Do you have a lot of useless things lying around your house? If you are a hoarder or a pack rat, these decluttering techniques can help you finally get rid of all that excess stuff. The cliche “junk drawer” captures the universality of the problem: nearly everyone has one, and usually to some degree. A few of my more basic suggestions for decluttering might be all you needed if the junk drawer in question is not the major source of your clutter. This is decluttering tips for hoarders
How to declutter your entire life
However, for some, the clutter becomes overwhelming and causes stress and interruptions in their daily lives. When that transpires, all the disorganization becomes too much to handle. Once hoarding becomes a problem, it’s going to take a lot of time and energy to sort through everything and get rid of the excess. Fortunately, you can go through the procedure of decluttering without becoming a nervous wreck if you follow a few tried-and-true strategies made especially for hoarders.
Perhaps you’re thinking, “Huh, I’d want to try this extreme decluttering thing.” My friend, I welcome you with open arms. You have been invited to join us. The first step on a thousand mile trip, as the Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu often observed, is the hardest.
Remember to be kind to yourself while you go through this. Never judge where you are on your minimalist journey based on where someone else is.
Extreme Decluttering Tips for Hoarders
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Take Your Time
It’s preferable to declutter in spurts, in my opinion. You’ll get a better job done clearing up clutter and will have a better experience doing it since it will feel more manageable and less daunting if you tackle it in stages.
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Make it enjoyable
Getting rid of clutter is hard work. However, as any collection of hoarding decluttering advice would attest, work and play may coexist happily!
Make your decluttering “sessions” enjoyable and brief. Because it’s far more challenging to encourage yourself to complete the work if it isn’t at least a little enjoyable, this is one of my top decluttering suggestions for hoarders.
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Plan Ahead
The best way to keep going after making improvement for a few days is to have some sort of goal in mind to work toward. The process of setting and working toward targets might provide the extra push you need. I suggest utilizing your approach to guide your goal-setting.
Make sure they are realistic and observable. Simple requests like “clear the kitchen countertops” are ineffective because they are too easy to ignore. Instead, setting a deadline like “clean the kitchen counters by Saturday” is significantly more likely to get the job done.
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If You Need It, Just Ask
You can certainly manage this on your own. If you’re having trouble getting started because you’re feeling unmotivated or emotionally unprepared, though, you should seek out the support and assistance of loved ones. Having fun together as you worked is one of the finest decluttering strategies for hoarders.
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Don’t add to the mess.
After that, you must refrain from adding any more unnecessary things to the space. If you continue to acquire (or save) things you don’t need, decluttering will have no value.
If you need more motivation, simply consider how much cash you could save by avoiding frivolous purchases.
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Begin Small
The prospect of sorting through years’ worth of accumulated possessions might be daunting.
It’s alright. You don’t have to do the task immediately, in a single day, or in a week. It’s best to take your time and tackle the massive undertaking of decluttering in little chunks.
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Just take out the garbage
No, I don’t mean taking out the rubbish (though that’s a nice idea if the can is overflowing). I suggest starting with the most noticeable areas of your clutter and working your way down. It’ll take you no time at all, and it’ll have a significant effect on the clutter in your home.
To accomplish this, just wander around the room while toting a garbage bag. Gather all the litter and place it all in your bag. Used food containers, old food packaging, old grocery store flyers, old catalogs, old mail, etc.
If you want to improve the environment by recycling, you should carry two bags with you. Put your recyclables in one bag and your garbage in the other. When the garbage is gone, you’ll be amazed by how much more space you have.
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Put your efforts where they will have the most effect first.
Every space is unique and will require a different approach to decluttering. When you can see the fruits of your labor, you gain satisfaction from your efforts and confidence in your abilities, both of which propel you onward.
One of these regions is where I propose you begin your exploration. It’s best to get started in the space that gives you the most anxiety but isn’t too much to handle. However, you might want to avoid the messiest area first, as it can be rather much too soon.
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Start decluttering tips for hoarders !!
That’s easier said than done, I know. On the other hand, nothing will change until you take action. Moreover, “done is better than perfect” when it comes to cleaning up clutter.
If you’re stuck because you don’t know what to do to make it “perfect,” don’t worry about perfection; instead, give all your attention on the work at hand.