The Joyful Sort How To: Declutter When You're Feeling Overwhelmed

• “I feel like I’m drowning in stuff - where did this all come from?!”

• “It just seems too overwhelming.”

• “I don’t even know where to start.'“

Sound familiar? You’re definitely not alone - according to a recent study done by Decluttr and NAPO, 54% of Americans feel overwhelmed by their clutter, but 78% have no idea what to do with it or find it too complicated to deal with. Making the decision to take action towards clutter and disorganization is one thing, but it’s often getting started that can be the hardest part. Read on for a few of my favorite tips for when you’re feeling stuck!

Start with a brain dump.

When my head is spinning with #allthethings and I’m feeling overwhelmed, I’ve found that pausing for a brain dump can work wonders. Go room by room and jot down any nagging clutter or disorganization woes, from the time wasted each morning as you dig for your keys under piles of unopened mail to the drawer (or drawers) that drive you bonkers because they’re stuffed to the gills with who knows what. The simple act of transferring all of those weighty thoughts to paper can be incredibly cathartic, even if you end up with a list as long as your arm.

Keep it simple.

Use your brain dump list as a guide and pick a single room or even a small area (a shelf, cabinet, or drawer) in a single room as your starting point. Organizing guru Joshua Becker recommends the bathroom as a great first decluttering spot, an idea that I love. Why? Bathrooms are not only often times the smallest room in the house, but are also typically home to non-sentimental items that don’t involve much decision making effort - expired medication, a scrape-the-bottom bottle of lotion, or just straight-up trash. Starting with an easy win is a great way to build motivation to move onto the next project.

Another great option for starting small is to set a timer for 15-30 minutes as you focus only on one room or area of a room. Hang a trash bag on the door and start a pile for items to relocate or to be donated after the timer session is done. The key is to minimize distractions and stay as focused as possible in the space for that short burst.

Don’t overthink it.

This is the absolute number one thing that most of my clients struggle with, those items that could “maybe someday” be used or have some guilt factor tied to them (“I’ve never used this, but Aunt Louise gave it to me…” or “I paid a lot of money for these cookie decorating supplies three years ago, but never did end up signing up for that class…”.). Especially in the early stages of your decluttering journey, it’s important to go with your gut and move on: if an item isn’t a clear Yes or No after a few seconds of thought, set it aside and return to it at another time. The goal is to start building that decision-making muscle for later down the road when you do get to the tough stuff.

Stick to a schedule.

Make an appointment with yourself either every day or every week for some decluttering. It can be 10 minutes or three hours, but the bottom line is that ultimately this is about changing habits and the best way to do that is by being consistent. Your clutter didn’t accumulate overnight, and it’s not going to disappear overnight either. Breaking the process down into smaller, manageable chunks is the best way to see results that will motivate you to keep going.

Have you ever dealt with clutter paralyzation or overwhelm? I’d love to hear if any of the tips above have worked for you!