A clean and organized home feels like heaven, but not all of us carry the motivation to work towards that. You may have the desire to clear out the old and irrelevant stuff from your home and yet not feel inspired enough to start decluttering your home.
Decluttering is a struggle and no matter how much you want your home to be clutter-free, it’s not that simple a task to accomplish. Decluttering makes you feel tired because it takes efforts. Decluttering is emotionally draining because it involves letting go of stuff that has been with you for years. And decluttering takes a lot of time because it not only requires you to sort through stuff but also organize, donate, sell, recycle and trash.
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Sometimes, the enormity of decluttering makes you want to just let stuff be and not bother with it. And that’s exactly what they call decluttering paralysis.
It’s totally normal to find yourself struggling to let go of stuff, but you know that it can’t go on for long because there will arrive a time when your closets will be full to the gills, your drawers will overflow with clutter and your kitchen countertops won’t have any space to cook on. You will find yourself looking for a way out, and clearing out the excess stuff would be the only practical solution.
But here is something for you to rejoice. Even if you find it hard to overcome decluttering paralysis, it’s not that difficult a task to accomplish. With practice and a little bit of determination, you can win over decluttering paralysis and make impactful changes to your home.
Here are some very powerful tips to help you overcome decluttering paralysis that will help ensure that your home stays clutter-free and organized:
1. Start With A Corner That Bothers You The Most
There might be areas in your home that you dread looking at because they are way too cluttered. These areas can be your kitchen cupboards, wardrobe, countertops or just your living room. Take time to deal with one area that makes you feel stressed. If it’s your kitchen cupboards, empty them out right now and get rid of anything that you haven’t used in the last one year. Get rid of duplicate kitchen appliances and utensils before nicely organizing what’s left. Looking at a clutter-free kitchen closet will motivate you to move ahead and take up other decluttering projects.
2. Learn To Let Go Of The Guilt
The one thing that holds you back on your decluttering journey is the guilt associated with letting go of stuff. You might have been holding on to gifts or sentimental items because you received them from someone close to you and this might just be the only memory you have of them.
You may have bought stuff off your first salary and don’t want to get rid of it because there are memories attached. There may also be stuff that was too pricey or takes you back to the time when you were struggling for money. Guilt is the biggest enemy of decluttering, and you must free yourself of it if you want to overcome decluttering paralysis.
Try detaching yourself from the stuff by asking yourself a few questions. You may also just set a limit on how much sentimental stuff you are allowed to keep and get rid of the rest.
3. Make Decisions On What To Keep Rather Than What To Get Rid Of
Sometimes, the reason why you feel paralyzed with the idea of decluttering is because you think of it as an activity that requires you to get rid of your stuff. In order to defeat that idea, start looking at decluttering as an act that requires you to decide what to keep.
You can simply pick a corner of your home to declutter and start setting aside the things that you want to keep. For instance, if you are decluttering your closet first, pick only the clothes that you love wearing and the ones that fit you perfectly or go with your personal style. This will help you figure out what you actually need or can’t do without thereby making it easier for you to let go of the rest of your stuff.
4. Connect With People With A Similar Story As Yours
If your decluttering paralysis is the result of lack of motivation, try connecting with people who struggle to declutter just as you do. Do you have friends who also go through recurrent periods of decluttering paralysis? If yes, talk to them about their decluttering journey and what they do to overcome their decluttering paralysis.
There are many facebook groups that can provide you a support system to help you deal with decluttering paralysis. Looking at other people’s journey can sometimes be a great source of motivation especially when you have too much to sort through.
5. Take Action
Decluttering paralysis is simply the unwillingness to start. Maybe you are just not motivated to do it or lack the energy it takes to declutter. The only way out of the decluttering paralysis is to take that first step. Sometimes, merely starting to declutter your home is all that is needed to give yourself a kick. And who knows? This first step might just leave your home clutter-free in a few hours if you get the momentum going.
6. Celebrate Your Progresses
It’s important to make decluttering a fun activity to be able to find the motivation to continue. Pair it with some music or play some decluttering games. You can also just go for a family decluttering session on a Sunday and look at it as an opportunity to spend time together.
Once you’re done decluttering your home, don’t forget to take time to celebrate your victories. It’s important to realize and celebrate how far you’ve come on your decluttering journey as it will help you move ahead.
So there you have it! You may have many reasons to not get started, but it takes just one strong reason to liberate yourself from the clutches of decluttering paralysis and get going. You just have to be firm in your decision to finally declutter your home and get rid of anything that isn’t contributing anything positive to your life.