I got rid of over 300 L of stuff last year. Everything was so tidy. I've been feeling good. I read a bunch of decluttering books and stuff and thought it has finally changed. Sure it was getting a bit messy but last night I got home and realized it was like this. https://imgur.com/a/ebxm5ns

I don't even know what to do anymore. It's not as bad as it has been but I'm forever cleaning and so tired. I have stepping stone path to my bed and at least the bed is mostly clear at the moment, usually I sleep on it with a few boxes on it too but I cleaned the bed sheets a few days ago. That's probably why the floor pile looks so bad idk.

Every single time I do a big clean up it feels different and like it's actually going to stick. Last time really felt different. But I realized it's just the same damn cycle again. My car is starting to fill up with crap too.

So I saw a question the other day that sparked this and I would love your experience. I’m wondering at what point in the decluttering journey dis you buy organization/storage containers for your drawers/cabinets etc. I don’t trust myself because I LOVE storage boxes hahaha so I’m trying really hard to not buy them too soon and I think that makes sense in certain places like my linen closet because I’m not sure what I will end up with and have old ones I’m gonna use for now. But for other places like my under the kitchen sink if I should buy them now and not have to do the area “twice” ( even though it wouldn’t be hard to buy what I’d want and then put the items in there. I need help from non box loving ppl hahahah because i don’t want to waste money (again!) thinking I need this storage solution.

I'll keep my clothes, stuff I still use frequently, kitchen stuff, stuff that means a lot to me, etc but like everything else. I'm not planning on moving any time soon but next time I do I want to have less stuff so it's just easier to keep organized and clean. Also easier to move.

The only major furniture I have is a bed and a couch, which I want to replace soon because the bed is uncomfortable and just old and the couch is kinda messed up.

A quick-start guide to decluttering.

(Optional): write or print a list of areas you'd like to declutter. This is a running list- update it whenever you come across something new. Areas can be broad (i.e. living room) for brainstorming, but aim to get specific (coffee table).

1: Supplies. Gather 1 trash bag (or freshly lined trashcan, without lid) for trash, 2 big bags or boxes. One is for donations, one is for "put away elsewhere".

2: Space. Walk into a room and choose a small area. When first starting, opt for a visible surface (a tabletop) or a container that you use every day (silverware or underwear drawer). Seeing your results will keep you motivated.

3: Start. Put things into your 3 categories, or away where they belong. Trash is trash. Donations can be treasure for someone else. Your "put away elsewhere" bin is to keep your attention on the area at hand. (Tip: it can be hard to finish if you choose to remove everything from an area at once; instead, move items one by one. Plan a time to "deep clean" later, after you've reduced clutter.)

4: Finish. Clean your freshly decluttered area (wipe surfaces, vacuum or wash floor), then put away your supplies. Take empty/reline trash. Put your donations right into the car, or by the door, clearly labeled. Empty your "elsewhere" bin. (Don't skip this! Otherwise that bin may be DOOMed! "Didn't organize, only moved.")

5: Follow through. Drop off your donations, schedule a pickup, or list them on a buy nothing group, right away. Update your list or schedule your next decluttering session (in writing/ on your calendar!). If you keep your planned space small, 30 minutes - 1 hour is a fair amount of time to get through this list.

Tips: Make decisions about items within 5 seconds. If you can't decide where something belongs, you may need a "maybe" bin. Take a short break before returning to your maybe bin. You may like to keep a list of organizational tools and worn items to replace. Resist the temptaion to shop online while you clean! Your family may not be in the same cleaning mindset. Declutter your own items, not things that belong to others. Ask, if you are not sure. Practice will make it easier to make decluttering decisions. And, take your time. It took time to build clutter and it will take time to sort it out. Take breaks, but schedule reminders to stay on track. Moving forward, be intentional about what you bring into your space.

I finally dropped off a bunch of donations that were in my car since December. Don't know why I waited so long.

Filled another storage container of "I don't know" stuff and put it in the mud room for now.

Found a bunch of homemade jarred crabapple butter I'd forgotten about. It's still good, so I'm trying to use it up. So far I made apple butter BBQ sauce, which turned out well. Next I will bake it into muffins.

Reorganized my seed packets that I couldn't find a place for. Now they are all in one container and have a place on a shelf.

I decided I probably won't use my wine glasses or martini glasses often enough to bother keeping them. I can't bring myself to get rid of them yet, so I'm going to put them into seasonal storage.

My place feels much more functional now.

Next goal is to finish my kitchen makeover.

Help

We've been trying to get a lot of decluttering done lately and run into a snag with our oldest (13). She seems pretty open to getting rid of things like clothes that don't fit and even things I'd thought she'd be more doubtful about like stuffed animals. The trouble is some of it can't be donated (e.g. the toys are not in good shape) and that seems very hard for her. Even if she doesn't want it anymore she's reluctant about condemning anything to the trash. I'm not sure if it's even just landfill anxiety about the environment or just not feeling right.

I want to help her get better with it instead of just forcing it, but I also want to get this over with and I feel like we've explored all the straightforward alternatives. Is there any strategies that make tossing things feel more natural to do?

Hi all, I recently bought/was given my grandmother’s 1600 sq ft. 2 story house after her passing in July. She was a mild hoarder and my parents and I are in the process of cleaning it out now. I am nervous as I am a senior in college and have been renting out rooms/living in dorms or apartments since I started college so I have never really had a ton of room to accumulate a lot of belongings and don’t really know what to do with a ton of space now. My mother is having a hard time letting things go from the house as it was her childhood home and just keeps telling me that “I may need [item] in the future” while my dad just says I can buy the things I need later and that there is no reason to store things I won’t immediately need. I am seeking tips on how to maintain my ideal minimalist lifestyle while also needing to furnish and fill a house.

Currently living in and downsizing a 600sq ft apartment to live in a School bus aka a Skoolie that my fiancé and I are currently building in our free time.

The goal is to move in by the end of May/beginning of June and so far I have:

—Gone through my entire wardrobe twice. Once to declutter what I didn’t want, the second time to try things on and make outfits to see what pieces really didn’t work for me. I’ve cut wardrobe in half and am planning on keeping track of my items in a note on my phone. I’ve gone on a “no buy” to stop myself from impulse buying and so far I’ve only purchased two things this year ; a pair of work pants I desperately needed because my others had holes in them and a shirt that I’ve been wanting for a long time that went on sale.

—I’ve decluttered my bookshelf by half. My mug collection only has 6 mugs left; 4 of which my fiancé and I use as soup and ice cream bowls. The other two are just for fun. I’ve gotten rid of blankets, decorations, kitchen items that are not useful. Things I’ve been holding onto for “when we get a house” like a plethora of Mason Jars lol.

-I’ve organized some things into a category for what I’m willing to put in storage while we’re living on the bus. Mostly sentimental items I plan on putting into a tote.

—decluttered all of my makeup, beauty products and things I normally keep on the bathroom shelves. All of my makeup and brushes now fits in one convenient case. Everything and the case fits in one basket.

—I’ve decluttered all of our middle class mix and match towels. We now have 4 matching towels for the two of us plus two “beach towels” that we use outdoors.

—I’ve downsized my shoes to only what I need currently; a couple pairs of slip on vans, a pair of crocs, a pair of Birkenstocks, and a pair of shoes for work. I plan on investing in a pair of boots that I can use for hiking eventually.

Other random things I’ve decluttered: —my outdoor decorations, candles, candle holders, essential oils, essential oil diffuser, stuffed animals, cleaning supplies, blankets, things people have gifted me that I don’t find useful, my junk drawer, medical supplies (I do not need 100 boxes of bandages), cat toys + related items that weren’t being used, Halloween costumes, paperwork, medicine.

I’m sure there are things I’m forgetting and it’s still a work in progress, but I’m so proud of myself and my stubborn fiancé for our progress so far!!

Let’s say you have a white board that you use to mark chores and on a table underneath the expo markers are laying around scattered. You have a big mug you used to use to store makeup brushes that you want to get rid of but you could use it for the markers. Do you save it and use for markers to contain them until you find something you actually want or do you just throw the mug away?

My dog of 14 years passed away a few weeks ago. Despite being older, it was unexpected and I'm struggling with the grief. She was our first and only dog. For 14 years it was me, my husband and her. We weren't able to have kids and she was smarter than many people so we were a threesome.

Right now, everything seems important and necessary to keep, even the toys and beds I knew she didn't really use. How do I let go of them, especially the dog beds. She was a big girl, around 80 lb, so her beds take up a lot of room and we have a bunch.

I know they will do others good and I can gift them to a shelter or goodwill. I'm not particulsrly attached to them, or so I thought, until I try and get rid of them...and then I'm stuck sitting in a circle with beds around me and I'm lost. As soon as I try and pick one (I was going easy on myself and said just pick one), they all seem very important - e.g.: this is the one she used to step on to get the couch, this is the one she used when I worked from home, etc.

I am fine holding on to some stuff until my grief sibsides but I know myself, if I don't make some progress, I'll backslide and, as to e goes on, I'm having a hard time letting anything if hers go. I've been able to donate all her meds, throw out old ratty toys, donate her food and treats to family/friends/shelters, so I've made progress. I'm stuck on these beds. If feels like removing them is removing her. So, can anyone help me reframe this so I can push through? I'm so stuck. Thanks in advance 💕

I’ve noticed a major obstacle I’ve run into while trying to declutter is just this like fear and guilt of being wasteful. Like I’ll just look at stuff and not wanna get rid of it because “hmmm that can still be used though.” Like old purses I have that I never use, I won’t wanna get rid of. Because the thing is, is that a lot of times even though it can still be used it may not exactly be something someone else wants either. A nice purse can be bought for inexpensive at a place like Ross or Burlington or something. My purse might still be usable, but it’s not a Louis Vuitton or Prada or something where the next woman will want it. It’s just plain old purses I bought at the places I mentioned lol.

But there are other items too. Old paints or art supplies that yes can still be used, but are also used enough that I couldn’t donate them. The old notebooks that I’ve used up a lot of the pages, but the blank ones can “still be used.” I don’t wanna throw these notebooks away. I don’t know where in my area I can recycle them. So it’s like I keep them so I’m not “wasting” them. Another item could be socks that I could still wear but don’t really need. Or shoes that are old, but can still be worn even though they aren’t my style anymore. Things like that. I have a couple laptops that maybe aren’t trash, so I feel bad throwing them away. But I don’t know what to do with them either though.

I just feel like I don’t wanna be wasteful. I don’t wanna just throw stuff in the trash that still has use. But then it’s irrational kinda because well I’m not using it, and I know someone else probably doesn’t want my leftover stuff. But I still have like landfill guilt and just this uncomfortable feeling of “wait I’m being wasteful.” Like I’m ruining the environment by just throwing a bunch of crap away. It‘d be different if I could donate these things because I‘d know someone else is getting use out of it and it’s making them happy. But just straight up throwing stuff away makes me feel bad for some reason. If I could just recycle it that would probably make me feel better. But can you recycle art supplies? Or old socks and clothes? Or purses or old laptops? I’m new to decluttering so I’m not aware what all can be recycled.

How do you overcome this mindset? Or what would you tell yourself or someone else who felt like this?

TLDR: Got lots of decluttering done; focused on finding more places for donations; progress made but not really seeing it; didn't plan other areas of my life so really anxious/embarrassed/ashamed right now. List of goals to hit for next week.

Here's this week's update:

• Rethought approach to donation in general and am making an effort to find places that will accept things that are not clothing.
• Donated 10 bags of clothing.
• Re-evaluated handbag and accessories collections. Identified duplicates, items with slight cosmetic damage or never used. Found a women's shelter that would accept donations; will take over three large plastic bags worth.
• Cleared out three shelves in one display unit. Rehoused some of the leftover bags here.
• Cleared out another row in fabric wardrobe. Started keeping some linen here - more accessible.
• Linen closet - cleared out one shelf. Started a bag of towels/sheets to donate to the vet.
• Cleared out a six cube unit in bedroom; decluttered a few things on dressing table for quicker cleaning. Moved reading chair to bedroom.
• Wardrobe - keeping what is being worn separate to identify what else can be donated.
• Decluttered bathroom cabinet and windowsills.
• Arranged for a bulk waste collection next month.
• Full bin to go out for collection tomorrow.

It looks like I did a lot in the past week, but it's been very piecemeal, so I can't see the progress that I have made in one space.

Against conventional wisdom, I want to do is declutter. I'm embarrassed because my studies have fallen so far behind as a result, but I feel really compelled to keep going as I am tired of living 24 hours a day in total chaos. I'm also feeling very anxious because I need to get late assessments in. I'm most likely withdraw from two of my subjects because I simply have not kept up and I'm feeling quite ashamed of myself for not planning better.

Over the next week I will continue to:

• Try to declutter my mind by creating a plan to complete priority tasks.
• Clean out the linen press and fabric wardrobe; look at baskets for storage solutions.
• Work on my wardrobe - prioritise clothes that are my style and have worn recently.
• Get rid of the spare cube unit.
• Take some of my stationery hoard to school to see if anyone would like notebooks, folders, etc.
• Have a full garbage bin and recycling bin for pick up next week.

I am dreading starting my Declutter process again. I don’t know where to start. I was making progress, but it came to a halt.

Can anyone recommend a mental process for me to become enthusiastic about my decluttering journey again?

I am being intentional on my decluttering journey. I’m reading and learning about why I am in this position. I created an area I call ground zero. It’s the space I have put 80% of my clutter in one area. As I look and go through ground zero, I realize I have a SERIOUS organizational issue. The clutter is a problem and not being organized is a bigger problem.

First I have to declutter, downsize and get rid of items. After a massive declutter. I need to use the space I have in an effective manner. I am setting up a system where I know where items are!

When you aren’t organized, you often rebuy the same item. Ex.-school/office supplies in 8 different areas, toiletries in 7-8 areas, no wonder I have been living in confusion.

After massively decluttering, I look forward to massively organizing. It will be a lot easier to manage for me!!

I’m excited about getting rid of “stuff”. THREE large trash bags going out today! I’m even more excited about being organized and knowing where stuff is!

🥳 🎉

Hi All - newbie here, so hopefully this isn't too repetitive in theme. How have you all handled situations where you want to get serious about decluttering, but spouses and/or children are resistant? There are items I know we no longer need that every category (baby furniture, TOYS!, books, clothing, kitchen gadgets, electronics, etc.) For context I am 42F, partner is 50M and our child is 8F (so, pretty young still!)

I hate clutter and managing stuff and for the most part, it is under control. I'd love to do deeper clean outs, but both my husband and child get overwhelmed and sometimes emotional around getting rid of stuff. I feel stuck. If I just go in and get rid of things, I may be deemed cruel for throwing out some cherished memory. However, if I have them go through everything and decided 'keep' or 'toss' it will be painful, slow and ineffective because they will essentially choose to keep everything.

It doesn't help that my own mother saved toys from my childhood and handed them down to my daughter. This includes Barbies, Fisher Price people, a baby cradle, American Girl dolls, etc. As I'm naming these things, I can't remember the last time she played with ANY of it. She is more of an arts & crafts, LEGO, video games & books kid.

Thoughts?! I don't really want to go behind their backs, but it's hard to involve them.

After 12+ years of heavy use we decluttered our couch this weekend.

My husband (then boyfriend) bought it when he moved to our city as a grad student, basically the 1 piece of furniture in his studio that he spent any money on. Since then it's been the central feature of our living room, with various slipcovers, pillows and blankets joining and departing as needed. We had a lot of happy times on that couch, including parental leave when our new family of 3 would watch Jeopardy! together and pass the baby back and forth. That baby just started walking and thought the couch was perfect for playing peekaboo behind one of the arms. But there were tough times too--COVID holidays when we Zoomed with our families rather than gathering; nail-biting election results; and worst, a few weeks ago when my mom called to tell me my dad had passed.

It was more than just a couch--but we'll still have these memories wherever we go. It was very sturdy for a long time but the pandemic accelerated its decline because we were home so much more often, when it started to sag especially towards the middle. Even putting it on Buy Nothing seemed like a disservice to the potential next owner. So I paid the junk-luggers to take it away. We are moving next month, and we want to wait till we're in the space before we decide if we need another one and if so what size. Hopefully our new (or new-to-us) couch will last as long and be appreciated as much!

I feel like I have to sell it on any one of 4-5 platforms that I spend a lot of time and energy on doing. But I don’t have the time to do this. Getting rid of it would be such a weight off my shoulders but I do somewhat need the extra money it brings in. Is it crazy to put this stuff in a storage unit for a while just until I get through selling my house ?

Sigh... The section of business casual clothes in my closet has not only been practically sitting around for the last 4 years, but had also slightly grown in the first year of the pandemic when all the stores were having massive sales 😅.

My old job had a business casual dress code, but I switched jobs in 2022 and the new dress code would have been smart casual. Both companies went remote due to the pandemic and neither one has cared about the dress code since. 🙃

Should I keep these clothes? I asked some friends for advice and they all said I would be dumb to throw it out bc I "might" need them in the future. While I get their point, these clothes are just sitting in my closet. My current job has stated multiple times they don't plan on switching back to a physical office....

How many of you are still holding on to your office clothes "just in case"?

Me and my family have been preparing to sell my grandparents old house, as they no longer live there due to their health. We recently had an estate sale to get rid of tons of things, and it was very successful.

After the sale, me and my dad stumbled across a shoebox in the garage filled to the brim with old photos and some letters. Many were from the 20’s-30’s. We have showed it around to all the family members who once lived in that house, and nobody seems to know where they came from, or who the people in the photos are.

My dad says we should just throw away the photos if nobody wants it. I myself don’t have any reason to keep the photos, but I feel unsure about throwing them away. Is there any historical value to good photos from that time period- perhaps for donating? I really would prefer to bring them somewhere for preservation if I felt it was possible.

If anyone can give me advice for old photo decluttering, it would mean a lot. Thank you!

TL;DR: Girlfriend has left for the Marines, house is a mess. Seeking advice on hiring help to declutter. It’s emotionally tolling seeing her stuff around. Willing to invest for mental peace. Suggestions?

I could really use some advice and support in tackling the overwhelming task of decluttering my home. Here's the backstory: My girlfriend recently left for the Marines, and while I'm incredibly proud of her, it's left me feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed.

We've lived together in our home for the past two years, and over that time, we've accumulated a lot of stuff. Now that she's off to serve our country for the next 4-5 years, I'm left with the daunting task of sorting through it all on my own.

The problem isn't just the sheer volume of items, but also the emotional weight attached to them. Seeing her belongings around the house constantly reminds me that she's not here, which can be really tough emotionally.

I want to create a space that feels like mine, where I can find some peace amidst the chaos of life and work. But I'm struggling to know where to start and how to stay motivated throughout the process.

So, I'm turning to this community for advice. Have any of you been in a similar situation? I'm particularly interested in hearing from those who have hired professional services to assist with decluttering and organizing. I'm aware that it may be expensive, but at this point, the mental relief it would provide is worth more to me than the cost. Can anyone recommend a service that can handle the cleaning, organizing, and disposal of items efficiently? Any insights or recommendations would be incredibly valuable to me right now. Thank you all in advance for your support.

After years of dealing with my wife's parents hoard (they are now deceased), she and her siblings are now finally down to clearing out a storage unit. My wife came home with hundreds of pounds of coins. Some are rolled, some are loose in boxes and coffee cans. All of the siblings are convinced that they must have valuable coins in there somewhere and they need to be inspected before the coins can be converted to usable cash.

My basement is now full of coins. I'm going nuts. Any suggestions for how I can deal with this kind of clutter without angering the in-laws?

I’m planning on implementing a monthly assessment schedule to review my possessions and declutter items that have not been in use for that month. This includes just about anything (food, clothes, furniture, storage items, etc).

I don’t like accumulating a lot of things and having to manage it all.

I think it will help build discipline and structure to help get my place in order.

Anyone else have a process that works for them?

I used to get stuck wondering if I should do something at my house like, for example, clean up the yard in between projects or pick a shrub to plant that my father-in-law would say "why did you pick THAT kind of foliage?" I finally told myself "pretend you are moving". 😂 Suddenly I didn't second guess myself on simply making the place look more presentable.

For example, if I had someone say "clean up the house, and organize, so a realtor can take good photos to list the house for sale" I would just do a purge, finally donate the old toilet that still works it just needs cleaning/dropping off, and spend only 5 minutes picking a new shrub to plant out front.

I also tell myself you took before photos, okay so now stage a shot (clean up) and take the after photo. That helps a lot to do before/after photos.

Another fun thing? I look at Google Car photos overtime and aim for "when that car comes around my yard better look better than the last shot". 😂 The upside is even if it caught a small blue recycling bin by my car that I was hauling chunks of blacktop away with? You clearly see a sweet looking driveway in the next shot.

Reality is if I don't keep up on getting rid of stuff on a regular basis, and with speed working full time, I could easily be "that person" my kid will have to deal with when I'm old. No thank you.

In fact, my success in this manner has had a positive side effect. Nearly 7 years of home ownership has pretty much flipped this house. What I am seeing is my active in-laws (age 80) are now (quietly) tackling projects THEY have been avoiding!! Are you kidding me? They watch us, they somehow feel like they should fix that leaky bathroom sink, should get a new secure fence/gate out front, and hurrah?! for that loser caught on security camera for stealing grandpas rear license plate as it magically got the garage cleaned out for his car in like 5 hours! I told grandma had I known that I would have stolen the license plate myself!

Trick yourself into action whatever that might look like.

(That said I think I'm going to go move the small woodshed today and, in its place, plant another gorgeous Mexican Bamboo which is a non-invasive clumper. If I plant it now it can fill in. Waiting on that will miss the opportunity of what time can do. I built a fence two weeks ago, took out the old one falling apart, and now it just needs to soften the big picture.)

I have some clothes that I didn't wear out of the fear of wrecking them (as I think they are too nice to wear). I understand they take up space and may even deteriorate if stored improperly. If I were to sell them or give them away, and I changed my mind, I likely would be paying a fortune if I can even find them.

How would you recommend dealing with these clothing?

Thanks in advance!

This past month we’ve had a major transition from infant/toddlerhood into big kid territory. My kids turned 7 & 4, my youngest started preschool, is fully potty trained, and got a big girl bed. My oldest is starting to lose interest in toys, leaning more into hobbies/passions of hers (all things STEAM).

I looked around our playroom and noticed they no longer play with so many things.

Their Little People have been replaced with L.O.L dolls, the Duplos replaced with Legos, and they no longer find magnatiles challenging enough to play with. Thank god my 4y/o still plays with Barbies— that would be too much for me lmao

My kids are exactly 3yrs + 1 day apart in age. So as soon as my oldest transitioned out of one phase, my youngest was just starting it. It’s been 7 straight years of mothering at least one baby/toddler. So most of these toys we have had for a least 5yrs.

I find it nauseating how swiftly we moved through those years. It was like a marathon, and now it’s over. Getting rid of the toys feels like putting the nail in the coffin.

I wanna say, I don’t typically struggle with decluttering their things. I have a 3 month rule for toys, and gladly stick to it. If I have a hard time parting with something, I put it in a tote in the basement. And when I come across it again I reassess and decide if it’s sentimental enough to keep stored away.

But I cannot possibly put ALL of these toys I mentioned into purgatory. I literally don’t have space for it in the basement.

Someone please give me “seasoned parent wisdom” to help me get over this emotional + mental hurdle. We have too much shit lol.

I really hate food waste but am ashamed to say that over the past couple of years I got into the bad habit of stockpiling a bit too much in my pantry (post-lockdown trauma?), which has resulted in a lot of boxes of dry goods, ingredients, etc. with best used by dates of 2022 or earlier.

Today, I finally gave myself permission to clear out and throw away a ton of items that are long past their expiration/best by dates and start over. Doing this was not easy because when you throw away unopened items, it feels like throwing money right in the trash, but I feel so much lighter now and motivated to try out some new recipes and meals with what I have left to avoid future food waste. I will also modify my grocery shopping habits to no longer stock up in excess even if it is on sale going forward—those “must buy 5!” sale items are meant for large families, not me.

The other added bonus is that I now have a ton of extra space in my cabinets, and the lack of clutter makes it much easier for me to see what ingredients and food items I already have.

I'm having trouble with this one. When my older sister was seven, she was hit by a car while we were out bicycling and died. This was decades ago. My parents got hundreds of sympathy cards from relatives, friends and co-workers. My mother saved every single one. She kept them in a box in her house. When her health declined (Parkinson's), she moved into my sister's place. That box came with her. When she ended up in board and care, that box came with her. Her last year was spent in a Skilled Nursing Facility and that box was with her. She could not let them go.

Since she's passed, I have that box. I've had it for over 10 years and I only come across it when I decided to tackle the clutter.

I want to get rid of it. But I feel like that'd be disrespectful to my mom?

Even though I know, after I'm gone, my kids will come through this place and toss those cards.

There are a few that I know the people who sent them. But the majority I don't recognize the names.

Anyone had a similar situation? What did you do?

I’m reading Dr. Zazio’s {Psychologist from Hoarders} book and another book on decluttering. I was up until 4am reading articles and watching videos on the psychology of clutter/hoarding. I have read and watched various ways to tackle my problem.

I created a large space, where I can pull out most of my clutter, and do a deep dive into decluttering. While simultaneously working, on the mental health aspects at the same time. The 20/$25 rule is helping me A LOT. I raised my minimum to 20/$35 cause inflation is real. 😂

I carved the space to do a massive dive. I will be able to live semi-comfortably while this takes place. I need to SEE most of my clutter all together. I can live with the large half room clutter pile for a few weeks. Everything I keep will be intentional.

I am creating a whole new system of living, which involves partially tearing down the old one. Seeing half of it all out, makes it easier to discard, donate and creating organizational systems, which I need. I’m buying more storage for my room, primarily for my closets. I have a fair amount of empty space in several closets. The container method will work for me. It forces me to get rid of 60%-70% of my clutter. Only keeping what I love, cherish, need or adds value to my life. I plan to declutter periodically, once I finish this massive undertaking.

Soooo much of this is mental.

Having internalized why I have lived this way, makes it exponentially EASIER to accomplish this. It was the mental component holding me back before.

I’m attacking my clutter issue with a vengeance. ⚔️ Get out of here! Dr. Zazio would be impressed.

I paid $100 for storage for years! That money could have been spent on many other meaningful experiences.

I see my possessions a lot differently now. Less is exponentially more!

I would love to read any thoughts, related to the “mental” aspects of clutter. I feel like it’s a form of mental bondage. ⛓️⛓️⛓️⛓️

How do you guys store things that you love and do use but barely? I live in a small house (2 bedroom 1 bathroom 2 kids 2 adults 🥲) and I’ve been on a minimalism journey for awhile now. I have donated and thrown away probably 3/4 of my house but there’s a few things that I love & don’t want to get rid of but it’s so hard to justify storing them especially when I have no room. An example is a foot jacuzzi that heats up, basically a little Epsom salt hot tub for your feet 😂 we almost exclusively use it when we’re sick, the kids included. So it DOES get used but it’s so bulky lol. I just want to get rid of everything 😂