A very common emotion experienced when faced with clutter is intense overwhelm. It's a powerful emotion and in difficult situations is often coupled with feelings of stress, fear, and dread.
An instinctive reaction to overwhelm is often to back away- physically, emotionally, and mentally. And this is completely understandable, considering the very debilitating nature of this emotion.
The way we respond to overwhelm and the reasons for overwhelm when faced with clutter can vary greatly.
When you have clutter, two distinct skills are required to create a sense of order.
The ability to declutter, which is all about removing excess
Organising
People who struggle with clutter often struggle to remove the excess.
The reasons for this are vast and varied, which we will not go into in this post.
There is usually a struggle to organise, which involves the ability to sort, classify and prioritise.
The most important starting point to removing clutter is the desire to remove the clutter. Without this awareness and desire to change, change will not happen.
Is there an 'off switch' to overwhelm?
There are strategies you can adopt to lessen overwhelm. Sometimes being aware of the 'why' and becoming more self-aware is the starting point. When you begin to implement strategies to lessen overwhelm, in time you will likely become more intuitive at organising and develop new thinking and doing habits.
Decision fatigue: Faced with clutter and not knowing what to do or where to get started is very common. It is one of the most common reasons people feel paralysed when faced with clutter.
Sometimes people find focusing during the decluttering process very difficult. Making decisions can be very taxing and thinking about what to do with each item can create overwhelm. It's a good plan to have some strategies in place to help you decide.
Is it broken?
Does it belong to someone else?
Is it still functional?
Does it suit my current style?
Is it a quality item?
Is it fashionable or classic? Do I want to stay with the current trend? Is this important?
Do I actually still like this item?
If I am wearing this item, does it enhance me? Is it comfortable? Does it fit?
Thinking too far ahead: If you put pressure on yourself to fix the clutter quickly, you may be setting yourself up for stress. Chances are, it took time for the clutter to get there, it will take time to remove. Ease up on yourself and make a plan to tackle the clutter.
No plan = no idea how to move forward = stress: Take time to think about and WRITE DOWN your plan of attack, Getting your thoughts on paper will take a surprising amount of emotional weight off.
Ask yourself:
Which room do I want to start with? My suggestion would be to tackle a room you use a lot or a room causing you a lot of grief from its disorganised state.
What aspect/area of the room will I tackle first?
What will you do with what I don't want?
Will I donate to charity, friends, or family?
Will I sell some items?
What will I do with damaged items?
Sort and prioritise
Once you have decluttered and during the decluttering process, you will need to categorise your items. This is an important strategy in helping to classify your items into themes.
You will also need to consider the best place for your items, not only furniture but functional and decorative items.
Hatch a support plan
Having another set of eyes and an accountability buddy to ask you questions to help you decide what to keep / not keep, can help. Sometimes you may want to talk through why an object has meant so much to you.
Decide to get started
If you are serious about decluttering your life and creating a sense of order and calm, make a decision. That is where it all starts.
I think having an accountability buddy/support person to help you get the ball rolling is a great idea. Oftentimes starting is the hardest part, but they can also help when you start to see your motivation flagging mid way.
Natasha has assisted us on multiple occasions and we cannot recommend her highly enough. She is practical, knowledgeable and we will always be grateful to have found her services.