Declutter Challenge: Get Out of Your Head

Our messy kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms are often more a result of what is going on in our heads than anything else.  I know.  I’m right there with you.  Over and over again I have started decluttering projects and discovered that “today is not a good day to delutter.”  I have to be in the right mood to declutter.  Some days I’m more sentimental than other days and I find sentimental moods to be paralyzing.   

There are plenty of other ways we get in our own way when it comes to decluttering.  Negative feelings about our own self-worth is a big one.  Anxiety, fear, depression, anger, and fear are all contributors to the increasing piles of clutter in our homes.  The mess is just the result of thoughts that are racing  through our mind and the scattered way we go about our declutterig projects.

 

 

[bctt tweet=”Clutterers often suffer from false beliefs that we do not deserve any better….”–Henry David Thoreau ” username=”jugglngrealfood”]

When we are in our heads about clutter, we think of our clutter as more than just “stuff”.  This stuff is our life and our we don’t want people taking that away from us.  We resent people trying to help us.  They have no idea what things mean to us and just want to throw everything away.  Organized people won’t understand what you are going through.  That’s ok.  You and I can work on our decluttering together and piece by piece we will find the joy of letting things go.  It will take longer than an afternoon for sure, but you can dig through the clutter and clear your head about your stuff at the same time.    

Tips for Getting Out of Your Head When Decluttering

Give yourself time.  Let’s face it…this mess didn’t get created in one day and likely you didn’t create it all by yourself.  It’s going to take time to get it all cleaned up.  I’ve been decluttering for over a year now and I feel like I still have a ton to do.  I’ve been in my house 10 years and I know that I moved clutter with me from my old house.  We just stored it away till we were bursting at the seams and something had to be done in order to function in our home. 

Just get started.  Push past the overwhelm.  You CAN do this!  You just have to get started.  Don’t think about cleaning an entire bedroom all at once.  Think about your bedroom as a bunch of smaller tasks.  Remove the trash on one side of the bed or on top of one dresser.  Sort through one section of the jewelry box.  Pull out half of a drawer.  You can do more if you want.  The point is just to get started. 

Work on a less sentimental project.  Some projects are less sentimental than others.  I found that I can get a lot done on my junk drawers when I’m feeling sentimental, but I can’t even go near the kids’ rooms.  Find a less sentimental project and get started on something easy. 

Remind yourself that you and your family deserve a nice home.  Let me say that again.  You and your family deserve a nice home!  You deserve a place that you find relaxing.  You deserve a home that isn’t embarrassing to you.  You deserve a home that is welcoming to your family’s friends. 

Relax! Nobody is perfect and people won’t notice all the things you feel like you are doing wrong. There really is no right or wrong way to declutter.  Some people like to work room by room.  Some people like to grab items from across the home to declutter.  Whatever you are most comfortable with is the right way to declutter. 

Get the support you need.  Join a Facebook group like my Freedom from Clutter in 40 Days group, have a trusted friend help, or even seek out professional help if needed.  There is no shame in getting the help that you need and want.

Noticing how your mind responds to clutter is a great way to get started. Clutter in your emotional life… bad habits, too many commitments, a job you hate, or maybe a bad relationship you are in. These things can zap your energy and cause more stress than a disorganized house with overflowing drawers and closets ever will. That is why I believe that any decluttering effort should always target emotional baggage as well as material possessions.

So where to begin? At the beginning of course.  Wherever your beginning is.  Think about the life you want and work to make it happen.  Get out of your head as much as you can and work on your decluttering projects.  Not everything can be fixed with clean cupboards, but at least you will have clean cupboards.  Right?   My goal isn’t to fix everything.  My goal is just to get your started with your first decluttering project.  Good luck!  Leave me a comment and let me know what your first decluttering project is.   

For more decluttering tips, check out the Freedom from Clutter in 40 Days series.