I encourage kindness during the letting go process because there is often a roughness that rears its head.
Clients will often blame themselves, saying, "I should have done this a long time ago," or, "Why did I let it get this bad?," or "I don't know why I have such a hard time letting go," or "I should be better at this."
It's harsh because there is an openness and vulnerability during a clutter bust. The criticism has a clear shot. It hits in a fragile and sensitive place, and causes damage.
I was working today with a client who was taking a lot of hard shots at herself. I asked her to stop. I said circumstances happened that lead to the clutter showing up. Some difficult events happened in her life that made her overwhelmed. Her energy had to go into taking care of herself, and other things had to be ignored.
I said now that her life was becoming more stable, she could attend to other things, like the stuff in her home. Compassion for herself would go a long way in the process.
I encourage you to be gentle and tender with yourself.