8 Tips for Decluttering Your Space Without Getting Overwhelmed

Clutter piles up quickly; one second, you’re looking at a few pieces of unused furniture in a tiny corner of the room. Before you know it, it can grow into stacks of unopened mail, piles of old clothes, and shelves crammed with office supplies you don’t even use.

When that happens, the thought of decluttering can seem overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Decluttering your space doesn’t have to mean having a meltdown because of the stress. Here are eight tips to clear out your home without feeling too overwhelmed.

1. Start with a Small Area

It’s difficult to take in clutter from all over the house. The more you look at each room with piles of stuff, the more overwhelmed you’ll feel. Don’t force yourself to plan out how to declutter your entire home. Instead, start your decluttering process by zeroing in on one small space first. 

This can be a specific room in the house, whether it’s organizing the yard, sweeping up the kitchen, or tidying up the garage. If even that feels overwhelming, you can go even smaller and focus on a single drawer or cabinet. The more focused you are on one area, the more manageable cleaning will feel.

2. Establish Clear Rules 

One of the most overwhelming parts of decluttering is constantly having to decide whether to keep or toss an item. A great way to streamline this decision-making process is by setting a clear criteria and rules about what to keep and throw out.

Maybe you can do the one-year rule, where you throw out everything you haven’t used in the past year. You could also consider the famous KonMari method, where you toss everything that doesn’t spark joy. The more you stick by your rules, the faster and less stress-inducing decluttering can be.

3. Sort Clutter into Categories

Set up four big boxes in your space and label each one with Keep, Donate, and Throw Away. You can even have a Sell box to make extra money while you declutter. Then, toss each product in one of the boxes as you tidy up your space.

These clear categories allow you to be more intentional about what you do with each item. It also makes things more organized. This tip is especially helpful if you’re decluttering before a big move.

4. Put on a Fun Playlist or Podcast

When you’re trying to clean up a messy home, silence can be deafening. It forces you to absorb the clutter all at once, which can make you anxious and slow you down. To beat that anxiety, put on a playlist with songs you enjoy. 

This creates a more fun atmosphere in your home, allowing you to unwind and be in a more relaxed mindset as you declutter. This easy step transforms decluttering from a chore into a pleasant and enjoyable experience.

You can also opt to put on an interesting podcast, whether it’s a comedy talk show or a true crime retelling. 

5. Space Out Decluttering Sessions Into Multiple Days

For some people, the most stress-inducing part of decluttering a home is the pressure to do it all in one day. However, forcing yourself to finish everything in one go is overwhelming and can burn you out.

Instead, set aside a couple of hours of decluttering across a number of days. For example, if you’re decluttering over the weekend, do it for two hours on Saturday and another two on Sunday. You could also do 30 minutes a day for each day of the week.

Breaking up your decluttering project into multiple days allows your brain to rest and recuperate after making so many decisions about keeping or tossing things in a short amount of time.

When you pick up on where you left off the next day, your mind will have a fresh perspective on things and you’ll have more energy to make more decisions about things you want to keep, throw out, or donate.

6. Declutter with a Friend

Chores become a lot less stressful when you have someone else to do them with. Look for someone who can be your decluttering “buddy,” whether it’s your spouse or your best friend, whom you invite over to your house for the day.

Having someone lend a hand when you tidy up your home takes a lot of the load off your shoulders. Family members can help decide about what to do with certain items, just so you don’t have to make every decision yourself.

Meanwhile, friends can give you a second opinion on whether you should keep or toss something out, especially when you’re torn about it.

Even if they don’t help out with the cleaning process itself, simply having someone with you as you declutter is already a huge help. Having someone to tell stories and laugh with instantly makes cleaning a lot less boring and overwhelming.

7. Hire a Junk Removal Service

Decluttering is the most overwhelming when you have big pieces of furniture that you don’t know what to do with. It’s difficult to decide what to do with a big couch you don’t want anymore, or old kitchen appliances you barely use sitting on the counter.

If you have lots of junk you want taken out of your space but don’t know how to do it yourself, it might make the most sense to book a junk removal service that can do it for you.

What’s great about these services is that you don’t have to lift a finger to move out your clutter. A team visits your home, takes your junk, and then delivers it to landfills, recycling plants, and donation drives for you.

It’s decluttering and junk removal made easy, so you don’t have to worry about unwanted items collecting dust in your space.

8. Reward Yourself After Cleaning Up

Give yourself something to look forward to after decluttering your home by promising yourself a reward when the day’s work is done. It can be anything from buying that cute top you’ve been eyeing for weeks now, or a big plate of your favorite dessert to cap off the night.

Having a reward in mind can motivate you to declutter your space faster and more efficiently. It keeps you focused because you keep your eyes on the prize. 

Endnote

When you set your mind to it, decluttering can be not only productive, but calming and satisfying, too. By following the tips, clearing up your space won’t leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed.