Inside: Stressed out by the mess? I get it. Learn the best decluttering blog posts to help you overcome overwhelm and get rid of clutter.
When my first son was just a baby, I walked by a house that would inevitably change my life.
In the brisk Wyoming morning, I walked with my baby snuggled warmly in his carrier, sleeping soundly (because, ya know…that was the only place he would sleep. 😭)
Randomly wandering down the street, I came across a house that was a hoarder’s haven. The front lawn was covered in broken appliances, old lawn mower and piles and piles of junk.
Knowing that most people keep their homes cleaner on the outside, I wondered what it was like on the inside.
What made me the most sad is when I saw a couple of kids bikes laying in the driveway, indicating kids lived there. What habits and lessons were they learning, growing up in such a cluttered environment?
I immediately put on my judgey pants and started judging this family I didn’t even know for the way they lived for the way I thought they lived.
But just like a boomerang that always comes back, my judgement made a 180 turn and flew back at me with breakneck speed.
Who was I to judge someone else when I lived in a home where every flat surface was full of clutter?
If you are living in a state of chaos and mess, I’m sorry friend. The good news is that a messy house is just a reflection of your habits and habits can change.
Here are the best decluttering blog posts you should read to learn how to ditch the overwhelm and declutter your life.
Best Decluttering Blog Posts to Help You Declutter
Why Should You Even Declutter?
Julie Hage over at Filling the Jars gives 9 benefits of decluttering. If you struggle with seeing past the current state of your clutter to see what you could do with a clean home, Julie’s decluttering blog post is a great place to start.
After all, the tidiness of your home shouldn’t be about making it “ready for unexpected guest” or making it “social-media worthy”. Rather, cleaning up your home is all about how you feel in it.
If the clutter stresses you out to the point where you can do the things you want to do, then something has to change.
Where to Start Decluttering
I consider myself an expert on taking extremely overwhelmed people and helping them take the next step. I’m so good at this because 5 years ago, that’s exactly who I was.
I saw all my friends with there weekend outings and special crafts, all while working full time jobs and raising small kids. And yet, there I stood, struggling to remember to put the laundry into the dryer before it started to stink.
We’re talkin’ days, y’all. It would take me days to remember the wet laundry was there. And by that point, it stunk a little bit and had to go through a wash cycle again.
And the whole cycle repeated.
Before I started decluttering, I thought there was something wrong with me. I thought that my messy home was a reflection on how incapable I was as an adult.
My mental chatter was all negative. “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you figure it out? You’re just not a go-getter.”
The last one doesn’t sound like much of an insult, but to a dreamer like me, it was possibly the worst thing I could say to myself.
Friend, if you struggle with a messy home, just know this:
A messy home doesn’t mean you’re lazy or that you don’t care. A messy home is just that: a home that is messy.
The bad news is that your habits got you there, but the good news is that habits can change.
If you’re completely overwhelmed with all the clutter, read this post about where to start decluttering. You’re not alone. So many people struggle with clutter and yet it’s something most people don’t talk about.
You are worthy just because you are worthy. You don’t have to have a clean home or be the perfect mom to earn your worthiness. You’re worthy just as you are.
What to Do With “Just in Case” Clutter
Ok. You’ve realized why you should declutter. And you’ve learned where to start.
Now, what do you do with all of those things you want to keep “just in case”
- Just in case you lose the weight.
- Just in case you get pregnant again.
- Just in case things slow down and you find time for that hobby.
Melissa over at Simple Lionheart Life wrote a great post about how to handle just in case clutter.
I love Melissa’s minimalist approach and admire her calmness. I’m over here clearing clutter so that I have room for the fun messiness of life.
Every time I go to Melissa’s website, I immediately feel calm. If you feel like you struggle with wanting to keep things “just in case”, be sure to read her article.
Learn more: Feeling anxious by all the clutter? Learn how clutter and anxiety are related and what you can do to kick them out of your life.
Getting Rid of Toy Clutter
You guys, toy clutter is a straight up issue. Did you know that children in the US consume more than 40% of the world’s toys, yet make up only 3.1% of the world’s children?
This is bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s!
There is really no reason for kids to have that many toys, which is why Ruth Soukup from Living Well Spending Less decided to take away her kids toys.
It started out as a fit of frustration from all the mess, but ended up being a permanent decision.
Read all about her experience here and the six years later update here.
Being Clutterfree with Kids
While I do think it’s possible (and worth it) to declutter toys, I also believe that it’s impossible to be clutterfree with kids.
Not only do I think that, I think it’s damaging to put out the impression that all moms can attain the ideal, perfect home where there’s never a toy out of place and never any grape juice spilled on the rug.
We weren’t put on this earth to have “shop window” lives, the kind of lives that are meticulously curated.
It’s completely unrealistic to have a clutterfree home, especially with kids. If this is something you’re aspiring to be, stop it. Like, stahhhp it. Now.
Focus on Progress, Not Perfection
Perfection is a myth, it doesn’t exist. So every time you shoot for perfection as your goal, you will miss it every single time.
Life isn’t supposed to be perfect.
Rather than striving for perfection, let’s strive for purpose, meaning and fun. Let’s strive for deepened relationships and a greater understanding of our world.
Don’t declutter so you can have a perfect home. Instead, declutter so that you can do the things you are meant to do. Those burning desires in your heart that tell you to start a business, join the PTA or volunteer at your church.
You can’t do any of those things if you’re drowning in chaos.
I’m going to leave you with one last decluttering blog post. It is one that has my heart and soul in and it legitimately has the ability to change your life.
Read this post about how to declutter your life and implement the steps. They will take you through the process to figure out what you want to do with your life and clear the space to make it possible.
This process is life-changing. Remember the thing I said about habits?
The bad news is that your messy and chaotic home is the result of years or decades of bad habits. The good news is that habits can change and YOU have the power to change them.
You can do this!
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