We all have at least some clutter in our lives.
You may have a pile of unopened mail on your kitchen counter. You could also have boxes of items from your family or friends and you don’t know where to take them. Such clutter could make your home feel disorganized and be a mental burden to you.
Fortunately, decluttering is not as difficult as people make it to be. The first step of decluttering is to stop hoarding and holding on to things you don’t need.
If you follow the steps below, you can declutter your house, stop hoarding and transform your space:
1. Start Slow
You can’t stop being a hoarder overnight. You need to work in incremental steps by starting slow. While everyone thinks that decluttering should be done overnight, you shouldn’t rush the process.
Decluttering without thinking could lead to you throwing out things that you might need in the future. Create a plan and work systematically from one room to the other. Work in incremental steps to thoroughly clean and efficiently declutter what you don’t need. Make sure to check out a storage unit near you where these stuff can be stored temporarily.
You can start with one room to the other or start with a collection of items. For instance, you could start with your clothes before moving on to your shoes and other things.
2. Get Organized
Do you struggle with hoarding tendencies? Looking for ways to get organized is the best way to avoid this behavior. You can also involve your friends and family in the process.
Ask for help if you need it. Getting organized should be a group effort for individuals who like holding on to things they may not need.
Gather your friends and family and see if they are willing to help you out. This could change your life in a big way.
3. Deal With Your Emotions Head-On
Whenever someone is doing something extreme such as hoarding, there are often unresolved emotions involved. You may not be dealing with these emotions correctly. Most individuals tend to hold on to material things to make themselves feel better.
The hoarding could be your way of feeling more loved and secure in your life. Most often, there is often serious emotional trauma involved for most individuals who have hoarding tendencies. When people struggle to handle negative emotions, they may try to connect their emotions with physical items.
However, this doesn’t work. It will only add to your problems, making things even worse than they are. You need to solve your emotional issues with emotional solutions and physical problems with physical solutions.
Recognize your negative emotions, and find a way to work through them. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. There is no shame in seeing a therapist; it will only make you mentally stronger.
4. Go Through as Many Guides Online to Help You Stop Hoarding
Today, most people recognize hoarding as a problem. Thus, there are numerous articles and guides online on how to stop hoarding. Go through these guidelines to help you through your hoarding problem.
These articles will help you get motivated and get rid of the overwhelming feeling of holding on to things. Take your time and read through these articles. Check out the recommendations and try to live by them.
However, don’t spend hours on the internet reading about hoarding. Spending too much time reading about something will give you a false impression that you are doing something about the problem. This becomes another excuse not to face your problem; thus, be very careful not to be caught on this web.
5. Toss Out or Give Away Items You Have Never Used
Even if you think that something is valuable to you, it could be just clutter, primarily if you have never used it. One example is camping gear that you no longer use or a cookbook that you bought thinking it’s exciting, but you don’t use anymore. Sort through everything and only keep items that suit your current lifestyle, not your theoretical one.
This means that you must get rid of some of your nice items. Instead of holding on to these things, it is best to let them go to a house where other people will enjoy them. You will also enjoy the free space you free up in the process.
6. Consider Selling Some of the Items
Some of the things you hold on to are meant to be recycled or thrown into the trash. However, other items could find a new home and earn you some money in the process. Turning your decluttering process into a profitable experience will give you the motivation to clear out items you don’t need anymore.
If you can’t stop hoarding, this could help you clear out anything you don’t need and learn to stop holding on to such items. You can hold yard sales, post your items on websites and sell in consignment shops. Any item that isn’t bought during the process could go to charity.
7. Wear Comfortable Clothes and Put on Your Favorite Music, and Get Started
After reading this article, you will hopefully be physically and mentally prepared to start decluttering. Having the motivation to clean and declutter will help you see how many items you are holding on to and hopefully stop hoarding.
Decluttering and cleaning is a lot of work. If you completely lack the motivation, you should consider hiring a cleaning service to help you. Check out this article to find out more about this hoarding clean up service.
Are You Ready to Stop Hoarding?
Are you ready to stop hoarding and change your life? Ensure you follow the above tips. It’s challenging to stop hoarding, especially if you hold on to your stuff for emotional reasons.
However, dealing with your emotions, taking time to evaluate what you need, and getting rid of what you don’t need will help you slowly get over the habit.
If you like this article, check out other posts on our website for more life hacks.
