Too Much Stuff-Not Enough SPACE? Here’s How To Get Seriously Organized, Declutter Your Home, Simplify Life and Get Rid Of Stuff in 7 Easy Steps.
Ready to FINALLY take your house back and GET ORGANIZED?
Truth is – you can NOT organize when you have too much STUFF – so let’s get rid of it with these quick tips below and then you can organize what’s left (and have a LOT less to deal with).
Is there clutter and stuff EVERYWHERE in your house? That was a BIG problem in my house for a long, long time – but I finally found such simple tips to help me get rid of it AND keep it from sneaking back in the house.
If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed with too much STUFF, this page is for YOU.
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Do you have too much stuff but not enough space?
Trust me, you are NOT alone!
The BURDEN of too much stuff is OVERWHELMING and can have serious effects on your whole outlook on life.
I really hated that feeling – everything felt suffocating… I am almost hated being in my own home.
Here are some Quick Tips that can help:
While there’s no magic overnight solution to the clutter, you can declutter and simplify your stuff with this simple 7 step system that works – because getting rid of stuff feels GOOD!
Too Much STUFF?
When you’re overwhelmed with too much stuff, it’s feels impossible to figure out how to organize a room with too much stuff – let alone your whole house!
The good news is: You CAN simplify your life and get rid of stuff without feeling overwhelmed or suffering from decluttering guilt.
I know you feel you should just throw everything away and start over, but extreme decluttering is not the solution here.
Before you declutter EVERYTHING, let’s talk about the signs you have too much stuff and how to get rid of the things you do not need to simplify your life and quiet your mind
✅ Warning Signs
Wondering if you really have too much stuff? How MUCH stuff is TOO much?
Having too much stuff is a real burden on your emotional well-being as well as for those who also live in your home.
Here is a quick quiz for you to help you determine if YOU have too much stuff – check off all that apply to you. The more you check, the bigger your problem with excess stuff and clutter might be.
11 warning signs that you have too much stuff:
- Your stuff makes you feel overwhelmed and embarrassed
- You can’t find things in your home – or plain forget you have it – so you buy it again
- You have so much stuff that you can’t even figure out where to START getting rid of it
- You regularly find expired items in your pantry or refrigerator
- You keep buying more organizers and baskets to “organize” your stuff
- Your drawers, cabinets and closets are stuffed to the max
- Your rooms feel suffocating and cramped
- Family and friends comment on how much stuff you have
- You have tons of things you NEVER use, but you feel guilty throwing things away
- You feel at peace and relieved when staying in a hotel room
- You hide your clutter and stuff in a spare room, your garage, etc and keep the door closed
A home does not get to the point of having too much stuff overnight – and can’t be expected to become clutter free that way either. The more stuff we have in our homes – the more cluttered our homes look and our brains feel.
Wouldn’t it just be more simple – to just have less stuff?
Of course it would – but how do we get there?
How To Get Rid Of It
So now you know you officially have TOO MUCH STUFF and not nearly enough space to put it all.
Let’s move on to how to get RID of too much stuff and get your clutter under control.
note: you do NOT need permission to throw things away – it’s YOUR stuff, let’s get rid of it!
It may seem like a daunting task, but by starting slow and working your way around your home – it will all be worth it.
The more we can make our home our own instead of using them to store things we don’t need or that clutter up the room, the better!
Your home is NOT a storage unit, ok?
Sure, you could rent a cheap 10×20 storage unit and just stuff all your clutter and stuff in there, but that’s not really getting RID of it, is it?
If you want to minimize your belongings and get rid of excess STUFF, but don’t know where to start, do this:
Start with one room at a time!
No need to completely overwhelm yourself with the BIG project of the WHOLE HOUSE – start the easy way.
Too Much Stuff: Winning the War Against ClutterShow Me ThisDeclutter Like a Mother: A Guilt-Free, No-Stress Way to Transform Your Home and Your LifeShow Me This
Four-Box Method
There’s a decluttering strategy called the Four-Box Method that can be very effective when you have too much stuff and not enough space.
The Four-Box Method is a decluttering technique designed to make getting rid of stuff easier and faster. The method uses 4 boxes or bins to categorize stuff into the action needed. The four boxes are a Keep and Put Away Box, a Donate or Sell Box, a Trash Box and a Keepsake Storage box.
I use the Four-Box Method for decluttering toys – and it works really well for those types of individual and contained clutter situations, but the 4 Box Method did NOT work for me to get rid of an overall Too Much STUFF situation in my entire house.
What DID work for me is the simple 7 step action plan below.
I was flat out OVERWHELMED with too much stuff and not enough space – these are the 7 steps I took to get rid of my stuff to finally simplify my life AND my home.
One of the easiest ways to reduce the stuff in your home is by tackling just one room at a time.
That doesn’t mean you can’t dejunk the stuff in other rooms later on when you’ve finished – it only means that the first step should be small enough so that it’s doable on its own while also ridding your home of some excess clutter in the process.
✅ 7 Step Action Plan
Here’s the checklist with the seven steps listing how you can start getting rid of “stuff” in your home, starting with one room at a time…
1. How To Get Rid Of Stuff When You Have TOO MUCH
The first step is to realize and acknowledge that you have TOO MUCH STUFF… and then make peace with getting rid of it.
Let’s begin.
2. Pick one room or space to begin.
Step one to getting rid of stuff to simplify your life is this – get motivated and then pick ONE room or ONE space to start getting rid of junk.
Maybe it’s your living room or kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, office – or you could do it by area (like cleaning out a closet or decluttering your junk drawer).
If you’re new to getting rid of stuff in this manner, I strongly recommend starting SMALL to begin with – like, pick your bathroom counter to start with or a small closet.
3. Get a trash bag, box, laundry basket and a timer.
Have everything you need on hand before you start – and be sure you’ve ready why you should NEVER use boxes when decluttering.
4. Set the timer for 15 minutes
Yes, only 15 minutes! No need to over-stress yourself with some long drawn out process.
Start with 15 minutes and FINISH -that, alone, will motivate you to perhaps do a longer time later.
5. START
Put trash in the trash bag, things you want to get rid of / donate in the box and things that belong in another room in the basket.
Don’t overthink this, just do it. If you have to, pretend it’s not YOUR stuff to hopefully take that mental attachment feeling away from your things.
If you have decluttering guilt, remember:
It’s just STUFF.
6. Work Out To In
Begin in one corner of the room and work around the walls first – middle of the room last.
Don’t be working randomly around the area – make a path and stick to it.
7. Ding!
When the timer goes off – throw the trash out and then put the items in the basket in their correct rooms.
If your Clutter OUT box is full – get rid of it – if it is not full – save it for the next 15 minute cycle.
8. Repeat When Ready
Repeat this 15 minute system until all the stuff you want removed is out of the room leaving ONLY the things you really want in the space.
It’s amazing how less stuff can bring more happiness in life.
One day, I read this list of kitchen stuff to throw away – and did it.
The sheer act of throwing away unwanted STUFF was so freeing – it was like this suffocating weight was lifted off of me.
I felt so relieved to have that stuff GONE.
From then on, I had a renewed energy to declutter and simplify my home – and got to work 15 minutes at a time.
Now, I love walking into ANY room in my home AND I don’t feel embarrassed anymore when company comes over.
Remember, your house is your HOME – it is NOT a storage unit for STUFF!
Simplify your stuff – this will free up valuable space in your home and in your mind for other purposes – and can allow you to relax more as well.
If you commit to doing these small steps to simplify your belongings over and over – you will have your home decluttered without feeling like you have taken on a huge overwhelming project.
The burden of too much stuff is very real and is something I think we can all relate to.
The best way to reduce the burden of too much stuff is to simplify your belongings.
Getting rid of STUFF has a positive effect on your mind, your emotions, and the way you view the world – so don’t be afraid to start!
Remember: Keep it simple!
Don’t be afraid to take it one small step at a time.
More Tips
Conquer the Clutter: Strategies to Identify, Manage, and Overcome HoardingShow Me ThisFilled Up and Overflowing: What to do When Life Events, Chronic Disorganization, or Hoarding Go OverboardShow Me This
FAQ
☑ What do you do when you own too much stuff?
Donating extra items is the most charitable method to get rid of excess stuff you own. Clothes, linens, books, kitchenware, and other necessities are hard to come by for those in need. Donate or give away useful items you no longer use to local charity donation centers and throw away the remaining items that are cluttering up your home.
☑ Does having too much stuff cause stress?
Yes, having too much stuff can cause a person to feel irritated, anxious, and stressed as a result of overwhelming clutter. For example, a 2009 study in the United States discovered that moms with a busy household had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol when overwhelmed by clutter and excessive stuff.
☑ How do you know when you have too much stuff?
Common Signs You Have Too Much Stuff:
- You feel overwhelmed by your excessive stuff
- You feel embarrassed of your cluttered home
- Your rooms feel suffocating
- Your closets are jam-packed
- You have more stuff than space to put it
- You forget you have items
- You hide clutter
- You feel excessive stress when in your home but feel better when in clutter-free spaces
- You regularly find expired unused food you didn’t remember you had
- You end up buying duplicates of items because you can’t find the original
- Friends and family make “well-intentioned” comments about the state of your home.
Do YOU have too much stuff?
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