How To Declutter When You’re a Hoarder

Jenny/ January 31, 2020/ Family Life

So every winter we get stuck in our houses and this horrible subject comes up. How on earth do we get so much stuff? Seriously, where in the heck does it all come from? I’m pretty sure it sneaks in at night and fills up my cupboards with STUFF. So this article on how to Declutter when You’re a Hoarder hits me smack in the face.

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BTW, we’re doing a Declutter Challenge along with several other bloggers! I’d love to have you join us. Just click this link & check out all our tips and tricks!

Recognize you are a clutter hoarder.

1st step people is to admit that you hoard. Oh its different for every person but most of us hoard something. I don’t really want to admit to all my hoarding tendencies but one of them is keeping the box for everything I get. Seriously, why do I do that? I’m not as bad as I was but the struggle is real. Maybe because my parents were hoarders (they kept mail for years I think) but in childhood I never learned how to throw crap away. My mom kept ALL my school papers from grade school. Why? I have no earthly idea. Now she passes them to me. What do i do with them? Pitch them but its hard! Just being real here. And why is it hard? I have no idea because honestly it is JUNK, TRASH, WORTHLESS. And if I’m not super careful it will take over my house.

Clutter is stressful!

Oh my gosh! Clutter is so insanely stressful and its really completely unnecessary. I mean do we really need multiples of the same thing? One time I was decluttering I realized I had 3 blenders. 3! Like why did I have that? I was justifying by saying that I was keeping them in case one broke.

Lets get to the root of the problem…

Hoarding is really emotional. We hoard because we have an emotional attachment to things. We think if we get rid of stuff we lose the feelings or people we associate with the things. That’s why we keep the present our mother in law got us even though we never use it.

We also feel like stuff can make us happy and fulfilled. This is totally not true. While simply looking at 3 blenders may make us momentarily feel rich when it comes to storing and cleaning around the 3 blenders its a different story.

Check out my post on how we did a Summer Declutter!

Letting go of clutter.

When you first start to think of getting rid of clutter it can be frightening or make you feel very sad. After all if you give away the clothes you no longer wear what if you change your mind and want them back…The struggles are real but honestly they are in your mind.

Make that first step to Declutter!

Ok you know you need to do this so how in the world do you start? I’m so glad you asked! 1st step is to make a list of all the places you need to Declutter. List them separately and be very specific (bathroom cabinet, junk drawer ECT…) Don’t just say bathroom or kitchen. Those are wayyy to broad and will cause more stress.

Next you need to order them from least cluttered to most cluttered. Why? Well because you’re going to work from the least to the worst. Its simply too overwhelming to start with your worst spot first. You’ll get discouraged and just quit!

Now, grab 5 boxes and label them keep, sell, donate, trash, and belongs elsewhere.

Now you’re ready to set a timer for 20-30 minutes and tackle that smallest job. Pull everything out and stick it in one of the boxes. Be RUTHLESS people, not sentimental. After its empty clean it and return only the items that actually belong there that you actually use and need.

Pitch the trash right away. Seriously get rid of those recycled butter bowl lids. I know it seems like a waste but….ummmm…just do it! Recycle if you want to but only if you do it promptly.

Start a donate bag or box that you empty this donate box into each time and CLOSE IT. Why? Because you will be tempted to drag stuff back out. Don’t.Do.It.

You can leave your sell pile in this box as long as you don’t remove anything to keep. Put a sell by date on it and if it hits that date and hasn’t sold, donate it!

You should have 1 box left and its your “belongs elsewhere” box. You know exactly what I mean. Its why the rolling pin is in the same drawer as your address book (mine is😂😂).

Now look at this! You did it! You can mark 1 spot off your list. Hurray!!

Decluttering can become a habit.

Yep that’s exactly right. Declutter your home on a regular basis and you will eventually break those chains it holds on your soul!

Just like you completed 1 task above now its time to tackle the rest of them. You can do it! Go down the lines and knock those babies out!!!

Oh my gosh, you’re suddenly done one day and realize you are NO LONGER A HOARDER! Your house is easily cleaned and organized and the spices aren’t next to the toilet paper.Hehe!

Are you a hoarder? Do you struggle with managing your home? Sign up for my mailing list and I’ll send you my FREE PRINTABLE CHEAT SHEET for decluttering your home!

Comment below on what is your great clutter problem area.

Decuttering the Overly Cluttered Home: Clothing Cleanout

https://www.themusingsofmum.com/4-steps-to-declutter-your-home/