Where to start decluttering
Organization,  Productivity

Where To Start Decluttering When You Are Overwhelmed

April 29, 2020 / 39 Comments
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When I’m overwhelmed by clutter in my home, I don’t know where to start decluttering.

I can’t think straight and will likely be highly unproductive at whatever I am needing to do that day.

I don’t know if it is still the nesting or the need to be always productive from when I was pregnant, but I am constantly decluttering.

It is just something about decluttering and cleaning out my space that feels so relieving and instantly reduces my stress levels.

It feels like a weight has been lifted off of me that had just been hanging around for much longer than it needed to be.

I know that I am not the only person who is guilty of hoarding some things longer than I needed to and some of those things still have tags on them.

While other things are just hanging out in the cabinet collecting dust.

But when I’m overwhelmed by all the clutter, it can be hard to figure out where to start decluttering.

As a momma of a toddler, the last thing I need is to have a cluttered home with my toddler running around who is injury prone.

In order for me to thrive in motherhood, I need my home to be clean and tidy and free of clutter.

So I found the areas in my home where I focus the majority of my attention when I’m decluttering and I want to share those places with you all.

Here is where to start decluttering when you are overwhelmed.

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Where to start decluttering

Can You Declutter Your Entire Home In A Day?

Before I talk about the places in my home that I declutter frequently, let’s address this question.

Is it possible to declutter your entire home in a day?

There are many bloggers and influencers who will definitely tell you that it is possible if you really commit yourself to going through each room in your home.

But the only problem with this approach is the amount of clutter that you may have.

If you frequently declutter different areas in your home, then you will not have much clutter to go through so you may very well be able to declutter your home in a day.

However, if you have not decluttered in a very long time, then you will have a lot of clutter to go through which will likely mean that it will take a lot longer than a day.

There is no timeline for decluttering.

And it is not a race to see how fast you can do it.

If you take a room a day to declutter that room, then you will really go through that room and the items in there.

You can really take the time to see what you want to keep or get rid of.

So remember that on your decluttering journey.

Decluttering should relieve the overwhelming that you have when it comes to clutter, not create more overwhelm by feeling like you have to do really quickly.

Now that you know that you can take your time decluttering your home, let’s talk about the places in your home where you can start.

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Where To Start Decluttering When You Are Overwhelmed

Closet

The very first place to start decluttering is the closet.

Our closets collect clothes with tags still on them, socks that don’t have a match, and shoes that we don’t reach for anymore.

Create three piles to sort the items that you no longer want.

One pile to sell. One pile to donate. And one pile to trash anything that you can’t sell or donate.

This also applies when I am decluttering my daughter’s closet.

The moment I became a mom for the first time, it became essential that I go through my daughter’s clothes that she can no longer wear on a regular basis.

Kids grow out of their clothes quickly, so in order to see what they have that they can still fit, you must remove what does not.

Why not get some money for the items that you no longer are wearing or using?

Or even better, donate to someone who would use it.

This is literally my thought process when I am going through my things.

Bathroom

The next place in your home that seems to collect clutter is the bathroom.

I hate to have to admit this but I’m a bit of a beauty product hoarder.

If I see any products that I use or have been wanting to try on sale, I’m definitely getting them.

I just always felt like you can never have too many body washes, body lotions, hair care products, and makeup.

Well, this usually leads to some products that don’t get used for longer periods of time and possibly expire.

This is especially true with makeup.

In order to get a handle on the stuff that might be piling up in your bathroom cabinets, you need to apply the techniques mentioned above.

Sell products that have not been opened or lightly used, trash expired items, and give away things you just don’t seem to be reaching for.

A lot of donation centers will not take beauty products, but there are some organizations that will.

Project Beauty Share is an organization that will accept new and gently used hygiene and cosmetics that they will then distribute to organizations that specializes in women and families overcoming abuse, addiction, homelessness, and poverty.

Pantry/Refridgerator

After you have decluttered your closet and bathroom, you are going to want to move to the kitchen.

We are all guilty of going grocery shopping hungry and picking up way more than we need.

Or maybe you got something in particular that you needed for a recipe and wound not needing it afterward.

Whatever the reason may be, our pantries and fridges can wind up becoming a black hole for food.

Start with removing any leftovers that have overstayed their welcome and then move to any items that are expired.

This will involve you pulling out everything and looking at the dates so you can throw away anything that has expired or has gone stale.

Lastly, for any items that are still good, but you know that you won’t be using, see if a local food pantry will take any of them.

Garage

The fourth black hole in your home is the garage.

Whatever you can’t fit in the house, usually winds up going in the garage or the attic.

The garage is just usually easier to get to.

But the bad thing about the garage is that what is put out there is often forgotten about.

The garage is for storage after all, but make sure from time to time, that you are going through the things out there to make sure that they are still relevant in your lives.

If you have bins out there full of items from years ago that just don’t make sense to keep anymore, then find a way to get rid of those items to free up some space.

Once again you can donate a lot of things or you can have a garage sale and make some money off of some of your old things.

Facebook Marketplace is another option I have utilized when trying to make a sale.

Office/Study Space

And the last place you will need to declutter is your office/study space.

Some people actually have an office or a study where they keep files, documents, and any other important paperwork, while others may have a file closet or some people may just simply have a file drawer.

Where ever you keep this type of paperwork, this is the space that you got to tackle next.

This area can get overrun very easily with old receipts, years old bills, and other very various paper items.

This is an area I would tackle yearly because there are some important documents that you don’t need to toss, but there are some items that you can trash depending on if they are still of use to you.

Make sure you are properly getting rid of documents that may contain identifying info.

Invest in getting a shredder that can shred up documents and credit cards.

You can find the one that I have here.

You don’t want to have to worry about someone getting a hold of your information while trying to rid your space of old documents.

BUY ON AMAZON
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Your Turn

Now that I have covered the main spaces in your home where you want to start decluttering when you are overwhelmed, it is time to declutter! This does not have to all be done in one day. You can take an area a day and work in that space so you can take your time and really go through your things. But, I want to hear from you now. Which area do you start to declutter first when you notice that is it cluttered? I would love to hear from you in the comments below and while you are still here, check out my previous post. Until next time!

Love,

Just Jass

Where to start decluttering
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Hi! I'm Jasmyn or "Jas" as everyone likes to call me! I'm a stay-at-home girl momma to 2 beautiful little girls and married to my wonderful husband whom I have been with for 10 years! I'm a book and tea lover and when I'm not working on my blog, you can find me sharing bits and pieces of our lives on Instagram or me strolling down the aisles of Target and DSW! I'm the mama blogger behind the blog, Just Jass, where I offer parenting advice, productivity tips, and positive mental health habits from my perspective as mama of 2. Why don't you join me and my Jassy Fam as we navigate this thing called "mom-life" together!

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