7 Signs You Might Have Too Much Clutter

In today’s materialistic world, it’s easy to accumulate belongings without even realizing how quickly they can turn into clutter. Clutter isn’t just a physical inconvenience; it can also impact your mental and emotional well-being. Identifying the signs of excessive clutter is the first step towards creating a more organized and serene living environment. In this blog post, we’ll explore seven telltale signs that might indicate you have too much clutter in your life.

Welcome to my Year Long Thorough Declutter Series. We declutter 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Each day we do a daily task based on the room we are working on. Today, our task is to start decluttering your clutter in your guest room or kid’s room. If you prefer watching videos, check out my youtube channel here. Today, we’ll look at some tips to declutter any dried out pens and markers.

The best way to develop a new habit is by slowly and daily application. We will begin a new daily declutter habit starting with the 2nd bathroom. In the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series, we will declutter 30 minutes a day, five days a week on weekdays. Sign up to receive daily encouragement and motivation.

Plus, you’ll learn your specific daily task to work toward completing the goal of a Year Long Thorough Declutter where you will declutter every space and learn how to start to purge your house. Are you ready to finally get organized? If so, will you join us? Leave a comment below to subscribe.

If you are new to the blog, welcome! I blog about cleaning, decluttering, and organizing. You can find my free printables to help you get organized in the drop down menu under the Printables category.

Currently we are working on decluttering the Guest Room or Kid’s Room. The daily task for today, Aug. 9, 2023, is to begin to declutter any dried out pens and markers. Remember, we are focusing on just the guest room or kid’s room area, so don’t declutter your whole house. We will cover each room separately.

7 Signs You Might Have Too Much Clutter

Limited Space and Difficulty Moving Around: One of the most obvious signs of excessive clutter is when you find it challenging to move around freely in your living spaces. If every room feels cramped and cluttered, and you’re constantly bumping into things or tripping over items, it’s time to reconsider your belongings. When you struggle to navigate your own home, it’s a clear indication that decluttering is overdue.
Difficulty Finding Things: Do you spend an excessive amount of time searching for your keys, wallet, or other everyday items? If you frequently misplace things due to the clutter, it’s a sign that your space is inundated with unnecessary items. A clutter-free environment makes it easier to locate and access your belongings.
Feeling Overwhelmed: Clutter isn’t just about physical objects; it can also clutter your mind. If you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious whenever you’re in your cluttered space, it’s likely affecting your mental health. A cluttered environment can lead to a cluttered mind, making it difficult to focus and think clearly.
Unused or Forgotten Items: When you start finding items you completely forgot you had, it’s a sign that you have too much clutter. Accumulating possessions that you never use not only takes up space but also prevents you from truly enjoying and appreciating the things you value most.
Difficulty Cleaning: Cleaning becomes a monumental task when you have to constantly maneuver around clutter. Dust accumulates on surfaces that are obscured by items, making it harder to maintain a clean and hygienic living space. A clutter-free home is much easier to clean and maintain.
Emotional Attachment to Objects: It’s natural to form attachments to certain possessions, but when you find it difficult to let go of items that no longer serve a purpose or bring you joy, you may be holding onto clutter. Sentimental value is important, but it’s essential to strike a balance between preserving memories and keeping a clutter-free environment.
Impact on Productivity and Creativity: A cluttered workspace can hinder your productivity and creativity. Whether it’s a home office, a crafting corner, or a study area, clutter can make it difficult to concentrate and be productive. A clear and organized workspace allows you to focus on tasks and tap into your creative potential without unnecessary distractions.

Recognizing the signs of excessive clutter is the first step towards creating a more organized and serene living environment. Clearing out clutter can lead to improved mental and emotional well-being, increased productivity, and a greater sense of control over your surroundings. By taking the time to declutter and reevaluate your belongings, you can create a space that truly supports your physical, mental, and emotional needs. Remember, a clutter-free space is a step toward a clutter-free mind and a more fulfilling life.

I personally have a bad habit of placing items that need to be donated in the laundry room behind the door. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Wrong. Delaying decisions means we still need to declutter.

Maybe you have a habit of delaying decisions, too. Let’s decide today where your decluttered items need to go. Do they need to be donated? Disposed of? Don’t delay that decision any longer. If they need to be donated, sort and put them in your vehicle. Then, make a note in your calendar to drop them off at your favorite charity.

As you are decluttering your items, I want you to try not to just move them to another room. You may be tempted to do that. However, resist the urge to keep everything. Decluttering means we actually part with these items. Otherwise, assign those items a permanent home where you can best utilize them.

How to Declutter When You Have Too Much Clutter

1.Only spend time on your specific daily task.

2.Do not get side-tracked or distracted.

3.Work within a time of day that you have the most energy and stamina. This is one of the most useful declutter motivation tips. Listen to your body and work at decluttering when you feel the most alert and energized.

4.Avoid thinking too long about whether to keep or discard an item. This is one specific way for How to Be Ruthless When Decluttering.

5.Avoid cleaning during your declutter. The goal is to purge the dead weight. Getting rid of the clutter is your priority. Cleaning can be accomplished later. Read on for more declutter motivation tips and my room specific deep clean checklist, though, as you will begin cleaning after your declutter.

How to Declutter Too Much Clutter

Supplies Needed:

1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)

2. sturdy trash bags

3. marker/pen to label boxes

Decluttering Tip: Avoid using storage bins to declutter. Storage bins tend to tell your brain to “store” the items for later. That is just delaying decisions. If you aren’t getting rid of items when you declutter, you are not truly decluttering. This is why I recommend a trash bag, also. A trash bag tells your brain to “trash” the item.

Obviously, recycle if you have that option. The boxes you use should be ones you are willing to part with, so I recommend sturdy cardboard boxes. As to donations, there are many charities that will come pick up your items for you at your home.

I use one in particular where you can book an appointment for pick-up online. This is so convenient, as it saves you the hassle of hauling stuff away yourself. Scheduling that pick-up also motivates you to declutter by a certain date.

Steps & Expert Ways to Organize & Declutter Too Much Clutter

1. Start by eliminating trash first- use a sturdy trash bag

2. Sort items by category if needed so you can see what you have

3.Get rid of items that don’t work or that work poorly, expired items, anything you don’t love, anything that you’ll never use again

4. Box up the donations and trash/recycle the rest

5.Select a charity to donate your items and schedule the pick-up if that is an option

How Do You Declutter Your Entire House (and get it deep clean?): Need to deep clean?

First, My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.

Second, My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.

Third, My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.

Fourth, My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.

Fifth, My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.

You can get your printable Daily Housekeeping Routine and Deep Cleaning Your House Schedule here. This 15 page printable kit is delivered digitally to your email for you to print and personalize. What Does a Deep Clean Include? It includes a daily schedule, calendar pages, and deep cleaning checklists for every room and area of your home. Check out the link above to see a sample page of what you’ll get in my printable set designed to help you create your personal Homemaking Checklist.

Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can find that here.

New to deemiddleton.com and don’t know where to start? I recommend going in this order:

Step 1: Check out this post on the 1st step you should take to get organized. If you don’t have a calendar, you can grab my free weekly printable calendar page here. It is in my shopify store, but it is totally free, so you won’t be prompted to put in any payment information. It is a free download and will be delivered straight to your email.

Step 2: Create a daily Housekeeping Schedule. You can use this series to start to set up your own schedule. You can also use this simplified weekly schedule.If you often ask: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Or, if you struggle to get organized and have tried and failed time and again, you can likely find out which of these 11 reasons cause you to fail to get organized.

Step 3: How do you remove clutter? How Do You Declutter Your Home?.…Sign up for the Declutter Series and get your entire home decluttered in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”Declutter Your Home” checklists are provided in each email.

Step 4: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Use a timer and use the Deep Cleaning Checklists above. They will help you get your home sparkling after you’ve decluttered.

Interested in becoming a full-time blogger like me? Check out my blogging series. At the top of every page on my blog, you’ll find a drop down menu. Just select the BLOGGING category.