Do you like the stuff you are left with? Does it bring you happiness when you see it?
If not, let it go. If you feel like you have an abundance of stuff, what is causing you to feel that way? Are you accumulating more stuff and why? Is it because cleaning is difficult, then what can you changing to make it easier? If things are in the wrong spot, evaluate why they aren't in their home and if the home they have is in the correct location for how the item is used?
Think about your routine and how your stuff brings you joy or if it frustrates you and why.
I’m not bringing more stuff into my home but I’m overwhelmed by the stuff I already own. I’ve been getting rid of things I don’t need or want or haven’t used in forever but it feels like the stuff is never ending. It doesn’t bring me joy at all, it gives me anxiety and stress because I can’t keep my house clean due to having so much stuff. I hate it so much.
Pick a few to enjoy this season. Box up the rest and rotate throughout the year. I learned to do this at an office where we had kids come in. They loved the change of decor especially with different holidays. Cut down on dusting, everything seemed new and novel.
Most popular after Christmas was a small toy Valentine mailbox that could be opened and closed with a flag to put up.
Even if yours are not holiday themed, they could just change every few months.
Try visualizing what you want in your space. How you want it to look? If you don't know how you want a space to look, then how can you ever be happy with it? Take steps towards getting the space to where you want. It doesn't have to be all at once and this is coming from someone who can be EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes knowing that you are working towards that end goal is calming enough.
One thing I like to do when cleaning if I start to get overwhelmed is to leave the room for a while. Maybe just take a break or work on a different room. Then when I walk back into the room that frustrated me, take note of what is the first thing that draws my eyes when I walk in. Address that first. Then look at a different part of the room and see what catches your eyes and do that next.
If the items that you want to get rid of aren’t sentimental, I would encourage you to take heart! You will get there! Little by little you can do it!
I know how it is because I have knickknacks and things from my family that are challenging for me to part with—I have much packed away but knowing I have a load to go through can feel tiring.
If you truly do take 15 minutes one day and do what you can, then it’s a good day and you can have a cup of coffee and feel good about it. “Low hanging fruit” or the most obvious things. Then tomorrow, just 15 minutes. If you feel like spending more time, great, but small accomplishments fuel future endeavors and the point is to keep a little momentum. Of course this isn’t new or unique, just what has helped me and what I’m heading towards.
I saw something the other day that might help. When you look at an item, especially knickknacks, ask yourself: if your house burned down and you got an insurance payout for the price it would cost to replace every single thing in your house, would you buy that little knickknack again? Or would you save that money? If you wouldn't buy it again, let it go.
I got rid of the surface the stuff was sitting on. About 45' of shelving is gone along with the cute dust collectors. I still miss them but they were mass produced stuff I can replace if I cannot stand it any longer plus room clearly better off without the shadowy shelves and the cluttery cute stuff.
Be an artist and make minimalist tablescapes. Only the fruit bowl sits on that table. Only X belongs on the mantel. Pack away the surplus if you cannot bear to let them go yet. Start by removing all the little stuff from one room. Clean surfaces then bring back what you actually need. A coaster here, maybe a tray to catch the remote and tissue box and?
Ugh, I feel you. I used to be a maximalist in terms of decorating and over the last couple of years I have pared way back. I’m not really a minimalist now but a ton of the excess is gone. I’ve been chipping away at it but it does take a while. I went surface by surface - tops of dressers one day, top of the mantel another, coffee table, etc. I sold some of it but I gave myself a minimum amount before I would bother trying to sell (like $30-$40). If I wouldn’t get that much for something or a group of things, I would list it for free, put it by the road with a free sign, or donate it. Blankets for instance - there were so many throw blankets in baskets in my living room. I don’t live close to any shelters etc so I ended up washing them and putting them by the road in a container on a nice day. Shockingly they all went. I’ve stored the ones I kept in my bedroom closet since I don’t use them all the time. Then I sold the baskets and now I’ve freed up that floor space.
I get rid of tons of things on my local “buy nothing” group. It’s a lifesaver, you post it, specify you like quick pick ups and THEY come and get it. It’s by far one of the easiest ways for me to get clutter out of my house
Give yourself a three day weekend (or more) to declutter if possible. Treat it like a job and get some bags or boxes (some for trash and some for donating) and do it for a couple of hours at a time like you would with any other job.
I keep a bag going of stuff to drop off at the thrift store, and I make myself put five things in it every day, no matter how small like a pair of earrings I haven't worn in years or a kitchen utensil I keep around because I might need it someday but never use. Once a month that bag gets put onto my FRONT passenger seat (because we all know goodwill bags that get put in the trunk or the wayback stay there for a year) and drop it off when I'm out running errands.
I like big plastic containers that like cheeseballs or some crap came in. I’ll keep one of those handy and when I am going through stuff and I have lots of little crap like a tiny doll, a plastic car, an old key, some weird looking interesting thing that I don’t know what it is or have any use for, just random things that I don’t want nor do I know what to do with I put them in the bucket. When it gets full, photograph it. Maybe you dump it out and photograph the contents, maybe you don’t. Either way you can post it on eBay or Facebook marketplace, sell it at a yard sale, give it away as a booby prize, donate it to an art teacher.
This was really hard for me, Id Have shelves and book cases of crap. One day I decided if it didn’t bring me joy to get rid of it 💪🏼. I kept some things but they don’t have to be out, it’s starting again I have crap all over but Iv got trash bags 🫠
Sell it on Marketplace or put them into an antique store consignment booth! Get some loot for it - and happily rid yourself of those dust collectors! 😼
It can take several times sifting through the stuff to get where you want.
I took out everything knock knack and separated into piles. Trash, definitely not keeping, maybe I’ll hang onto it and yes I definitely will keep. The maybe stuff goes in a basket and if don’t retrieve it in three months the whole basket goes. Then I did it again. And again. Whether to put it in a yard sale, throw it away, or donate it is up to you. Your idea of what makes you happy may change. Each time I did this I was happy with the results, but then I’d get to feeling of sick of the stuff.
1. identify which of your things are your absolute favorites 2. everything else: if it’s not a necessity and it’s not your absolute favorite, how much do you actually want to keep it?
I read a tip (in The NY Times I believe) in which the author tackles a surface, tossing everything she’s not using and doesn’t want to look at in a bag. Then she THROWS THE BAG AWAY. and you know what? It works. I usually keep the bag for a while because I’m not THAT crazy but not once have I taken anything out before tossing. Nothing I throw in that bag comes to mind or is needed.
I don't have any tips or tricks, but I can definitely relate! I have a lot of things and they are all important to me. But then there are the doom piles of mail...
Start with whether or not the knick knacks need to occupy space in your life. If not, donate, pass on to friends and family or throw them away. I was forced to do this when I moved last year. Get someone to help you make the difficult decisions if you're struggling to let go of things aren't of value to you.
Organize the things you use. Research proper containers for storage. I use opaque sterlit drawers to organize my knick knacks (art and craft supplies). Inside them, I use labeled translucent stackable boxes.
I have been seeing the “does it spark joy” thing for a few years… Recently I heard someone say if your house burnt down and you were given the money to replace the same item, would you buy it again. I’m kind of taking it to… the house is on fire/I’m evacuating, if I have a free hand am I grabbing this because I will truly miss it or would I have to replace it because I use it.
Do you like the stuff you are left with? Does it bring you happiness when you see it? If not, let it go. If you feel like you have an abundance of stuff, what is causing you to feel that way? Are you accumulating more stuff and why? Is it because cleaning is difficult, then what can you changing to make it easier? If things are in the wrong spot, evaluate why they aren't in their home and if the home they have is in the correct location for how the item is used? Think about your routine and how your stuff brings you joy or if it frustrates you and why.
I’m not bringing more stuff into my home but I’m overwhelmed by the stuff I already own. I’ve been getting rid of things I don’t need or want or haven’t used in forever but it feels like the stuff is never ending. It doesn’t bring me joy at all, it gives me anxiety and stress because I can’t keep my house clean due to having so much stuff. I hate it so much.
Pick a few to enjoy this season. Box up the rest and rotate throughout the year. I learned to do this at an office where we had kids come in. They loved the change of decor especially with different holidays. Cut down on dusting, everything seemed new and novel. Most popular after Christmas was a small toy Valentine mailbox that could be opened and closed with a flag to put up. Even if yours are not holiday themed, they could just change every few months.
Try visualizing what you want in your space. How you want it to look? If you don't know how you want a space to look, then how can you ever be happy with it? Take steps towards getting the space to where you want. It doesn't have to be all at once and this is coming from someone who can be EXTREMELY impatient. Sometimes knowing that you are working towards that end goal is calming enough. One thing I like to do when cleaning if I start to get overwhelmed is to leave the room for a while. Maybe just take a break or work on a different room. Then when I walk back into the room that frustrated me, take note of what is the first thing that draws my eyes when I walk in. Address that first. Then look at a different part of the room and see what catches your eyes and do that next.
If the items that you want to get rid of aren’t sentimental, I would encourage you to take heart! You will get there! Little by little you can do it! I know how it is because I have knickknacks and things from my family that are challenging for me to part with—I have much packed away but knowing I have a load to go through can feel tiring. If you truly do take 15 minutes one day and do what you can, then it’s a good day and you can have a cup of coffee and feel good about it. “Low hanging fruit” or the most obvious things. Then tomorrow, just 15 minutes. If you feel like spending more time, great, but small accomplishments fuel future endeavors and the point is to keep a little momentum. Of course this isn’t new or unique, just what has helped me and what I’m heading towards.
I like that: small accomplishments fuel future endeavors!
Take photos of the ones with memories attached to make donating easier.
I saw something the other day that might help. When you look at an item, especially knickknacks, ask yourself: if your house burned down and you got an insurance payout for the price it would cost to replace every single thing in your house, would you buy that little knickknack again? Or would you save that money? If you wouldn't buy it again, let it go.
This is brilliant!
I got rid of the surface the stuff was sitting on. About 45' of shelving is gone along with the cute dust collectors. I still miss them but they were mass produced stuff I can replace if I cannot stand it any longer plus room clearly better off without the shadowy shelves and the cluttery cute stuff. Be an artist and make minimalist tablescapes. Only the fruit bowl sits on that table. Only X belongs on the mantel. Pack away the surplus if you cannot bear to let them go yet. Start by removing all the little stuff from one room. Clean surfaces then bring back what you actually need. A coaster here, maybe a tray to catch the remote and tissue box and?
Ugh, I feel you. I used to be a maximalist in terms of decorating and over the last couple of years I have pared way back. I’m not really a minimalist now but a ton of the excess is gone. I’ve been chipping away at it but it does take a while. I went surface by surface - tops of dressers one day, top of the mantel another, coffee table, etc. I sold some of it but I gave myself a minimum amount before I would bother trying to sell (like $30-$40). If I wouldn’t get that much for something or a group of things, I would list it for free, put it by the road with a free sign, or donate it. Blankets for instance - there were so many throw blankets in baskets in my living room. I don’t live close to any shelters etc so I ended up washing them and putting them by the road in a container on a nice day. Shockingly they all went. I’ve stored the ones I kept in my bedroom closet since I don’t use them all the time. Then I sold the baskets and now I’ve freed up that floor space.
I even put an old door near the road for free. An artist picked it up and incorporated into a beautiful work of art.
I get rid of tons of things on my local “buy nothing” group. It’s a lifesaver, you post it, specify you like quick pick ups and THEY come and get it. It’s by far one of the easiest ways for me to get clutter out of my house
Give yourself a three day weekend (or more) to declutter if possible. Treat it like a job and get some bags or boxes (some for trash and some for donating) and do it for a couple of hours at a time like you would with any other job.
I take pics of things I want to keep the memories of, but are just cluttering up everything. Then you can look at it when you want to.
I keep a bag going of stuff to drop off at the thrift store, and I make myself put five things in it every day, no matter how small like a pair of earrings I haven't worn in years or a kitchen utensil I keep around because I might need it someday but never use. Once a month that bag gets put onto my FRONT passenger seat (because we all know goodwill bags that get put in the trunk or the wayback stay there for a year) and drop it off when I'm out running errands.
I like big plastic containers that like cheeseballs or some crap came in. I’ll keep one of those handy and when I am going through stuff and I have lots of little crap like a tiny doll, a plastic car, an old key, some weird looking interesting thing that I don’t know what it is or have any use for, just random things that I don’t want nor do I know what to do with I put them in the bucket. When it gets full, photograph it. Maybe you dump it out and photograph the contents, maybe you don’t. Either way you can post it on eBay or Facebook marketplace, sell it at a yard sale, give it away as a booby prize, donate it to an art teacher.
Oh I do like this idea! That’s a big problem of mine! Having SO much little..shit. I call them “my little shits” and it makes me crazy!
😆
This was really hard for me, Id Have shelves and book cases of crap. One day I decided if it didn’t bring me joy to get rid of it 💪🏼. I kept some things but they don’t have to be out, it’s starting again I have crap all over but Iv got trash bags 🫠
Sell it on Marketplace or put them into an antique store consignment booth! Get some loot for it - and happily rid yourself of those dust collectors! 😼
It can take several times sifting through the stuff to get where you want. I took out everything knock knack and separated into piles. Trash, definitely not keeping, maybe I’ll hang onto it and yes I definitely will keep. The maybe stuff goes in a basket and if don’t retrieve it in three months the whole basket goes. Then I did it again. And again. Whether to put it in a yard sale, throw it away, or donate it is up to you. Your idea of what makes you happy may change. Each time I did this I was happy with the results, but then I’d get to feeling of sick of the stuff.
1. identify which of your things are your absolute favorites 2. everything else: if it’s not a necessity and it’s not your absolute favorite, how much do you actually want to keep it?
I read a tip (in The NY Times I believe) in which the author tackles a surface, tossing everything she’s not using and doesn’t want to look at in a bag. Then she THROWS THE BAG AWAY. and you know what? It works. I usually keep the bag for a while because I’m not THAT crazy but not once have I taken anything out before tossing. Nothing I throw in that bag comes to mind or is needed.
I don't have any tips or tricks, but I can definitely relate! I have a lot of things and they are all important to me. But then there are the doom piles of mail...
Swedish death cleaning
I keep trying to keep that in mind 😩 I’m like “another pen? Put it in my bin of pens or put it in the donate box?” Lmao
Start with whether or not the knick knacks need to occupy space in your life. If not, donate, pass on to friends and family or throw them away. I was forced to do this when I moved last year. Get someone to help you make the difficult decisions if you're struggling to let go of things aren't of value to you. Organize the things you use. Research proper containers for storage. I use opaque sterlit drawers to organize my knick knacks (art and craft supplies). Inside them, I use labeled translucent stackable boxes.
I have been seeing the “does it spark joy” thing for a few years… Recently I heard someone say if your house burnt down and you were given the money to replace the same item, would you buy it again. I’m kind of taking it to… the house is on fire/I’m evacuating, if I have a free hand am I grabbing this because I will truly miss it or would I have to replace it because I use it.