How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed

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Drowning in clutter? How to start decluttering when overwhelmed by the clutter in your home. Practical tips that make the task of decluttering more manageable.

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How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed

Once you've decided to get organized and declutter, figuring out how to get started decluttering can be super overwhelming.

Maybe you've tried to get organized before without much success.

Or maybe you just need more information on how to declutter your house.

Decluttering takes a lot of physical and mental energy.

If you can break it down into smaller tasks, you can avoid feeling completely overwhelmed.

Here are some ideas to help you start decluttering without getting overwhelmed.

inside of junk drawer that needs to be decluttered

Start With a Small Space

To begin, start with a super small space.

Find something you could declutter in an hour or less.

Think really small – like a drawer, a shelf, or a cabinet.

Take a “before” picture, and then get to work!

Use the decluttering checklist in this article to lead you through the process of decluttering the small space.

Then, take an “after” picture, and celebrate your success.

This is your first decluttering win!

decluttered bedroom with gray walls white bed dressers

How to Declutter a Room

Once you've decluttered a small space, you can either continue decluttering small spaces (because it's so satisfying to see the before and afters!), or you can level up your decluttering and tackle a whole room.

I recommend starting with your bedroom or your laundry room.

Why?

Because you likely have more control over those spaces in your home.

If you're like me, you're probably the only one in your house that spends a lot of time in the laundry room.

You can declutter and organize your laundry room in a day, and make it a nicer space to be!

Your bedroom is another great place to start, because you'll get to reap the benefits of a calmer place to rest.

Go here to find out how to declutter your room.

Decluttering list PDF download

Use a Decluttering Checklist

After you've done a small decluttering project or two, and decluttered an entire room, start focusing on your top priority areas to declutter.

Make a decluttering list of areas in your home that you want to declutter and organize.

Then use your decluttering checklist to complete those projects.

Declutter and Organize with the 10-Minute Tasks System from Organizing Moms.

Do 10-Minute Decluttering Tasks

After your decluttering list is done, or if you just need some easy wins, do daily 10-minute decluttering tasks.

These tasks are designed to tackle the most important areas of a home, and they're easy.

Go here to learn more about 10-Minute decluttering tasks.

30 day declutter challenge

Do a Decluttering Challenge

Keeping up with clutter, and creating a decluttering habit helps you make steady progress.

I like to use challenges help me stay consistent with daily decluttering.

Here are some good ones that you can start today:

  • A Month of Decluttering – I love the chart used in this challenge. Try to declutter each day for a whole month, and fill in the chart as you go.
  • 30-Day-Declutter Challenge – If you need more specific guidance on areas to declutter, this challenge is perfect!

quote owning less is better than organizing more joshua becker

Motivation to Declutter

Whether you are just starting to declutter, or you're trying to maintain your space, finding ways to stay motivated is challenging.

Here are some specific decluttering motivation ideas.

And, you can get decluttering inspiration from these decluttering quotes.

Want to learn from the top minimalism and simplicity experts? Get on the waiting list for Joshua Becker's Uncluttered course, and get a free course preview..

More Decluttering Resources

How to Declutter and Organize Your Space

How to Declutter Your House in One Week

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