, some are more problematic. I found it wasn’t something I could do in one go. I would declutter clothes, then go back maybe months or even years later and go through them again and then maybe again. It’s more like a journey. Each time I got better at letting things go. Rooms looking clearer and my cupboards finally having more space made it easier and encouraged me further.
Thanks. I am finding things I knew I felt might have been necessary to keep when I first got them (like papers), but it’s been so long I realize they’re no longer important. I’m hopeful a nice looking area will be motivation to continue.
It gets easier, at least for me. I’ve been hauling around this damn bowling pin from my first birthday party for 25 years. It was signed by all of my 1st grade friends, most of whom I don’t speak to anymore (I couldn’t even remember the faces of half of the signatures). After about 3 tries at decluttering my childhood things, I finally tossed it. Haven’t thought about it since until this post. I still have the memory of the party and I’m sure I’ll find pictures of it somewhere some day but it’s nice to get the burden off your shoulders. You’ll realize this as you declutter in waves. First time through, I got rid of pure junk. Then I got rid of things that I thought several years ago might be of use some day, but I really hadn’t even touched them. And then you’ll start getting rid of things you thought had sentimental value, but really they are just dead weight you never pay attention to, and never will.
Amen. I have a vast pattern collection - cross stitch, knit, crochet, tatting, needlepoint, sewing, you name it. I went through it and gave about half away (OMG it's been 20 years ago now). I'm doing it again along with several other declutter tasks and getting rid of maybe 75% of what I have, scanning the rest. I have to remind myself that I have maybe 25 years left on earth at the very most. How many of these patterns am I ever going to make? It takes me months to complete a sweater and I don't wear them - I just do it to keep my hands busy. My kids don't really wear hand knits and fit is a big problem with wearable art. I've still got a cross stitch project I pull out from time to time that's been going on for 20 years. l'm not starting anymore large cross-stitch projects ever most likely.
Welcome to decluttering activists. I've been decluttering during years, like a hobby. That is because I tend to keep things, collect them, or store them while they are waiting to be used in a future project. I think this habit comes from my family, so I have many examples not to imitate. My house is big and can store hundreds of things. Now I am a minimalist, so my mind tends to declutter spaces. It's as easy as tidying up your room when you haven't been doing it for some days. **Why? How?** I developed some new values and rules that make easy to take decisions. Maybe you also want to create a decision-system: Values like abundance feeling without having a lot of things, to being sure you are doing the correct things. Courage to say goodbye to things you loved or you were attached (many times without hard feelings). I also reduced/prioritised my future projects or hobbies. You don't need so many stuff to be happy. Rules: Don't store physical memories, but digitalize them (take pictures). Don't have more than one tool for the same purpose (spare parts are ok). Always group your stuff, this will clear your mind and your room. Then pass more demanding filters, sometimes in the same day and sometimes months later, when you feel ready and encouraged. Enjoy the process and create habits of decluttering. They will help you to be free. Good luck!!
Yes it does. And your tolerance for clutter decreases which gives you more motivation. I always do multiple passes of areas that need decluttering. Just go until you feel you have achieved something, then take a break and come back later. I mean like days or weeks later. It is a long process imo, because it is so emotionally/mentally/physically draining.
For me, it gets easier when deciding which items to let go and how to organize.
I think it does improve with time. You learn some technique, optimize the process, as well as you feel less emotionally drained to choose what to keep what to throw away. So I say it's normal it takes time and energy in the beginning. It still gonna take some energy/time even after a few years, but definitely the process is easier. I decluttered my closet this year and it was a matter of a few hours compared to 4 years ago when it took me the whole day or more.
Yes decluttering becomes easier the more often you practice it and make it a habit. Bask in the glory of your work every time you’re done. Show it off. Treat yourself to something you love. Eventually your brain will create an association between the stimulating pleasure of serotonin and decluttering. Making each decluttering session easier and easier.
for me it's less that it becomes easier or faster w/ time and more because there's less of it to do in the first place because i've gotten better over time at accumulating less clutter in the first place.
I suggest this in complete (lighthearted) seriousness as a guy who modeled the cluttering of my family--including unwittingly taking their hand-me-downs--and then, rolling depression into the mix, got into a vicious cycle. Since I learned about mindfulness and meditation, I actually ruminate less about my decluttering progress while still finding I get it done. There's no longer a constant critic in my head. And without attachment to the outcome I actually complete tasks more easily, so I trust myself more and more--a GOOD cycle.
I’ve found that decluttering gets less stressful the more I do it. Over time, i’ve learned that I rarely regret getting rid of anything, so the thought of decluttering doesn’t scare me. I used to go into full-on panic mode whenever I tried to declutter my closet, and now i’m on my way to being more mindful with what I own! Marie Kondo’s book has helped me quite a bit, as well.
Totally. I did the Marie Kondo method (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) and she kind of addresses this. She recommends going by category, and starting with easy category (she recommends clothes, then books, etc) but basically you just choose whichever category has the least amount of sentimental value for you. You kind of strengthen your judgment of what should stay and what should go by getting rid of the easy stuff first. I found this really helped me get some momentum going since I wasn't overwhelming myself with the hard stuff right off the bat. Good luck!
Yes.
Yes 100%. But you have to take the first step. I noticed after the big items I got rid of like TV, PS4, golf clubs, the little things were easier started getting easier too. Just take the first step to decluttering the one thing you have had your mind on, then it shouldn't be hard after that.
It doesn't matter—just keep doing it. Your sanity needs it. You will need to do it again later anyway, no matter how well you do the first time around. With time and practice, you will learn not to buy things that you will declutter later. It's a great feeling when you can do this at the time of purchase, or even when you're about to add something to your shopping cart. Keep at it. It gets better.
Yes definitelly. I suggest take one area at a time, example do only bathroom one day or multiple days and finish it. Move on to the next. You dont have to be done in a week, it can take several months. Once you do the first big declutter, maintenance really takes zero time after that. And each time you do it will be far easier than the previous. First day is the hardest, but its so worth it!
It gets a lot easier with practice. I think Marie kondos book really outlines the process for teaching people how to declutter. I do really suggest Marie kondos method of not decluttering areas but types of items. One day declutter all your pants, another work on pens, ect. I've completed my first Kondo sweep, now I just pull out items that I accidentally collect by accident (or missed the first time).
You could try the Pomodoro Technique. Part of the idea is that breaks are required, so it helps you to maintain the energy needed to accomplish the longer term goal. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique >There are six steps in the original technique: >Decide on the task to be done. >Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).[2] >Work on the task. >End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.[6] >If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes), then go to step 2. >After four pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1. But in general, yes, like anything else, it gets easier the more you practice. And it's a lot easier to clean and straighten up a decluttered space than a cluttered one.
You don't have to finish it all at once. For me, decluttering is a process. I sometimes just do one table, or one corner. It's a journey, not a race.
Read the life changing magic of tidying up. Cleaning up clutter should be easy daily. Whereas “tidying up” is a 6 month process that you do maybe once in your life. It talks about your mind set and relationship with the things you own. The concept of going through everything and asking if it sparks joy, throwing it away if it doesn’t. And tidying, putting it where it goes if it does.
I've been on a decluttering journey for six years or so. It did get easier for me with time and practice. Like others have said, some things are harder to declutter than others. Paper and sentimental things are hard or time consuming. I'm getting close to a click point where my home is pretty manageable.
It gets easier and once you have some real successes you will want to make the whole place look like the more or less perfect one. Perfection is the enemy. It doesn't matter if you keep some paper that isn't important. Really. You'll have to go through paper again anyway, maybe next time you'll discard it. Make decisions quickly. It's trash/donate/recycle or it isn't.
Yes. It is a muscle memory, the more you do it, the easier it is, and some projects that you have to work yourself up to become easy once you finally get there. Keep pushing, you can do it! And it is so worth it!
It all takes time. I've been working at it for the last few years progressively donating and removing more items from my home. I'm looking to move within the next year so I'm getting rid of even more now. Start with the easy items such as trash and expired or obsolete items and snowball into keepsakes down the line!
Yes
Definitely can take a few rounds, I usually have about 2 hours of decluttering/ organizing in me at a time. Currently going through everything bc I'm moving, then I want to maintain more minimalistic lifestyle from there.
I'm looking to move soon as well. What items do you find yourself getting rid of or not needing most? I don't have a lot of expensive furniture worth moving across the country, so I've been listing it in the free section of craigslist and putting it at the curb.
Mostly clothes tbh, that's where I keep to much thinking I will wear it but I don't!!! Art/crafting supplies as well. I was able to minimize in most other areas.
So lucky! Clothes are easy to go through mostly (I admit I've kept some I should have gotten rid of), art stuff is already sorted as I use it all the time. Its the dvds, books, lego, games and power ranger toys that are the issue. I've gotten rid of most of my dvd and game cases so they mostly all fit into a couple of boxes. They're not an issue now. Books I've been hunting down digital editions and getting rid of the physical copies which has helped a ton, but some I'm attached to or there is no digital version. The lego and the ranger stuff I think is the biggest issue. Even after going through it all there is still too much, plus I have to sell it. There isn't enough time to sell it between now and my move so I'm screwed. I hope I can fit in my new place.
A piece of advice that I learned: if you dont want to spend hours picking up, DONT PUT THE OBJECT DOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE UNLESS ITS WHERE IT BELONGS. Whether thats the garbage, in a drawer, shelf, etc. do it when you have it in your hand. Once I started doing that, my declutter time went from a whole day to 20 minutes TOPS every weekend or two. Even when you cant do it with every item, if you do it often enough, it cuts the time down dramatically.
Yes! One reason is because you eventually have less stuff. Second is that you will soon get used to buying less, or bringing less into the home. The one in one out rile is good for this. And third, look up decluttering tips, watch kon Mari, YouTube tips ... Don't rely on just your own unskilled brain to know all the skills. If you're jumping into decluttering and struggling, seek a teacher. There are many methods and ways to organize yourself and your home. Find the one that works best for you. Trial and error until you find something that works. Lastly, if something works for a bit and then doesn't, you're not broken. That's normal. Switch it up and remember you can always try that old method again in a few months when you need to switch it up again. Keep your brain interested and it overly bored. You'll get there, keep at it. A little bit every day even. Just 15 if that is all. It helps. Good luck :)
I second the person who says to allot more time to sentimental stuff. I’m a mom whose mom passed in late 2017 and am still processing (in every sense) her material belongings. She kept EVERYTHING and I feel such a weight on me to do right by it. She kept her father’s high school diploma from early 1900s—who am I to trash it? You get the point. PLUS I have my children’s artwork and stuff from their elementary years I need to pare down. My job is in museum/archives and it’s hard to throw away! :(
Well definitely keeping the diploma it's a family history thing. I have my grandmother's diplomas and my grand's citizenship papers. Those I would never get rid of. I know how you feel about getting rid parental stuff. My mother passed many years ago and I basically stored most things & barely dealt with anything. A few years ago the chickens came home to roost when I decide to finally get rid of my storage space and found many, many things I thought were gone that I still had. I'm still dealing with that clearing out. This year I'm determined to make a big push on it all. What I thought was important, isn't. What I thought I'd use, I haven't. But it was my mom's and THAT is the hard part.
Don’t feel like there’s something wrong with you that you can’t settle in for a long session. Decision fatigue is a real thing,and decluttering is all decision-making. Also remember this from physical exercise such as fencing, piano playing, etc. it is better to do several short sessions than one long session because your technique will flag as your muscles tire, and you will learn bad habits. I think you’ll build a decluttering mindset better by doing frequent, shorter sessions. If you CAN get on a roll for a big session, go for it! But don’t think that shorter sessions is bad. ALSO: why have you avoided it? Because when you do it, it’s hard and you don’t feel like you accomplished anything. Define your goals smaller, and build a sense of accomplishment by talking to yourself about what you DID accomplish and not what is still left to do. Our homes didn’t get cluttered in a single day or even week. They won’t get streamlined in a day or even week.
This isn't really what you asked for, so ignore if it's not relevant to you, but I've noticed that when someone is having to spend ages decluttering something, it's often because they have a trash problem. Specifically, they are decluttering AROUND trash and/or they aren't willing to admit how much of the clutter IS trash. So my advice is, when starting a decluttering session, always have a big industrial trash bag at your side, and begin the session by filling it with all obvious trash. Get a second one for donations, but don't lie to yourself. If an object is broken, stained, or just generally undesirable, it's trash. Be ruthless. Don't spend a lot of time trying to think of ways to re-use items you no longer want in your life.
> Be ruthless. Best advice for serious decluttering!
This. Taking out trash, recycling and obvious donations is the *easiest* thing to do. Start there and the sorting/putting away/hard decisions will be a little easier.
Personally once I start seeing results decluttering becomes somewhat addicting. I love to declutter/konmari (my preferred declutter method) with a tv show on and really take my time with the process. Plus I almost always have a donation box going so I can declutter passively
The positive feedback loop is real!
When you have less stuff, its way easier. I stopped buying so much, so it was easier. The things I kept before lost their mental hold on me, so it was easier to get rid of them. Stuff is already sorted into categories, so it's easier. It's less of the practice, more of the lifestyle.
This is an important point! If you keep acquiring new things (purchases, hand-me-downs, freebies, etc.), eventually you'll run out of space. You'll need to keep decluttering over and over. But if you become very careful about what you allow into your house, then you won't need to declutter nearly as many items, or as often. Instead of needing to declutter and reorganize an overflowing bathroom cabinet, you'll just need to pass on one bottle of unwanted gift lotion to someone else, and throw away an expired makeup product or two.
It takes way, way longer than you think it should. I wait till the mood strikes ( like bin night or quarterly verge pickup) and hit it then . Best tip, don't bring in anymore stuff 😀
Glad to know it may not be just me being super slow and methodical (which I am), but that it might just take longer than planned, I don’t know if I’ll be able to wait until the mood strikes, but I am trying to limit unnecessary purchases.
Another tip is don't buy "storage solutions" like tubs or shelving. I did that and my "stuff" was organised but after a cull I got rid of two bookshelves and 3 plastic tubs.
For me it depends on the mental energy needed for the task. For example, decluttering my pantry or clothing was fairly straightforward and I was able to do it in one go, whereas decluttering keepsakes, work papers and digital files takes A LOT longer and several sessions to get the same results. But ultimately yes, as you practice you will get better at making choices. Just make sure you stop when you feel decision fatigue or plan decluttering when you have the energy to spare.
Yep. Mental energy becomes a very tangible thing when you're working through emotionally charged objects. Papers aren't so much emotionally charged but there's certainly some decision-making on value and consequences of disposing of it.
Thanks. I have noticed that the area had a lot of papers, so it seemed to go slowly but each piece was a decision so it took a long time. I think today I’ll set a timer to plan breaks.
My paper trick is to have a rule i have to handle 10 pieces each day no matter what. Then if there's something that I'm watching on TV, I sit down and do a few. When baseball comes back I will watch with a basket of papers or laundry and handle it during commercials. (This is why my papers and laundry are behind. No sporrs has messed me up!)
>Papers ALWAYS take the longest. For myself I would just put any papers id find into one stack, when they day came I had the energy I devoted it all to it being just a paper sorting day & nothing else.
That‘s something I’ll have to consider. My problem is I never seem to to go through them in the future. But maybe I can do easy papers, and leave more time consuming decision papers for later just to get a boost of finishing an area.
>I'm happy to say all of my 'keep' papers as well as quite a bit extra(notepads, folders, manila envelope of pics, accordion file keeper) ALL fit in 1 milk crate right now! I've gone thru it again & again of the course of several months just to shave away any access that stopped meaning anything to me. It takes time but the more passes you do at it the easier, & smaller, it gets :)
That is really the way to go! Stack up papers and then you can take an evening while watching t.v., or not, and sort through them. Shred, tear or keep. Any you decide to keep, get a nice folder from the discount store and stash them there. They'll be tidy & contained. At a later date you can go through the folder and sort again.
Dividing a big job into manageable chunks, going through an area in layers, and staying aware of how much time and motivation I have remaining is what helped me.
yes, of course. but it takes 1-2 year of practice until your methodology set. for instance, i do a short run of decluttering in every 3 months. this way it is not overwhelming and you can gather ideas or try out things.
Thanks! I’m glad to know it will get easier.
you know the cheesy wisdom: practice makes perfect. also, try not to be stressed or obsessed with decluttering, should be fun and should feel satisfaction if you've gotten rid of unused items (selling or donation alos an option).
OP you can also 'divide' the room into quadrants and just deal with that section. If you feel more energy to go forward, then pick another quadrant and work on that. It won't seem so overwhelming that way.
It depends what you are decluttering, some things are easy, some are more problematic. I found it wasn’t something I could do in one go. I would declutter clothes, then go back maybe months or even years later and go through them again and then maybe again. It’s more like a journey. Each time I got better at letting things go. Rooms looking clearer and my cupboards finally having more space made it easier and encouraged me further.
Thanks. I am finding things I knew I felt might have been necessary to keep when I first got them (like papers), but it’s been so long I realize they’re no longer important. I’m hopeful a nice looking area will be motivation to continue.
It gets easier, at least for me. I’ve been hauling around this damn bowling pin from my first birthday party for 25 years. It was signed by all of my 1st grade friends, most of whom I don’t speak to anymore (I couldn’t even remember the faces of half of the signatures). After about 3 tries at decluttering my childhood things, I finally tossed it. Haven’t thought about it since until this post. I still have the memory of the party and I’m sure I’ll find pictures of it somewhere some day but it’s nice to get the burden off your shoulders. You’ll realize this as you declutter in waves. First time through, I got rid of pure junk. Then I got rid of things that I thought several years ago might be of use some day, but I really hadn’t even touched them. And then you’ll start getting rid of things you thought had sentimental value, but really they are just dead weight you never pay attention to, and never will.
Amen. I have a vast pattern collection - cross stitch, knit, crochet, tatting, needlepoint, sewing, you name it. I went through it and gave about half away (OMG it's been 20 years ago now). I'm doing it again along with several other declutter tasks and getting rid of maybe 75% of what I have, scanning the rest. I have to remind myself that I have maybe 25 years left on earth at the very most. How many of these patterns am I ever going to make? It takes me months to complete a sweater and I don't wear them - I just do it to keep my hands busy. My kids don't really wear hand knits and fit is a big problem with wearable art. I've still got a cross stitch project I pull out from time to time that's been going on for 20 years. l'm not starting anymore large cross-stitch projects ever most likely.
I collect sewing patterns and would love to speak to you if you have any interest in selling them.
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