How to Stay Focused When Decluttering

In this post: Do you find it hard to stay focused when decluttering? Here are three tips that will help beat overwhelm, so you can declutter and stay focused!

Neck down body kneeling behind a basket of clutter with a chalkboard in front that says,"to donate."

It’s really easy to get distracted when decluttering. There are so many reasons why we might find ourselves getting distracted – whether it’s feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff to sort through, battling decision fatigue, or feeling emotionally attached to our belongings. And for some folks, like those with ADHD, staying focused can be even trickier.

Frankly, decluttering isn’t fun (for most people). So it’s easy for our brains to get pulled away from decluttering. But I’ve got some tips to help you out!

Decluttering Distractions

Maybe you can relate to this scenario….

One minute you are cleaning out the junk drawer, but you found random batteries in the drawer.

So you walk to the mud room (where you keep batteries) to put them away.

When you’re there, you see your child’s hoodie on the floor, so you run upstairs to put it in their room.

Then you realize they need their soccer jersey washed for tonight’s game.

So you start a load of laundry.

But you have clean clothes in the dryer ready to be put away, so you go back upstairs to do that.

20 minutes later you get back to the junk drawer, but then you realize it’s almost time to start making dinner, so the decluttering will have to wait.

Sound familiar?

It’s kind of a “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” situation. 🍪

The truth is, if you run your days like this you’re never going to feel like you are getting any decluttering done.

If you are making a commitment to declutter your home, you need to guard that time, even if it is 5-10 minutes.

Keep reading for three tips to help you make the most of your decluttering time.

Woman kneeling behind two boxes while decluttering. One is labeled"Donate," the other is labeled,"keep".

Tips to help you stay focused when decluttering:

1) Have a plan for an area you are going to work on

When people don’t have a plan on where to start decluttering, they get overwhelmed. When they are overwhelmed, it’s hard to start.

It helps to make a list of what needs decluttering. This helps you stay focused, and able to get started right away.

When you make your list, don’t just write down the big projects. Break the to do’s down into smaller, more manageable tasks that can be completed in 15 minutes or less.

For example, instead of writing down, “Declutter Bathroom,” break it into smaller tasks such as:

Throw away expired/old hair products
Declutter makeup
Declutter small appliances (hair dryer, curling irons, etc)

Getting more specific with smaller tasks will help you stay focused.

2) STAY in that area you chose to work on

When you declutter it’s often recommended to have a trash bag and a box for donations.

I recommend a third container to help you stay in one place. Have a box or a basket with you for things that need to go other places so you don’t have to leave in the middle of your decluttering time to put things away.

In the example above, you can put the batteries in the box until you are done decluttering the drawer, then you can return the batteries to the mud room, along with anything else that needs to be put away.

You will get a lot more done by not running all over the house to put things away.

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3) Set a timer

Choose how long you are going to declutter. I recommend starting small as you are building your “decluttering muscles.” It’s a lot easier to start working and stay focused on something when you know that it’s only going to be 10-15 minutes of your day.

You might surprise yourself with how much you can get done in 15 minutes!

Make this decluttering time a priority. You can schedule it on your calendar or use a habit tracker to help remind you to do it.

Building the Decluttering Habit

If you need some more help putting these things into practice, I recommend The 30 Day Declutter. Everyday for 30 days you will get a decluttering task to work on, along with a 15 minute audio clip to listen to as you declutter.

The audio clip helps motivate you and keep you focused on the task you are working on. It’s a great way to build your decluttering habit!

Staying Focused While Decluttering

I know it can be hard to stay focused when decluttering, but you will feel so good when you complete the task you planned on. Celebrate when you finish your decluttering time.

Remember to focus on making progress, not perfection. You are doing great!