I've seen a lot of clients that have a room in their home that is specifically used for storage. It could be a basement, an office, a bedroom. But it's where everything gets thrown. I think my clients had previously gotten a sense of relief each time they put something in this room because they didn't have to see it in their living area. But there was also a feeling of guilt when they hid their stuff in it. And there was the constant heavy drag of the stuff that was pulling them down. You can't hide from clutter. So here are some tips on how to deal with a room full of clutter.
1. Prep talk. As with all clutter busting, this isn't a do it all in one day operation. It helps to think smart through these letting go tasks. First, you want to be kind to yourself and narrow your focus by selecting an amount of work that you can do in a clutter busting session. How long can you work before you get tired? Reduce it by 15 minutes and set it on a timer. Before you venture into the room, take a You moment. Have an encouraging talk with yourself along the lines of, "Okay, stuff happens. Things built up in that room. Oh, well. I'd like to do something positive about this. I want to do this smart and doable. I'm going to take a piece of the pie and bring it to another room and just work on that. One thing at a time!"
2. The first piece. With this encouragement, go into the room. Every thing there might be glowering at you. Like you are interrupting it in its den. Clutter has a knack for intimidation. But remember, It's Your House! Your things are guests if they serve you, and intruders if they don't. Select a pile, stack, box or bag of something. Bring it to a room where you feel comfortable. Find a space where you can work easily. Sit down with the stuff. Have trash bags by your side. Pick up the first thing and ask, "Do I like and use this, or can I let it go?" Remember, a "Yes" feeling is clear and concise. It uplifts and supports you. "No" feels tiring and heavy and confusing. Immediately put the "No's" in either a trash, recycling, or charity bag. With each "Yes" put that item in the place where you will naturally go to get it when needed.
3. The space. Congratulate yourself on letting go of the first stack! Being nice to yourself with encouragement is the most effective clutter-busting motivator. Take that good feeling with you as you go back to the room. Notice the space from where you took that first stack. That is now your space. You took it back. On some level, the rest of the clutter is trembling from your action.
4. The next piece. With your new-found momentum, pick the next group of things and bring them to the other room with you. Work in the easy space. Go through the same steps as the first piece. If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the thought of all the rest of the stuff that's in the room, "and how will I ever get through all that stuff, and I might as well give up!" take a break and drink some water, and eat a snack. It takes a lot of energy to clutter bust. You need to restore yourself. You are also asking yourself to be mighty. You might not be used to being so powerful. But just because you haven't been for a while doesn't mean you're not. When you're recharged, come back to the stuff.
5. Planning. Continue with the piece-by-piece approach until your timer goes off. Stop. Go into the room and take a kind look at what you did today. Focus on what's positive. Be creative in your assessment. Notice the change. This room is not what it was like before you started. You made a difference. Say something to the room. I remember a client saying, "I'm returning you to me. This is my room. It's for me to enjoy." Set up a time with yourself to work in this room again. It's important to be consistent with yourself on this project so you can use the momentum to your advantage.
Please write and tell me your experiences about clutter busting a storage room in your home; it helps inspire others when you share.
If you have trouble and get stuck, feel free to call me at (310) 903-1041 to arrange a phone clutter busting session.
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6 comments:
I have my married daughter's walk-in-closet as my catch-all. Yesterday we went through what was stacked on her floor. She hauled some of it home for craft projects (hey, it's out of my house, not my problem anymore!). Last week had spent 5 hours finding her bass guitar for my son to play. That started the whole ball of wax rolling. Finally emptied the last box I delegated to my room. Old computers and file folders (15)of years gone by financial info back into my husband's walk-in closet for him to deal with. More to do, but nothing pressing at this time. Feels so good. Thanks, Brooks- you rock my clutter busting world!
I just did this last couple of weeks. Our "baby" is almost 3 and was still sleeping in the crib in our room for half the night. The other half he climbs in bed with us (which I adore, he's my baby!).
His "bedroom" was our catch all room. I thought, he's almost 3yo, he deserves his own space. So we started to work on this.
I can happily report he's been sleeping there for a little over a week. I won't say it was love at first sight but he's starting to love his new room.
It was a lot of work and many trips to the salvation army but I'm so happy I did it. My house feels bigger now because that door can be open all day, as opposed to being always shut because it was an embarrassing sight.
Excellent work in the walk-in closet, BJCC! And that the result feels so good!
Monica, I'm glad you no longer have to hide that room. That's great that your son got his own space, and that your house feels bigger!
I think the "take a piece" approach is a good one. For more than 10 years I had various garages filled with stuff. I just kept moving it from place to place.
Finally with a move 4 years ago in the summer, I said to myself, "I will get rid of this by next summer."
I started in earnest in November and by February we could park 2 cars in the previously filled garage.
I started with trash, give or keep piles. The biggest road block was that I kept filling the trash and having to stop. I should have rented a dumpster, but when looking at all that stuff, who would think you are going to throw away 50% of it?
As for the keep pile, I only kept things that were going to be used in the house, no more storage except for one box of holiday decor. The local charities were thrilled, Goodwill took hard goods and my animal shelter took blankets, sheets, towels, etc.
Clutter can be banished - this was a double garage filled front to back and side-to-side with boxes that had I moved too many times to count. I always intended to go through it but it always seemed like too big a job. Breaking it down and giving myself a deadline were the keys.
Thanks for sharing, Jane! I like that you were able to break it down in the way you did. It certainly can seem like too big of a job. But I find things are a lot easier by just starting.
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