Preventing Clutter From Coming Home With You

Hello again! Sorry for the long absence, but I’m back with some more tips for decluttering your home and getting organized.

Today we’re going to focus on some of the actions you can take to prevent further clutter from entering your home in the first place.

Learn how to say NO to others and to yourself

Have you been offered items by a well-meaning friend or relative that you brought home and just shoved in a closet, never to be used or even seen? You’re not alone.

Many people love to pass along things to others, especially if they think the item would be appreciated or used by them. Those who are on the receiving end don’t want to appear rude and so take the items home, even if they know they will never use them.

It can be even worse if the item is presented as a gift, because some people feel a sense of obligation to keep every gift they have ever received, even if they hate the item they were given.

Stop the madness!

Your home has limited space, and you have limited time on this earth to enjoy your living space. Why are you wasting both cluttering up your home with items that serve no practical use or bring you no joy?

Repeat this to yourself: I have no obligation to keep items that I do not need or want. Repeat as often as is needed.

Once a gift has been given, it is yours to do with as you please. If you have been given an ugly vase that you will never use or artwork that you will never display, either donate it or pass it along to someone else who will actually enjoy it.

Maybe you’ve been gifted a collection of ceramic elephants but tigers are more your thing, and you have a friend who loves elephants. Snap a picture, send it their way and ask if they are interested. If they’re not, donate!

If someone wants to pass an item along to you, and you know you will never use it, thank them for thinking of you but tell them no. Here a few different ways you can do so:

“Thank you, but I already have one.”

“Thank you, but I know I won’t use this. Maybe ____ could make use of it?”

“Thank you, but those seasons and sizes won’t work for our kids.”

Develop Healthier Shopping Habits

Too often, we find something we like, buy it, bring it home, and then have to figure out what we’re going to actually do with it. Does this system work for us? Not usually.

With shopping people often have a sense of urgency. (“If I don’t buy it, someone else will and it will be gone!”) We may not think things through.

Here’s what I like to do:

1. Pick up the item and examine it. Make sure it has no damage that would upset me if I discovered it later. (Things like worn out book bindings, bent pages, cracks in glass or ceramic, sloppy paint job, rips or tears that aren’t easily mended, etc.)
2. If the item passes my inspection, put it in my cart.
3. While I continue to shop, I reflect on my awareness of the item. Am I excited about my discovery, or does it fade to the back of my mind as I continue adding things to the cart? Will I have forgotten about it by the time I get to the till?
4. Ask myself these questions:
   – Do I already have something similar at home?
   – Where will I store this? Do I have room for it there?
   – Is this worth the price on the sticker? Could I get it somewhere else for cheaper or better quality?
   – When will I use it? Frequently or only rarely?
   – Why do I really want to buy it?

Usually by the time I’m done walking around the store, I have questioned myself about every item in my cart and have realized that some things just don’t make the cut.

It is highly recommended to always shop with a list of what you are looking for, even at thrift stores where part of the fun is the treasure hunt.

For example, I browse the books only for specific authors that I have enjoyed previously and want to make a part of my permanent collection. I very rarely pick up new books. I may snap a picture of something that looks interesting that I can check for at my library later.

I’m also on the hunt for new skirts for summer time, so I look through that section instead of spending time looking at shirts or sweaters.

Focus on what you need, what you are truly lacking at home, and look only for those things. You won’t be tempted to buy another necklace you won’t really wear if you don’t look at the necklaces in the first place!

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I hope you found my post today helpful! If there are other subjects you want to see covered, let me know in the comments!

Dressers and Bookshelves: Makeover Magic

Checking in with updates of my personal organizing journey once again.

A few days ago I decided to finish refolding the contents of my dresser using the KonMari folding method. I can’t stop raving about this technique; my drawers look beautiful and I was able to fit more of my belongings into them!

Because I am a silly goose and didn’t think to get pictures of how everything looked before, I only have a few before pictures. The after pictures make me really happy, that’s for certain!

My boyfriend’s drawer for long sleeves. Before:

His T-shirt drawer looked the same way! (I didn’t get a picture because it was empty at the time.)

After:

Neatly folded!

His T-shirt drawer. Easy to find the shirt he is looking for!

Here’s my side of the dresser:

You can see how I was attempting to keep the drawer neat and organized, but not quite achieving it.

Voila! The KonMari method works its magic and increases the number of shirts I am able to fit!

My T-shirt drawer, also improved.

What a difference it’s made! The folding method is simple, so put away time for laundry hasn’t changed, but it’s made easier by not having to smush garments into their drawers anymore!

I also spent some time reorganizing my bookshelves. I had brought over some book bins from the storage unit because I was wanting some of the books out of there. However, my bookshelves were already overflowing. So how was I going to make this work?

Step 1: I finally, finally admitted to myself that there were books I had been carrying around for years that I was never going to read again or even read in the first place. The space on my bookshelves is primarily reserved for my favourites, books that I never get tired of reading. They’re like old friends, these books. Some of them I’ve had since I was a kid.

So I removed the books that no longer interested me. I set aside a few for a friend who is collecting books for her future classroom, and the rest I donated to my friend’s little lending library! It’s her own library that she made herself and stands beside one of the community walkways. People can take some books and read at their own pace and return them when they’re done. (This is a great neighbourhood project; Google it if it’s something that interests you!)

Step 2: I did some reorganizing. I used to separate books more into genres, but I’ve decided to arrange most of them by author. A few of them have their own unique spots, usually my longer series or a large collection by a favourite author.

Step 3: I added some decorative touches. My favourite ones are the little Anne Shirley by my L.M. Montgomery books and the glasses by the Harry Potter books.

Step 4: I packed up the books that I am keeping but not using right now. Most of them are children’s chapter books that I am holding onto for when my boys are older. Instead of having two rubbermaid bins of books, I condensed everything into one! I am currently using the other bin to hold the miscellaneous items that I still need to get sorted in the office.

Organizing my bookshelves was one of those processes where things get disastrously messy before they look nice and tidy. I had to walk away and take a small break when I felt myself getting overwhelmed.

Before:

I only worked on my side, not my boyfriend’s, but you can see what a disaster it was!

After:

The top of the shelves.

My little Anne of Green Gables and Harry Potter glasses.

Before

After

Before on the left, after on the right.

Now, I admit that I am one of those people who likes to go back and play around with arrangement, so there’s a good chance I may reorganize my bookshelves differently in the future. For now, I’m happy with the way they look, and I even have a smidgen of room for books that I am missing from certain series or collections!

I think that’s all for this installment of my personal organizing journey. I still have a significant project under construction for the office, a new customized shelving unit, so progress for this room is a bit held up in certain aspects. However, I can always keep working at eliminating unnecessary clutter and tackling the small projects, one at a time!

My bedroom is just about finished as well. The dresser is done, the bedside drawers are done. The cabinets and the floor and shelf of the closet are all that’s left there, and even they won’t require much work.

I’m super excited about the progress I am seeing all around my house! Even the storage unit is slowly being emptied out, thanks to some hard work from my dad and his best friend.

This is my year of positive changes, and I am starting to see the results of all of my hard work. Thanks for checking in! See you again soon!

Top 5 Reasons People Struggle to Get Organized

Today I thought I would share with you a few of the reasons I have seen people give for why they can’t get organized. I know I used to give a few of these myself in the past; can you see yourself in any of these? If you do, take heart! Where there is a will, there is a way!

1. Time
   
   This is often one of the first excuses I will hear from people when they are asked about getting organized: “I don’t have time!”

   I’ll let you in on a secret: everyone has the time to get organized. Everyday, we make choices about how to spend our time according to our priorities. Certain obligations can’t be moved around for our convenience, things like work or getting the kids to school. However, we still have plenty of moments throughout the day where we can choose to set aside half an hour to properly put away all of our clothes instead of letting them lie on the floor or sit in laundry baskets.

   Some people have busier schedules than others, and I completely respect and appreciate that. Take a moment, however, to think about what other areas of our lives can be improved upon if we chose to set aside some time every week to work at getting organized.

   For example, if we made sure all of our paperwork was properly filed away, tax season wouldn’t be nearly as stressful! There would be no rummaging throughout the house trying to find missing receipts or paystubs because everything is neatly categorized and filed in one specific location. Another example could be taking the time to remove clothes that we longer wear or that no longer fit us from our closets and dressers. Not only would you be able to clearly see the outfits you have available to wear, but you wouldn’t be bombarded by clothes from when you were two sizes smaller or larger. It’s much easier to get dressed for the day when you don’t have to sift through piles of things that don’t fit or aren’t appropriate for your current situation!

   There are so many benefits to be enjoyed in a well-organized home. Good organization has a ripple effect; what starts out as a clean closet in your bedroom can spread throughout your home and into your personal and professional life!

   We spend our time doing things that we believe are important to us. Recognize the importance of good organization, and start making the time!

2. Effort and Energy Required
   
   Along with time, this is another major reason people don’t work at getting organized. There’s a lot of work involved in getting organized, especially if it’s for multiple areas. People are already working so hard at cramming as much activity as they can into each day: work, school, family time, housework, social life, play dates for kids, extracurricular activities such as dance class or soccer practice. Multitasking, for better or worse, has become the norm, and people are getting burnt out.

   Then along comes someone like me who suggests spending some time and energy working on getting organized? Ha! What a joke, right?

   Not so fast! Getting organized has the fantastic end results of efficiency. When our homes are organized, when we have systems for storage and everything has a designated place, life gets simpler! Not only do we spend less time maintaining the upkeep in our home, we spend less energy too.

   Consider this: For me, whenever I used to clean my house, the first thing I had to do was tidy up the clutter. After all, how can you do an effective job of cleaning if you have to dust, wipe, vacuum or mop around the toys and the books and the papers?

   Nowadays, the clutter is minimal. There’s usually a few toys the kids have left out, maybe some papers needing quick filing, and a few dishes to pop in the sink. I can pull the vacuum out of the closet after five minutes or less spent tidying up compared to the half hour or longer it took before. Even while I’m vacuuming I’m expending less energy because I don’t have to stop and start every time I encounter something else that got missed in the tidying process.

   Yes, you will have to put in some effort and energy to work at getting organized, but when the result yields countless days of greater ease in house upkeep, it’s definitely worth it! I think we can all agree that when housework and other tasks take less time and energy, we can then use that time and energy for things that are far more enjoyable.

3. Finances

   Money is the cause of so many issues for people, and it comes up in conversations about being unable to get organized too. The main issues tend to be people saying they don’t have the budget to hire a professional organizer like myself or that they don’t have the budget to buy organizing supplies.

   Let me start by saying I completely understand. Money is tight for a lot of people and families right now, and there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the state of our economy. However, there are still plenty of things that a budget-conscious person can do to get organized!

   Clearly, I am here to promote my business; that’s the point of this website! I am here to assist people in my area of service with getting organized at a bank account-friendly price. That being said, I will always encourage people when looking for any kind of service or product to shop around and compare prices.

   Some people might think that hiring a professional organizer is only for wealthier people and that it’s a frivolous expense. Try to remember the benefits of getting organized that I discussed above; do those results sound like frivolity, or do they sound like something that improves quality of life?

   One of the purposes of hiring a professional organizer is to make sure that time you have set aside for getting organized is used to its maximum potential. We’re there to make sure that you don’t get stuck on a small trivial task, that you don’t get distracted and lose focus, and also to teach you how to stay organized once we have left.

   You might be a person who only needs a few sessions before you really feel like you’re getting the hang of things, or you might be someone who needs us every step of the way until the job is done. Every experience is different.

   In regards to being able to afford organization supplies, there are so many cost-effective solutions available, not to mention free! I shared a post detailing some of these techniques awhile ago in my post Super Simple Organizing Tips and Tricks. I plan to share more of these in the future!

   Finding more of these kinds of solutions is often just one Google search away. There are DIY blogs and websites dedicated to these kind of tips and tricks, and you can read about how they worked for real people. You can also visit your library and check out the books in their home and garden section. I’ve read numerous books about DIY and creative storage solutions, organizing on a budget, and similar topics.

   Dollar stores are a great place to find items that are perfect for small storage, things like small plastic baskets for organizing drawers and cupboards. Thrift stores can yield fantastic treasures such as small display cases, baskets, decorative boxes, and more. Many of my personal storage solutions have come from the thrift store! Thrift stores may also have things like small chests of drawers and storage totes for considerably cheaper than ones being sold at retail price. They’re a great place to look especially if you want to flex your creative, DIY muscles.

   The first step in tackling the financial obstacle when it comes to getting organized is to evaluate what is the best use of your organizing budget. Do you need to buy a closet system, or is the money better spent hiring a professional organizer to first help you downsize the belongings you are struggling to part with? These are the decisions only you can make.

   *Bonus to getting organized: certain items that are found during the organizing process and no longer wanted can be potentially sold! Buy and sell pages or consignment shops can help you make a few extra dollars before taking things to donation. Just remember to price things to sell, not to recover money spent, especially if the item has been used or is a few years old.

   **Another bonus to getting organized: there is a possibility of saving money when you are organized! How many times have you misplaced a needed item, couldn’t find it, and so bought another one only to locate the original a few weeks later? Isn’t that frustrating? When you are organized and know where your belongings are, there is less chance of this happening, and you save money. There is also a reduction in waste, if you’re a person who tends to buys groceries forgetting what you already have at home and then having too much of something.

4. Illness

   For many of us, becoming disorganized was a result of illness, either physical or mental. If you’re being treated for any number of serious illnesses or disorders, your priorities are on your basic needs, and sometimes the upkeep and organization of your home gets placed on the back burner. Some people are lucky and have family and friends who step up and help keep things together; some people have to fight their battles on their own.

   Illness can be a serious factor when it comes to organization. People who suffer from chronic pain disorders may desperately want to get organized but find the process becomes too painful to manage. Those with mental health issues may find themselves becoming easily overwhelmed by the memories or emotions the process brings up and have to walk away to prevent a serious breakdown.

   In either scenario, a professional organizer can really help clients with these factors working against them. The professional organizer can manage the more physical aspects of the process for clients who have limited mobility or chronic pain, and they are able to provide gentle encouragement and support to clients who have mental health issues. Just remember that it’s important to be up front with a professional organizer about these issues, as they may or may not be able to provide the appropriate service.

5. Lack of Motivation
   
   So the fifth reason that can prevent getting organized is a lack of motivation. Some people may have the want to do so, but not the will.

   This could be a result of mental illness such as depression, which can drain a person of their drive to accomplish even the most mundane and basic of tasks such as showering, eating, and visiting the grocery store.

   Happily, various studies have shown that improving a person’s surroundings can drastically reduce stress and symptoms of various mental health disorders. Our homes can be a reflection of the living space we believe we deserve, so for people with depression, a home that is tidy and clean and brings us joy can help to remind us of all the good things we deserve. People with ADD/ADHD can become easily overstimulated in a cluttered environment; a streamlined, organized home can help them to retain their focus and attention. OCD sufferers may see a decrease in their anxious responses in surroundings that are kept neat and tidy.

   There are also personalities that thrive in chaos, and that’s okay. However, that chaos is usually best kept to areas of creativity such as a crafting room, not our tax files or closets that cause an avalanche every time they are opened!

   Others may feel that because things are going okay for them, why should they bother doing the work to get organized? Well, I think I have provided a number of good reasons for getting organized throughout the article, such as more time, less energy spent on unpleasant tasks, more money, more comfortable surroundings, less waste, and so on.

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I’d love to hear from you! Do you think you can push past the obstacles holding you back and get organized? Did I miss a reason? Let me know in the comments!

Super Simple Organizing Tips and Tricks

Today I thought I would talk about super simple organizing tips and tricks that are either minimal cost or completely free!

I have implemented most of these techniques around my own house, so I can testify as to their effectiveness. Most of them utilize basic items we interact with on a daily basis and have never considered as having additional purposes.

Bread Tags

Unless you are the sort of person who bakes your own bread, most of us have probably found these little plastic tags hiding on our counters or under our fridge. (Possibly in other random places if you have cats who like to play with them, like mine do!)

So aside from keeping our bread bags closed, what else can these be used for?

Keeping track of your cords and cables! How many of us have TV stands and computer desks where there is a tangle of cords lurking behind? I know I do!

You can use bread tags to label your cords. No more confusion about if the plug belongs to the Xbox or the DVD player! Simply label the tag with a permanent marker and slip it on the appropriate cord

You can also use this for tagging unused cords and cables that are being stored or for marking the length of your various extension cords so that you can always find the length you need.

Shower Curtain Rings, Hooks, and Rods

Did you know these handy little rings can be used outside of the bathroom? Here’s how I have put them to work in my room. (This is not my picture; just one that demonstrates the same technique.)

Free up valuable drawer or closet space by hanging your camisoles and tank tops using shower curtain rings! I have so many that I used a tiered pants hanger along with the rings. It has the added bonus of the padding on each bar preventing the rings from all sliding to one side.

Following this same inspiration, you can use shower curtain rings or hooks to store and organize tons of things in your closet, such as scarves, jewelry, belts, and bras!

One of my favourite ideas that I am planning to try out soon is to purchase some additional shower rods. Depending on your closet measurements, you may have to go to a home improvement store and have a wooden or metal rod cut to the right size. Just make sure whatever option you choose is able to hold some weight!

You hang the rod above the shelf in your closet and that is where you hang your purses, bags, hats, and other accessories. This technique probably won’t be helpful if you’re lacking in height! On the higher rod, the hooks will work better than closed rings so that you can easily remove the desired item.

Using a second shower rod along with some plastic baskets that are easy to clean in the bathroom can help keep your shower more organized too!

Craft rooms can become more streamlined and efficient with the addition of rods, hooks, and rings.

Even a short rod plus some hooks in the kitchen can help make pots and pans more easily accessible.

Over-the-Door Pocket Organizers and Storage Baskets

You’ve probably seen these before at the store, showing a simple way of organizing your shoe collection. I had one as a teenager for my tiny bedroom and it was very helpful!

Later on though, I didn’t really like having this hanging on the back of my bedroom door. Let’s face it, shoes can get stinky, and I didn’t like the smell of shoes and sweaty feet wafting about my bedroom. Luckily, these handy organizers can be used for storing things other than shoes.

My over-the-door pocket organizer now hangs on the back of the door in my kids’ room where it is used to organize their small toys. They have certain toys that they are only allowed to play with under supervision and so these are stored in the top pockets well out of their reach!

A former acquaintance of mine used her organizer to store her socks and underwear since she was in a small bedroom and had limited dresser space.

Hanging on the back of an office or craft room door, they are an ideal way to store additional supplies.

Bathrooms that are lacking in storage space can also utilize an over-the-door pocket organizer or an over-the-door storage basket option to organize extra towels and products.

There are different styles of over-the-door organizers available so look around and find the one that’s best suited to your needs!

Soda Can Tabs/Chain & S Hook

This is not one I have used because I have hangers that allow me to do this due to their design, but this is such a simple, handy technique I had to include it!

Maximize your closet space by using soda can tabs to hang garments in a cascade effect. This is also great for keeping outfits together.

You can also use a chain and S hook to create this effect.

The KonMari Folding Technique

Marie Kondo, author of the bestselling The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, suggests that we have been folding our clothes wrong by aiming to make them flat and then stacking them in our drawers. Her method involves folding the clothes so that they can stand vertically! Items are lined up instead of stacked, and the result is an organized drawer with all of the items visible. No more digging for the shirt we want!

Here is a link to a short write-up that includes two videos that demonstrate the folding technique: http://www.womansday.com/home/organizing-cleaning/a53369/why-you-should-fold-clothes-vertically-konmari-method/

I have adopted this method and I am very satisfied with the results. I have also done something similar with my underwear drawer, though I used some dividers to help the items to stand up.

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By implementing these various techniques, I have brought a greater sense of organization and order to my home. I’m still researching and looking for other possibilities to try out. I especially love ones that involve re-purposing items for a new use!

What do you think? Do you think the tips I suggested here could work for you? Do you know of some other great organization solutions? Let me know in the comments; I would love to hear from you!

Happy organizing!

Decluttering: Things I Have Learned

I was supposed to work with Kyle and Kim yesterday, but as luck would have it, all of us were feeling under the weather! So we decided to reschedule for next weekend.

Today I thought I would share a few things I have learned from my personal experiences, particularly in regards to sentimental hoarding.

Things I Have Learned

Start small. If you have struggled with clutter and mess for years, don’t make your goal to clean out your entire basement over the weekend. This is especially important for sentimental hoarding, as the process is bound to stir up a lot of uncomfortable feelings.

Since it can be so hard to get in the mindset of being able to look at things logically and get rid of what you don’t need or want, I always recommend starting small. Start with one box. (I suggest not starting with a box that is full of keepsakes, as those are items that you will feel reluctant to part with at the beginning. This could potentially set a discouraging tone; you may feel that because you couldn’t get rid of any of those items, you won’t be able to let go of anything.)

I like to start with boxes of paperwork. It’s easy to sort into piles of recycling, shredding, filing, or keepsakes. As the shredder and the recycle bag begins to fill, you can see physically see your progress, which is reassuring that you are making a dent!

Then I move on to boxes of random items. (If they are left over from a move, these are the items that didn’t fit in with kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and other obvious categories.) These boxes are usually filled with pens, notepads, flashlights, picture hangers, stamps, and all sorts of odds and ends.

Sort them into piles. Test out all of those pens and throw out the ones that don’t work. (If you have kids, this is a great way they can help you out!) You may not know exactly where their final place is going to be, but sort them into boxes or clear Ziploc bags. Maybe you’re going to set up an office, but haven’t started yet. Make an “office” box. Make a “cleaning supplies cupboard” box. Make whatever categories you need, and make sure they’re clearly labeled so they’re easily located when you’re ready for them!

Recognize your needs. This refers to determining what you require for working through this process, both physically or emotionally. If you have a chronic pain disorder, or a bad back, or whatever reason you may have physical limitations, enlist help from family or friends or a professional to assist you with moving boxes, bins and large items.

As I mentioned before, this process may bring a lot of emotions to the surface. Therefore, it is important to figure out what you need. You may want friends or family or a professional to help with the bulk of your items, but perhaps you have a few boxes of things that belonged to your mother, who passed away. You may feel that you need to be alone as you go through those items. Or you may feel that you want emotional support from others as you look at those items and ask for help in letting some of them go, especially if you know that they are logically not items that you have any use for other than sentimental value.

You are the expert on yourself. If you know you need help, find it!

Be realistic. One of the things I have seen people do, and that I am guilty of as well, is coming up with all sorts of reasons to justify keeping something they really don’t need. I’m sure many of you have heard some of the common decluttering tips. (If you haven’t used it in a year or more, let it go. Hold it in your hands. If it doesn’t bring you joy, let it go.)

These are good suggestions, though they might not always work for you. (See my next point for more explanation.)

People who hoard, sentimentally or otherwise, are very good at finding reasons to hang onto something. “I might need this in the future.” “I can use this for that purpose.” “I really love it; I need to keep it.”

I’ve also seen people say, after I have made a suggestion for finding a particular item to assist with organization, that they could probably just make one instead. Yes! I’m all about DIY projects. However, be honest with yourself. Often when you have reached this overwhelming state of clutter and chaos, the motivation to work on projects isn’t there. Is it realistic to hold off on dealing with a pile of items until you make the project that you will then store them in?

Probably not. Focus on what you have to work with at the present moment, and don’t overload your plate with extra projects.

Be willing to reconsider. I have kept things that I haven’t used in more than a year. I put on weight over the past year due to a medication I was on, and I packed away all of my “skinny” clothes into a bin. By the logic of some professionals, I should let go of those things because I can’t use them now, and I have no definite timeline of when I can use them again. Maybe I won’t be able to lose the weight in a year. Maybe I’ll never be able to lose all of the weight that I gained.

But I am not ready at this moment to let go of those clothes. I am working on losing the weight, and since I am tight financially, I can’t justify getting rid of so many clothes and then having to buy new ones later. However, I am prepared to reevaluate my need for these items in a year or so.

Being willing to reconsider certain items is important. Things I kept for a long time I eventually decided that I did not, in fact, want to hold onto any longer. I’ve gotten rid of a lot of things that at one point I thought I would never, ever let go.

As you keep working at going through items, you will find yourself growing stronger and more willing to let things go. It does get easier. The more you practice, the better you get at it.

Know when it’s time to stop. That being said, it is extremely important to know when you have reached your limit for the day. I know I have reached mine when I take the items out of a box to look at, and then just put them straight back in the box. I may also feel emotionally and physically tired.

At this point, I can’t make decisions anymore. I can’t logically and rationally work through whether I really need to keep an item.

So I have to stop, walk away from the sorting process, and take a break. I may feel up to doing some more after resting for awhile, or I may not. Trust your feelings. Don’t push yourself to keep going if you’re just not feeling it.

(Please note this is different from getting anxious about the entire process and walking away as a means of avoidance. For those who may be hoarding, they may have to push through their uncomfortable emotions in order to make progress. However, they still need to be able to take a few moments to calm down if things are overwhelming.)

Remember that things are going to look worse before they get better. I think everyone can agree that the results of decluttering and organizing your space are well worth it! Just keep in mind that before you reach those incredible, satisfying results, there is going to be chaos.

When I started sorting through items in my basement, it looked like it had been ransacked. There were open boxes and bags everywhere and spilled out all over the place. Sometimes I’d walk downstairs to do laundry, see the disaster that was the basement, and have an anxiety attack over how much work still needed to be done.

It can be really discouraging, but in those moments, I remind myself of all the bags of recycling I’ve taken out to the curb. I remember how many boxes and bags I’ve dropped off at a donation centre. I remember how many more boxes and bins I used to have piled in the basement.

I’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff. That’s something to be really proud of!

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When you have lived with clutter and disorganization for so long, it can be hard to know where to start. If you don’t have an idea of what you want your end results to look like, the process can be frustrating and overwhelming. It may feel like you’re running in circles and just shifting items from one place to another.

Don’t put unreasonable expectations on yourself. Keep working at it however much you’re able to, even if that means you only sort through one box a day. That’s okay! Small steps are important, and small steps lead to bigger steps.

I hope you enjoyed my suggestions for tackling your clutter, and that you will find them to be helpful!