Your home should reflect your personality and style, but sometimes it can be difficult to achieve that when there is clutter everywhere. Decluttering your space is the first step in creating a more serene and organized living area. Although decluttering can be challenging, it is also a liberating process that can help you achieve a more peaceful environment.
If you're ready to commit to decluttering, download our comprehensive decluttering checklist. It is categorized by room and includes over 100 household items to declutter. Here's a small sneak peek of what you can expect to find on the checklist:
Declutter Your Bathrooms + Linen Closets
Closet Mismatched & tattered linens
Stained towels
Unused beach towels
Expired makeup & beauty products
Unused bath & shower products
Old hairbrushes & combs
Why Is Decluttering So Hard
Decluttering can pose a challenge to many individuals, as the underlying reasons can vary considerably. It's important to recognize that the complexity of this task may differ depending on the person.
Whilst working with clients, I frequently encounter individuals who voice their difficulties when it comes to decluttering. Here are their top decluttering concerns:
Emotional Attachment: People often struggle to let go of their belongings due to sentimental value and memories associated with them. They fear losing those memories if they discard the items.
Decision Fatigue: Decluttering requires many decisions about what to keep, donate, sell, or throw away, which can exhaust you physically and mentally.
Overwhelm and Procrastination: Cluttered spaces can be overwhelming, causing procrastination. The task feels insurmountable, leading people to avoid it altogether.
Fear of Regret: There is anxiety over the possibility of regretting the removal of an item in the future, which can lead to hesitance in making decisions while decluttering.
Future Use or Value: It's tough to part with unused items because we might need them later. Clients always say, "I might need it one day."
Sunk Cost Fallacy: People struggle to part with expensive or once-valuable items, even if they are no longer needed — it's money down the drain.
Lack of Organization Skills: Decluttering can be overwhelming when you don't know where to start or what to do first.
Environmental Concerns: People may hesitate to declutter items out of a desire to reduce waste and be environmentally conscious, leading to uncertainty about the most responsible way to dispose of items.
Get Your Decluttering Checklist
Remember that decluttering is a personal process, and the items you decide to remove from your home depend on your needs, lifestyle, and preferences. Get your downloadable decluttering checklist here. Once you have your checklist, you can start decluttering one area at a time, checking off items as you go. Happy decluttering!