Secrets to get past the clean and declutter overwhelm
We’re all home. Even those in offices….they may or may not be “really” going back…people are quitting their jobs left and right if they cannot have the flexibility they now know they need and want.
Cool. Who wants to go to an office?
Well one nice thing about leaving (the house) is that when you return you see things differently. You SEE the clutter. Being home, trying to do (does this sound familiar?) WAY too many meals and dishes every.single.day is overwhelming…it’s like you are drowning in your LIFE.
Now that we can breathe again, spring (OK Summer) cleaning is here! So, what are the secrets to getting past the clean and declutter overwhelm?
- Forget what everyone else is doing and focus on what YOU need – does the cleanliness of your house bother you? Or are you just comparing yourself and your home to those found on social media? Do you actually care? Often, the pictures uploaded to social media are merely just momentary – then kids, parents, pets, and partners arrive, and the sparkly home has suddenly turned into a scene from Wreck-it Ralph.
- If you’re going to start – start small – With so many other things to contend with in our lives, decluttering your home is probably not top of your list. However, picking a small space per week, like a kitchen cupboard or clothes drawers is a really good way of starting without feeling overwhelmed. Make a list of all the drawers in all the rooms that you want to declutter and tackle them one by one each week.
- Have a plan of action – If you’re going to have a clear out, make sure you know where you are taking the stuff that you are throwing out and do it as soon as you can. Having black bags of odd bits laying around the house will only make you feel more stressed and increase your already high workload.
- Create a time-out oasis for yourself – pick one room and keep it your own, free of clutter and dust and think about adding a few things that you love. Candles, books or whatever you like and make this place your haven to have time out when you are feeling tired or stressed.
- Start with the end in mind – imagine how the space would look and how efficient and calm you would feel. Close your eyes and try to imagine how you would feel. When you’re feeling overwhelmed or fed up, close your eyes and come back to that place, this will serve as motivation to keep going and achieve what you set out to do.
- Go Marie Kondo style and ask yourself “does this spark you joy” – sometimes we forget that we are so privileged to be able to have cluttered homes and that with everything so readily available to purchase, we can sometimes forget to take a step back and ask ourselves if we REALLY need to buy that. When decluttering a space, you certainly do not need to throw everything out so asking yourself whether something sparks you joy is a great way of determining what to keep or what to toss. For example, yesterday I threw out my high school prom professional pics. I showed my kids. Then I let them go.
- Don’t forget that tomorrow is another day – if you’re feeling tired, stressed, or overwhelmed, take time out, come back tomorrow and start the day afresh – it really doesn’t matter.
Although it seems difficult to know where to start, once you get started, you’ll be rolling, and you’ll have a system. Systems are everything because you can go back to the beginning (or middle) when things run off the rails. Stop comparing yourself to social media, we lead incredibly busy lives, and we do a fantastic job everyday – so be kind to yourself and prioritize and the overwhelm will quickly soothe.
When life gets hectic and you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to focus on the people and things you are most grateful for, when you have an attitude of gratitude, frustrating troubles will fall by the wayside.
Finally, know that the clutter comes back. It just does. And, it’s ok. I say, be at peace with your imperfection. It makes you the beautiful mosaic of who you are 🙂