Free Yourself from Clutter!
Do I use it? Do I need it? Do I like it?
I’m Kate, a psychotherapist writing about healing and growth, for you to flourish in a life you love! Come home to yourself and feel less alone with personal growth tools, words and therapeutic journalling.
Upgrade here for the gentle Winter Roots Series which continues on Sunday. click here for Part 1: Finding Your Ground or Part 2: Shedding and Pruning.
Hi friends,
Looking around my home, I noticed I have less room in my cupboards and drawers, little wiggle room, and a few piles here and there with nowhere to go. It leaves me feeling heavy and avoidant, stressed and overwhelmed. Even putting socks away feels like a chore as I squish them in the top, unable to close the door.
Enough!
It’s time for me to have a fresh declutter, and I have started my simple tried and tested decluttering routine. It is only a mini-one, as my big one two years ago went so well, and left me full of confidence in my ability to do it.
This post is an archive post from last year, and has a link to a very personal post about decluttering, that illustrates the challenge of emotional ties to our things that can cause clutter build up. I have done my work on this, so my decluttering this time should be pretty painlesss. If it’s something you want support with I created a lovely Declutter Your Home Guide here for you, that is currently free for all paid subscribers.
It’s time.
I am no reformed minimalist, by any means, and there’s nothing wrong with a little clutter. But if it feels overwhelming it can really hinder our mental health and well-being.
When our homes are cluttered with more stuff than we need, it can lead to feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.
Physical clutter creates mental clutter. When our living spaces are overflowing with possessions, it can:
Make it harder to focus and think clearly
Create constant visual reminders of unfinished tasks
Increase stress and anxiety levels
Make it difficult to find what we need when we need it
Drain our energy through constant small decisions about what to do with items
Remind us of painful or unresolved issues from our past, relationships and how we feel about ourselves.
Living in a culture of high consumption doesn’t help. With companies selling us things every time we go online or turn on the TV, radio or walk down the street. Stuff is cheap, easy to get hold of, and tempting. With limited time to process our belongings properly, as well as problems with our relationship with 'stuff,' no wonder we end up with too much.
My home became cluttered over a period of poor health since the pandemic, when both the physical effort and decision-making felt like too much. I put things off until tomorrow, thinking I would be better - but that day didn’t come. So, I used one of the methods I wrote about in my decluttering guide, and fully decluttered my home last year, creating more glorious space that doesn’t overstimulate, stress, or drain me - whilst still feeling human and lived in.
Now I’m on the other side, I’m grateful every day for the clarity and ease that my simple, sweet little home brings. Have you been successful in decluttering too or are your still stuck?
Why does clutter it build up?
It wasn’t only because of my health issues, and our homes don’t just contain things. They are full of our lives, our lost hopes and dreams, and hold happiness and memories. I wrote about some of the more painful aspects of carrying clutter in my post last year about my experience of baby loss and the loss of my marriage.
I firmly believe we should be in charge of our belongings, not the other way around. Clutter builds up for many reasons and when we address them we can finally tackle it once and for all. I wrote this Decluttering Workbook and Guide - if clutter is something you struggle with, or are planning to tackle soon, this is for you!
It includes unblocking mental blocks, tips, planning and checklists.
While I’d still call myself a naturally messy person (don’t judge!), when it does get messy, it doesn’t take long to sort it out. I maintain it with mindful buying choices and better habits, like my ten minutes ‘extra’ tidy at the end of every day. And my ‘one bag/box a week’ routine for those times it does build up.
Job done!
My experience and my client work has shown me that living with less can really impact our mood positively, and free up our energy. I love to look in my sock drawer with a serene smile as I extract the perfect socks I was looking for, instead of a grimace, sweat and tears as I battled for far too long to find a suitable pair.
Set yourself free from clutter.
When we let go of things that are no longer part of our story we:
Create space for new energy to flow in. I let it stagnate in little pockets around my home for far too long.
Remember these possessions are only things, they are not your loved ones, Yiur lost ones, they are not your un-loved ones either.
Set the ghouls hiding in your things free, and keep the good stuff that’s all about your future.
Acknowledge our beautiful, changing body, unaddressed feelings about ageing, or our self neglect caught up in clothes and products that don’t fit.
Address unwanted gifts, the sadness that the giver didn’t understand you, or that they have poor taste.
Feel good about charity shop browser 23,834 loving your granny’s old pink vase, and the charity love the money you made for them.
Finally grief for the people and other things we lost, who may be caught up in our things. Keep one reminder - not 32.
Do I use it? Do I need it? Do I like it?
It’s okay if it’s hard. And it’s okay if you aren’t ready. That’s why it’s better to take your time and do it right.
I created this lovely ebook/workbook to help you process the emotional blocks to your clutter, with checklists and supportive ideas to help you finally get it done! And you won’t go back. Even if you do, you can just go through it again as you can keep it forever. It is free for paid subscribers, or just click to buy it below. You can re-visit every time the clutter builds up, like for me now!
Is it time? What’s your relationship with clutter like? Do you have any tips?
With love and gratitude,
Kate
P.S. You will be glad to know that my sock drawer is now closable, containing only socks I actually wear!
P.P.S: Don’t forget to like and share this, it really helps me spread the word!
If you missed it, here are the latest posts from the ‘Winter Roots’ series.
How do you feel about clutter? Share your methods and tips if you have any!
When I click on the link for the guide, it is just taking me to the opportunity to purchase it 🤔 Is there another way to get to it as a paid subscriber? Can't wait to get started!