12 Decluttering Methods When You Have Too Much Stuff
Have you found yourself overwhelmed with too much stuff and not enough space? Are you ready to declutter your entire home to improve your life?
In this article, we will go through the decluttering methods and strategies customized specifically for those who struggle with an overwhelming amount of belongings. Read on to learn more.
In today’s consumer-driven society, we usually find ourselves owning more material possessions than we actually need. For many of us, the overabundance of stuff has cluttered our homes and increased our stress levels.
Being overwhelmed with clutter can have negative impacts on well-being and productivity. When the home is filled with too much stuff, you waste your time and energy searching for the item you want. You may even need to spend more time cleaning and organizing.
An excessive amount of items clutter the home creates distractions, not only affecting the ability to focus but also draining energy. Living in a cluttered room can make it hard to feel calm and relaxed.
An overstuffed home is usually the result of a gradual accumulation of unnecessary physical items that happen over time. Impulse buying, failure to declutter and organize regularly, and holding onto things that no longer serve a purpose, make the accumulation of unnecessary things over time.
Having too many things can be a burden and cause emotional distress. In this article, we have the best 12 decluttering tips and solutions to help you eliminate clutter when you’re having too much stuff.
Before getting started, ask yourself one question: Why do you feel the need to declutter?
Are you too embarrassed to have friends over and see your overstuffed home?
Or the clutter around you makes you feel distracted and cannot be focused so you find the urge to declutter? Who doesn’t want a peaceful mind and fully enjoying the living space?
Or a cluttered and messy home makes you constantly feel stressed that you can’t stand it anymore? You can’t even find things you need and always buy extra.
Each person has their own reasons for decluttering and knowing the “why” will help you keep motivated throughout the entire decluttering process.
Decluttering is not a one-time but an ongoing process. Knowing the reasons to declutter your home can make it easier to identify what items to be kept and which ones should go.
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12 Decluttering Methods When You Have Too Much Stuff
1// Create a decluttering action plan and schedule time to declutter.
“How and where to start decluttering when I have too much stuff?” It is a common question that everyone wants to get a quick solution.
Make an action plan and follow through. It helps you stay on track even without thinking about it. By creating a decluttering plan and setting goals for yourself, you can make the decluttering process so much easier.
First of all, identify what’s important to you and then prioritize which areas or rooms need the most attention. Making a list by breaking down the decluttering project into smaller tasks will help make the decluttering process more manageable and less overwhelming.
Then plan out how much time you will dedicate each day or week to declutter and stick with it.
With a decluttering action plan and schedule in place, you’ll be able to stay focused on your goal and keep moving forward to a clutter-free home.
2// Start small and be consistent.
The hardest part of decluttering is usually getting started, especially when you have tons of stuff at home. Decluttering your entire home all at once can be overwhelming. Choose one area at a time to purge.
Starting small can reduce overwhelm and make the decluttering process more manageable. Set a timer and work in a 15 or 30-minute session.
When you tackle one small section at a time, it allows you to work on one specific space and maintain order. This helps to clean up clutter and organize the space without making a big mess.
Moreover, decluttering a smaller area requires you less time than an entire room. Not only you can see the immediate result, but also give you confidence and momentum going.
Declutter can take time. Having a clutter-free home requires a consistent approach to be successful.
It is almost impossible to declutter your entire home in one weekend or one month if you have so much stuff. Slow and steady decluttering helps you reduce the stress and mental drain associated with decluttering.
Gradually declutter your entire home in 3 months, 6 months, or a year, depending on how much stuff you have. Breaking the decluttering process down into different stages helps you manage the clutter chaos without feeling overwhelmed.
You may want to start with the easy items first, like duplicate kitchen gadgets, unworn clothes, decorative items, etc. Clearing them out gives you the confidence to declutter more.
Related post: 100 Easy Things to Declutter (Free Checklist)
4// Black garbage bags and labeled boxes ready.
Bring trash bags and 3 or 4 labeled boxes (keep, sell or donate, recycle, and trash) with you. This helps the decluttering process easier and more manageable.
Sorting items and placing them into the appropriate boxes helps you organize and take them away to the designated places easily and effectively. It is also a systematic method to declutter without making a bigger mess.
Trash goes to a black garbage bag can avoid any family members seeing through it and take out the unnecessary items again.
5// Be ruthless when purging your stuff.
I’m ruthless when decluttering. I know not everyone is like me, especially if you’re new to decluttering.
Learning how to be ruthless when decluttering your home will help you save time and energy in the long run.
When you try to keep everything just in case, you may end up keeping things that you don’t use or need. You just move those items around your home. That means you need to come back to the same spot, again and again, to declutter later!
Ask yourself how much you actually use the item. Have you used it in the past year? Do you need it? Do you love it? Do you have space for it?
Declutter ruthlessly helps prevent clutter from accumulating from one spot to another. You need to be decisive and honest with yourself about what items to be kept or purged.
6// Let go of sentimental clutter.
I know. It feels hard to let go of sentimental items, especially those things like baby clothes, artwork, childhood stuff, photos, cards, and old letters, etc. that bring us a lot of memories.
Simplifying our homes doesn’t mean we cannot keep what we love. When it comes to decluttering sentimental items, focus on what to keep that brings you joy.
Not everything, decide on what’s worth keeping. Pick only the items worth keeping and take pictures of the rest.
Limit yourself to one or two memory boxes to keep your treasures. For the rest of them, I would like to take photos of them to cherish the memories without keeping them.
Don’t be too harsh on yourself. If you’re very new to decluttering, you may find yourself coming back a few times to get rid of the sentimental items. Decluttering takes time and It’s totally fine.
7// Donation makes decluttering quicker.
When you’re overwhelmed with so much stuff, donating your unused items always is the easiest and fastest way to go.
Personally, I would rather give the stuff away than sell it. For example, donating unworn clothes not only reduces waste but also has an immediate impact on helping the community. Giving away unwanted books and unused furniture helps people in need.
Let’s face it, downsizing or decluttering your home takes a lot of time and energy. Pricing the unused item, selling it in the marketplace, and shipping it requires additional time and effort. Needless to say, there might be more stress add on. Consider reselling the item only when it is a valuable item or the need of some cash.
Don’t forget once you got bags of decluttered items, get them out of your home the same day. Bring the bags to your car so you can easily drop them at the donation center. Recycle or trash the broken items immediately to avoid taking up space in your home. If you want to sell your clutter, list them out as soon as you can. It allows to clear visual clutter quickly and makes the space look bigger and cleaner.
Related Decluttering Tips:
The 7 Biggest Decluttering Mistakes To Avoid
8// Get rid of paper clutter.
If you don’t properly deal with the papers coming into your home, they can be accumulated quickly and become piles of paper all over your house.
Paper clutter messes are always one of the big sources of clutter chaos. Unsorted mail, piles of bills, bank statements, receipts, unfinished work, kids’ school papers, photos, old Christmas cards, takeout menus, promotional flyers, etc. are easily found in every room in the house.
Creating an organized filing system is the way to go. Sort your papers and file them into the categorized file folders. Shred unnecessary papers and documents or recycle them.
Keep all the original legal documents and tax documents easily accessible such as birth certificates, passports, social security cards, insurance policies, medical records, property records, financial records, etc, and put them in a safe place.
When you got too much paper clutter at home, it takes time and patience to get rid of it. Setting up a filing system is the key to helping you get organized so you don’t waste time searching for important documents.
In order to cut down as much paper as possible, try going paperless by digitizing paper files to save your physical space. Scan and store the documents on the cloud for backup and decide if you need to keep the original papers. In this way, you can also easily retrieve your digital files anytime and anywhere when you need them.
To prevent future papers from piling up, do not accumulate them and deal with them immediately. Sort your incoming mail once you enter your home. Toss the junk mail and put the bills and papers in the pending folders for taking action later on.
9// Stop buying things you don’t need.
When you’re overwhelmed with too much stuff and suffer from too much clutter, minimize your material possessions in your home now.
It’s not just about decluttering but also limiting what you buy new and bring into your home. If you constantly keep adding more stuff to your home, you will take more time to declutter because you’re owning more extra stuff.
Evaluate your spending habits and be mindful before purchasing new items. This helps to cut down on excess stuff in the long run and makes the cleanup process easier.
Make a mindset shift. Focus on needs over wants, quality over quantity, not impulse purchases. Before you buy, ask yourself if the item adds value or is a burden to your life. This will help you make better decisions and prevent excess things from building up over time.
10// Implement the “One In, One Out” rule.
When you got too much stuff, it usually reflects that you have accumulated a lot of unused and unnecessary belongings.
Stop purchasing items you don’t need of course can effectively stop things inflow into the overstuffed home. But another powerful decluttering practice you don’t want to skip is the “one in, one out” rule.
Simply remove a similar item from your home when you bring in something new. It could be an item that is outgrown, duplicate or you no longer use and enjoy anymore.
This decluttering habit helps to stop accumulating more items than you need. By doing so, you will be more mindful and intentional about the things you bring into your house. It also helps to maintain a clutter-free home in the long term.
11// Simplify your wardrobe.
Simplifying your wardrobe is a powerful solution when you find yourself overwhelmed with too much stuff. How many times did you stand in front of an overfilled closet and felt like nothing to wear?
You own too much clothing. You couldn’t find the pieces you love to wear. Every time you need to dig through the piles of clothes to find the pieces you want. You were so frustrated. Yes, I understand. We’ve all been there.
Clothing can often be one of the significant sources of clutter. Streamlining your wardrobe not only takes back your physical space for the clothing items you love and wear but also helps get dressed easily.
Donate or sell your clothes and accessories that you don’t love or haven’t worn in the past year. If any clothing items don’t fit you also need to go.
Clean out your closet and build a minimalist wardrobe you love. Create versatile clothing pieces for your wardrobe so you can easily mix and match.
A simplified wardrobe reduces decision fatigue. When you have fewer choices to make, it becomes easier to get dressed every morning. It not only saves you time and mental energy but also brings you joy in daily life.
12// Seek help and support when you feel stuck.
When it comes to decluttering a house full of stuff, it is easy to feel like giving up before even starting.
It can be tough and overwhelming to declutter everything on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends or family for help when you have too much stuff to deal with.
Getting your family involved in decluttering can save you time and energy in the long run. Explain why you want to declutter. Let them know the benefits of having less stuff.
Decluttering together promotes accountability and supports each other. It makes the decluttering process more easier and enjoyable.
Reach out to professional organizers or decluttering experts if the stuff has taken over your home and you cannot handle the clutter surrounding you. Most of the time, people feel stuck which increases their stress levels. There is no shame in asking for help and getting guidance.
Final Thought
Try using the above decluttering solutions when you’re overwhelmed with too much stuff. These decluttering tips can help you reclaim your space and make your life better.
Decluttering your home takes time, effort, and consistency. Be patient with yourself and start small. Celebrate each win along the way boost motivation and help keep the momentum going.
Looking for more decluttering guides and checklists? Here are some resources you might find helpful:
How to Declutter When You’re Overwhelmed by a Messy House
9 Best Tips to Get Motivated to Declutter When Overwhelmed by Mess
Declutter Your Home in 5 Minutes a Day
100 Things to Get Rid of Right Now
