How to Have A Decluttering Mindset

We all know that the accumulation of clutter can be stressful—especially when we are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of decluttering work we will have to do. Decluttering the stuff just to end up feeling frustrated and guilty is common for everyone who wants to improve the clutter situation within the house.
 
As homeowners, we strive to achieve a clean, tidy and organized living space. However, it is also unavoidable for us to be trapped and reckless when it comes to the accumulation of stuff. Items such as—shoes, clothes, mementos, kitchen items, extra/junk appliances, furniture, and other items that could be considered clutter can accumulate within your house without you knowing it. 
 
Situations like these can be worse, especially when you lack the much-needed storage space to store the stuff. It is best to get into the mindset of tackling head-on the clutter within the house.
 
Getting on the mindset to declutter the stuff within the house can make the process much easier and more satisfying as you work along. In this guide, we will help you the ways how to get on the mindset to clear the clutter and organize the items within your house.
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How Can I Have A Decluttering Mindset

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• Visualization of the Results/Goals
  
• Acknowledge Sentimental Feelings
  
• Plan a Decluttering Schedule—Consider It as a long and Ongoing Process
  
• Avoid Adding More Clutter
  

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​Visualization of the Results/Goals

To get into the decluttering mindset, allow yourself to visualize the end goal of the room you are about to work on. As much as possible, get into the detail of how you want the decluttered room to be after tackling the accumulated items. It may include— cleanliness or tidiness of the floors, the absence of accumulated stuff on the table, and other decluttering goals you want to achieve for the room.
 
Decluttering the accumulated stuff can be beneficial for your home. List down the things that make you want to declutter your home for the better. Personal and motivating goals for your home, as to why you need a clean and tidy house. It can be different for everyone, hence it is best to listen to yourself about the things that motivate you to declutter your house. 
 
Decluttering can be overwhelming to some, as it takes commitment, time, and energy to get things done. However, as long as you stick to your personal goals for your house, you will have a solid foundation to keep on going and have the motivation to realize the visualized result of a decluttered room. 

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Acknowledge Sentimental Feelings

Clutter can add up without us knowing it—from the sentimental and important stuff to non-essential items that need to be disposed of. It is normal to add up the items within our house, as long as we are aware of the accumulation of it, and how we work on decluttering the items within our home.
 
Items such as gifts, souvenirs, and mementos can hold meaning within our lives, as a result, these can hold us back from actually decluttering those items whether we are still using the items or not. These can accumulate to some extent and take up space within your home. 
 
You might feel the need to remove the clutter from your home. However, there can be a feeling of guilt tied whenever we tackle those sentimental items. It can feel like you are removing a valuable part or moment of your life or feel like you still haven’t gotten the money’s worth for a certain item.
 
It is undeniably difficult to remove sentimental items. However, these feelings can hold us back from our decluttering goals. It can drain us to know that we are stuck in removing those items. It is best to acknowledge those feelings and work with them. Try opening it up with your friends or family, Work through those feelings, and write them out in a journal to get a different perspective on those feelings.
 
Working on those emotions is a step ahead to achieving and realizing your decluttering goal. Acknowledging them and getting them out can be beneficial to get into the decluttering mindset.

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Plan a Decluttering Schedule—Consider It as a long and Ongoing Process

​One reason why decluttering can be overwhelming, is that they consider it a sprint than a marathon. Telling yourself that decluttering your house is one big chore to do on the same day, or a given amount of time can be difficult mentally. 
 
Telling yourself that decluttering the house is one big project that you will have to work on for long periods with consistency can help you get in the mindset of working on decluttering the areas of your house in chunks.
 
There are ways to go around it to consider decluttering as a marathon—try a decluttering challenge, where you will schedule certain parts of the house throughout the month. Calendar blocking which parts of the house to declutter can lessen the workload by day, and see the decluttering process as a month-long project.
 
Considering it took a long time to accumulate the stuff within your home, then there is no denying that this process may take a while to achieve. Avoid sprinting through the decluttering process—as this can potentially fail and, as a result, can get you disappointed and lose motivation altogether to get things done.
 
Stick with the decluttering schedule and allow yourself to do the process at your own pace. You can even use this as an opportunity to have the whole family work as a team for your decluttering schedule. Instilling a decluttering mindset for everyone within the house goes a long way in living a clean and tidy home for everyone.

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​Avoid Adding More Clutter

The best way to have a clean and uncluttered house is to avoid the accumulation of stuff in the first place. Even before you start the decluttering work, Set yourself already to get into the mindset by refusing or limiting the amount of new stuff that goes into your home.
 
It can be a challenge to go against the urge to buy and get new things. However, limiting and avoiding impulsive buying or shopping can go a long way in removing junk before it clutters your home. It is best to be intentional in buying the items, taking in the essentials, and keeping the spaces within your home organized. 
 
Ask yourself before buying something, and give it a day or two if those items are worth the space and money for your home. Never buy something impulsively, and be critical of whether the item is important, or you will be needing and using it in the long run.
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Conclusion

Getting on the decluttering mindset can be challenging. As you declutter the items, you work through items that haven’t been touched for years or even a decade. The next thing you know is that you are now reminiscing through the past, wandering down memory lane.
 
It is best to be more relentless when removing the accumulated stuff within the house and focusing on the task at hand. Channeling through a decluttering mindset gets you to declutter items that go along the way.
 
Through—visualization of the decluttering goals, acknowledging the sentimental feelings, planning the process, and avoiding more clutter in the house. You are ready to tackle the clutter problem and manifest a decluttering mindset.

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