Hurdles you might come across as you declutter your possessions

I want to talk a little bit today about some of the key hurdles you might come across as you start to declutter and organise you home. Forewarned is forearmed, so I hope that by talking about these potential hurdles now, you’ll have some strategies to get over them if they do crop up.

Resistance from others

I usually find that the people you live with are really grateful for the time investment you are making into your home when you declutter and organise your belongings. Friends and family outside of your home are usually really supportive (& often envious!) too as they see your home taking an calmer, more organised shape.

But occasionally you might find that people, particularly those you live with, aren’t so happy. This might be because they don’t like you ‘chucking out their stuff’ (children, often) or maybe because they generally don’t like change, or even they think it’s a waste of time. Whatever the reason for such resistance, my advice is the same – continue to focus purely on your own possessions and steer clear of ‘their areas’ and ‘their things’. Usually, when they see the progress and change you are making within your own sphere, they’ll be keen to get on board, or at least, will be less resistant to your efforts in joint areas.

Difficulty letting things go

You know that you don’t love this pile of things that you have thoughtfully decluttered, but you are anxious about letting them go. They cost money. They were expensive. You were given them as a gift. You don’t want to waste them. It can’t be recycled or reused.

If you feel anxiety around getting rid of things, there are several things to think about in justifying your decision (to yourself) to let them go.

• when your home is more organised, with less clutter, you’ll end up buying less because you’ll be able to find things more easily and won’t need to buy a replacement
• if you pare back what you have (e.g. getting rid of consumables like toiletries, stationery, craft supplies and food that you know you won’t use) you’ll have better stock control moving forward. This means you are less likely to over-buy and things won’t get wasted from now on in your better organised home.
• sometimes, for your own mental wellbeing, getting rid of something is legitimately the best option, even if that means it doesn’t see out it’s full life. Making this decision has two profound benefits: firstly – you regain space and control in your home, and your mental wellbeing improves and secondly – knowing you made that decision will result in you making better decisions about what you buy / bring into your home in the future.

Overwhelmed mid-declutter

You might find that although you were getting on so well, you run out of energy and you feel overwhelmed, just as you have emptied half the contents of your kitchen onto the floor. There are three things to keep in mind here:

1. It always gets worse before it gets better. It will get better. Keep going, trust the process.
2. Bitesize is good when you’re tackling decluttering alone – if you’re feeling overwhelmed try to take a step back and focus on one distinct task.
3. It might be obvious, but take a break. Have a cup of tea (my go to for any ail!). You’ll come back to it afresh, and I can guarantee you it will still be there when you return!