13 Tips to Start Decluttering Your House When Overwhelmed With The Mess

There are many different techniques that can be used to declutter your home, and it’s important that you find a strategy that works for you and your unique needs. As a mother, here I share how to start decluttering when overwhelmed by the mess in your home.

It’s also important to remember that no one has unlimited time and energy: there will always be some things left undone. You’ll want to break down the task into manageable sections and tackle them one at a time; don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do all of this at once!

Why is decluttering so overwhelming?

Decluttering can be overwhelming because it seems like there is never enough time or energy to make a dent in the clutter.

Second, people struggle with letting go of items that mean something or have memories attached to them.

Third, sometimes we don’t know where to begin! It’s oftentimes safe and efficient to start by decluttering our surroundings first.

How to start decluttering when overwhelmed?

1) Start with the easiest tasks first

It’s important to start with the easiest tasks first, as you’ll build your energy and stamina as you go. If some of the easy tasks are physical things you can put up, discard or donate, do those first so they’re out of sight and out of mind.

If decluttering an area is too overwhelming for you to complete, try working on one decluttering session per day; don’t let it pile up and overwhelm you.

2) Sort and purge one drawer at a time

Start by sorting all of your belongings into like groups: like socks in a drawer, like paperclips on a desk, like items of clothing on the closet floor, etc., making sure to pay attention to how often they get used.

After that, take everything out of the drawer/shelf/closet again and discard what you don’t use or really want to keep (the amount you should keep will vary depending on the type of item; for socks it might be three pairs, while jewelry might only require one or two pieces).

3) Go room by room

I recommend working on one room at a time, starting with the easiest rooms to declutter. Every item in your house should have its own spot, so designate an area for each type of item and make sure it’s organized. This is also where some purging might come into play: if you haven’t touched something in over six months, consider getting rid of it.

4) Keep only those things that produce happiness

Once you’ve gone through all your belongings and sorted them as done/donate/trash, keep only those items that bring you joy or that you really use and need (for example: wearing clothes more than once every six months).

5) Take advantage of storage space just pile everything on top of the storage space and sort through it later

If your house is full of clutter, you might find yourself reluctant to add even more stuff. However, take advantage of every storage space: closets and cabinets should be packed full so that there’s no room for mess.

6) Don’t leave any area untouched

Avoid leaving an area until all of its contents are in order; if you do this, it will soon become overwhelming again with the piles still sitting there. Start with the easiest areas to declutter first (in descending order), then move on to harder ones when you’re ready.

7) Find a good rhythm with one simple habit at a time

Once you’ve started off strong by sorting through some of your belongings and purging them, stick to one simple habit in order to keep your momentum going: put away things immediately after using them; return items that you use often to their proper location; pick up clutter as soon as it becomes visible; etc. Over time, add more decluttering habits until it becomes second nature (hopefully).

8) Take advantage of storage space when getting rid of stuff

If there’s no place to store something when you’re getting rid of it, store it temporarily in a box or another container nearby until you can find an appropriate spot.

9) Make sure everything has a designated spot before finishing the task at hand

It might seem like a good idea to just get rid of excess stuff and call it a day, but that’s not always the case: you’ll need to make sure everything has a designated spot before finishing up. For example, if you find an extra dresser in your bedroom and no longer have space for it, try putting it in another room temporarily until you can figure out where to permanently put it.

10) Keep your house organized by picking up after yourself

After decluttering your home, make sure to pick up after yourself when needed so that messes don’t start piling up again. Your clothes should go back into their proper place when you’re done wearing them; dishes should be done soon after using them; etc. This is also the time to get rid of excess or unnecessary in each room.

11) Don’t give yourself a time limit

If you set a timeframe, there’s a chance that you might get burnt out and discouraged if it doesn’t go as quickly as planned. Try to work at your own pace and don’t let deadlines pressure you into working harder; instead, take the necessary breaks in between (especially for physical activities like heavy lifting and putting items back in their spot).

12) It’s okay to leave some areas undone

It can be very discouraging when an entire room isn’t completely decluttered yet, but sometimes it’s necessary: make sure you do finish each room before moving on to another though (although even this is not always possible due to time constraints or lack of energy). Focus on what’s most important and leave the rest for another day.

13) You don’t have to do it all in one day

Don’t try to accumulate too much at once: you’ll get overwhelmed and discouraged if you try to declutter everything in one go. Try breaking down the task into sections, starting with areas that need momentum (in descending order). Also make sure not to expect perfection from yourself either: there will always be some things left undone.

Conclusion on how to start decluttering when overwhelmed

Decluttering is a daunting task, but there are many ways that it can be done. You should start with the easiest areas to declutter first (in descending order), then move on to harder ones when you’re ready.

The best way to get started is by picking up after yourself and not giving yourself time limits or deadlines- instead focus on what’s most important and leave the rest for another day!

By reading to the end, I hope you clear on how to start decluttering when overwhelmed!