Why is it so hard for me to get rid of stuff?

One of the biggest reasons it's hard to declutter for many people is simply lack of time. Your life might already be busy and full. And sometimes it feels like there's just not enough time to add decluttering to your already never-ending to-do lists.
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How do I stop being overwhelmed when decluttering?

15 Easy Ways To Start Decluttering When Feeling Overwhelmed
  1. #1 – Just get started! I know, I know. ...
  2. #2 – Start small. ...
  3. #3 – Create a habit. ...
  4. #4 – Create a plan. ...
  5. #5 – Focus yourself. ...
  6. #6 – Start in the place that will make the most difference. ...
  7. #7 – Keep it short and sweet. ...
  8. #8 – Do a rubbish amnesty.
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How do you get rid of stuff you don't want to get rid of?

If you're struggling with how to get rid of stuff, you can:
  1. Challenge yourself to remove the unneeded things in your home.
  2. Rid yourself of the extra weight in a permanent manner.
  3. Carry a trash bag from room-to-room.
  4. See how big of a donation pile you can make.
  5. Eliminate debt by selling what you no longer need.
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How do you get rid of too many belongings?

Too Much Stuff, Not Enough Space? Try the 4-Box Technique
  1. Step 1: Gather and label boxes. via The Purple Pumpkin Blog. ...
  2. Step 2: Declutter one area at time. ...
  3. Step 3: Ask yourself rational questions about each item. ...
  4. Step 4: Empty the four boxes and repeat.
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How do you get rid of all of your stuff before moving?

How to Declutter Before Moving? A Professional Organizer Weighs In
  1. 10 Pro Tips To Help You Declutter Before Moving. ...
  2. Get motivated. ...
  3. Don't procrastinate — start early. ...
  4. Start with the rooms and things you use the least. ...
  5. Don't linger on old memories. ...
  6. Use the power of piles. ...
  7. Involve your kids with their things.
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Feel Guilty Getting Rid of Stuff? Don't.



Why do I feel the need to declutter?

If you're looking for an easy way to reduce stress, decluttering your environment may be a good place to start. Getting rid of excess stuff can benefit your mental health by making you feel calmer, happier, and more in control. A tidier space can make for a more relaxed mind.
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What items are not worth moving?

What Not To Pack When Moving
  • Clothing – It is easy to overdo it when it comes to packing clothes. ...
  • Bulky Items – DVDs and books take up a lot of space when packing, as do large electronic items like unused laptops/desktop computers, or DVD players.
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Why can't I throw stuff away?

People with hoarding disorder have been made famous by the A&E documentary series "Hoarders," which follows individuals as they struggle with debilitating amounts of clutter in their homes. People with hoarding disorder acquire lots of stuff and are psychologically unable to throw it away.
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What causes a person to live in clutter?

Behavioral/psychological: Clutter caused by depression, attention deficit disorder, low self-esteem or lack of personal boundaries. Time/life management: Clutter caused by the need for better planning. Of these, the behavioral/psychological-driven clutter is the hardest to solve.
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How can I motivate myself to declutter my house?

How to Get Motivated to Clean and Declutter
  1. Work on Your Decluttering Motivation. ...
  2. Choose a Small Area to Work on. ...
  3. Don't Get Sidetracked—Finish Your First Task. ...
  4. Pat Yourself on the Back for a Job Well Done. ...
  5. Set Your Next Reasonable Cleaning or Decluttering Goal. ...
  6. Don't Hesitate to Ask for Help.
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How do you declutter fast?

How to Declutter Fast – Quick and Easy Steps
  1. Toss the Trash. In every area you organize, start by tossing the obvious trash. ...
  2. Move Non-Kitchen Items Out of the Kitchen. ...
  3. Tidy Reading Material in the Living Room. ...
  4. Organize the Bathroom One Drawer at a Time. ...
  5. Let Go of Unused Items in Your Home Office.
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How much stuff does the average person own?

Hardly surprising then, that the average home contains 300,000 items. And there's an emotional cost to that. Research conducted for the Huffington Post showed that 84 percent of Americans worry that their homes aren't organized (or clean) enough — and 55 percent of those folks say it's a big cause of stress.
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How do I get rid of everything full of my house?

Clearing out the rest:
  1. Clean out and toss broken items. Go through the house room by room and clean out the clutter. ...
  2. Host an estate sale. One of the most profitable ways to clear out your parent's house is to hold an estate sale. ...
  3. Donate items that are left.
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Why can't I declutter my house?

Another reason why it is so hard to declutter is because people find security in owning stuff. If you're someone who grew up without, this is particularly challenging. You begin to view the things you own as a security blanket. You create what-if scenarios in your mind and they become the reason it's tough to detach.
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How do you declutter a large overwhelming space?

Here is the best formula for decluttering large, overwhelming spaces:
  1. Remove the easiest things first. ...
  2. Discard larger items next. ...
  3. Donate items instead of selling them. ...
  4. Break your large space into smaller bite-size challenges. ...
  5. Work until your bite-size piece is completed.
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Why do I feel overwhelmed when decluttering?

But also, a lot of mental and emotional work to make all of the decluttering decisions and sort through the emotions decluttering and “stuff” in general can bring up at times. And sometimes that work can feel overwhelming. Especially when you have a lot of stuff to sort through and make decisions about.
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Is clutter a mental illness?

Sheila Woody, a psychologist who specializes in hoarding disorders at UBC, says that although clutter is not a mental illness, it can affect mental health. “It's stressful to be in a cluttered environment,” says Woody. According to Psychology Today, clutter causes stress in part because of its excessive visual stimuli.
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What are the 5 levels of hoarding?

5 Stages of Hoarding Explained
  • Level 1: The Least Severe Level with Few Indicators.
  • Level 2: Noticeable Object Collection and Embarrassment with Visitors.
  • Level 3: Odors, Poor Hygiene and Narrowed Hallways.
  • Level 4: Structural Damage, Sewage Issues and Unusable Rooms.
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Is being messy a mental illness?

Household clutter is a common problem. But extreme clutter (as seen in the living room at left) is evidence of hoarding, a serious psychological condition that's been linked to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) - and which requires some form of intervention.
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How do you break a hoarding habit?

Top 11 Decluttering Tips for Hoarders (and Pack Rats)
  1. Just Start. Trust me, I get it – that's much easier said than done. ...
  2. Stop Adding to the Clutter. ...
  3. Start Small. ...
  4. Take out the Trash. ...
  5. Create a Plan. ...
  6. Start Where it Will Make the Biggest Impact. ...
  7. Time Yourself. ...
  8. Organize at the Same Time.
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What is the difference between clutter and hoarding?

A person with hoarding issues retains harmful items that eventually create a toxic environment. People with clutter in their homes typically store accumulated items in the basement or attic, where the objects have little impact on the everyday household functioning.
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Where should a hoarder start?

Starting to manage your hoarding
  • Set yourself small goals. ...
  • Set a timer and try to tidy one area. ...
  • Make a plan. ...
  • Cancel things like magazine subscriptions or put up a 'no junk mail' sign. ...
  • Come up with some rules. ...
  • Explore new activities that don't involve buying or saving things.
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How do you reduce possessions?

These are the fundamental steps:
  1. Collect. Take out everything and put it in a pile. ...
  2. Choose. Pick out only the few things you love and use and that are important to you. ...
  3. Eliminate. Toss the rest out. ...
  4. Organize. Put back the essential things, neatly, with space around things.
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What are the heaviest household items?

Books and CDs: Books are often the heaviest items in a house, and are therefore the most expensive to move. If you have a lot of books, CDs, DVDs, and other content, you may want to consider going digital and transporting them that way.
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What should you leave behind when moving?

15 Items to Leave Behind When Moving
  • Clothing. Go through and declutter every item in your closet before packing them up. ...
  • Books. Books take up a lot of space and can be very heavy to transport. ...
  • Papers. ...
  • Old Furniture. ...
  • Bathroom Items. ...
  • Food. ...
  • Garage Items. ...
  • Appliances.
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