What Your Clutter Would Say If It Could Talk

Photo by sydney Rae on Unsplash

If you often can’t find what you need when you need it…

If you have more than one junk drawer or an entire junk room…

If your garage is more of a storage space than a place to park your car…

If your kitchen counter, dining room table, or desk is piled with paper and other stuff…

If just the thought of trying to declutter your home is overwhelming…

Your clutter is trying to tell you something. But what?

Here are four things I think your clutter would say if it could talk.

“You dumped me.”

What happens when you’re in the habit of setting things down instead of putting them away? Clutter happens. Believe me, it’s a lot easier to take a few moments now to put something away than it is to have to pick up and put away a lot of things later.

Everything you own should have a home. The best home for a thing depends on what it is and how often you need to access it. If it’s something you use often, store it in an easily accessible place, preferably near to where you will use it. Example: Store cooking utensils in a jar on your kitchen counter near your stove top and makeup in a portable makeup bag or bin under the counter.

A real mess maker is when we decide we no longer love or use certain items, but instead of releasing ownership, we dump them in a closet, spare room, or garage. Sometimes we keep this stuff because we’re afraid we might need it in the future. (You won’t and if you do, you can probably get it again pretty easily and inexpensively.) Or we just don’t know what to do with it because it’s still perfectly good. (Donate or sell it.)

“I forgive you.”

Guilt is another reason why clutter accumulates in our homes. You think about how much you paid for something – or overpaid – and you feel guilty about that or regret it. If only you could go back in time and and un-buy the thing, but of course you can’t. What you CAN do is forgive yourself and move on.

The good news is that if you have clutter, you’re richer than you think. Sell some of that stuff now while it still has value. The longer you hold on to it, the less it’s worth. Forget about having a yard sale though. It’s too much work for too little return in my humble opinion.

Faster, easier ways to sell things are through the OfferUp app, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace in your area. I’ve sold all kinds of things this way – everything from an old kitchen faucet set to a kayak to a digital blood pressure monitoring system. It’s easy to do. You just take photos of the item and write a brief description, then post your ad.

“Please let me go.”

Would you go out today and buy clothing that’s three sizes too small? No. Or supplies for a hobby you gave up years ago? Uh, nope.

What about things you’ve been given or inherited? Would you buy them today? If no, give yourself permission to let them go.

Keep in mind that items you inherited weren’t intended for you. Your loved ones purchased those items for themselves. And just because they are in your possession now does not mean that you have to be their keeper forever, especially if having them in your home makes you unhappy or brings back sad memories.

If it’s hard to part with sentimental items, take photos or write about the items and your memories of people who have passed on in a beautiful journal that you can cherish forever. And then donate or sell that stuff and give it a chance for a new life where it will be loved and used. If you sell items you inherited, you may want to donate the money to a charitable cause in the original owner’s name. Or honor his/her memory with a plaque on a park bench.

“You have too much stuff.”

If you’re thinking that you need a bigger home, more storage space, or a storage unit, stop right there. Maybe what you really need is less stuff.

Clutter detracts from our lives in ways we don’t even realize. It gets in our way. It steals our time, energy and attention. It keeps us stuck in our UNhappy place. And it creates unnecessary stress in our lives.

Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and all that stuff you no longer love or use was gone. How would you feel? Tap into that feeling as you declutter your home room by room. Use it as your inspiration to get yourself unstuck from your past. Make a decision to keep only those things that are meaningful to you in the here and now. If you need support and encouragement, join my free organizing support group on Facebook.

You got this.

The post What Your Clutter Would Say If It Could Talk appeared first on Declutter Your Life with Donna Smallin Kuper.