Have you ever walked into a room in your house and felt like you have too many belongings?
Even for those who try to be organized, it is easy to become overwhelmed with clutter.
That is when you need decluttering tips for hoarders, and you can go even further by reading books that will help with your cause.
Figuring out how to get motivated to clean when overwhelmed by mess can seem like an impossible task at times, but you simply need the right tools.
With help from book summaries on Blinkist and the essential tips outlined below, you can achieve your cleaning goals.
How To Get Motivated To Clean When Overwhelmed by Mess
There are many different ways that you can begin to tackle the clutter. Still, not all methods of cleaning are going to work for each individual.
Some people will find that one method works incredibly well, while others will feel like it doesn’t make a difference at all.
Nevertheless, you need to give different techniques a try until you find the method that works best for your needs.
Here are seven essential decluttering tips that might help you.
1. Start With Clearing Trafficked Areas
Starting with cleaning the most highly trafficked areas of your home, like the hallways and the bathroom, is a great way to feel a quick, palpable change.
These areas are always going to be frustrating because you encounter them frequently.
Additionally, it is dangerous to have too many belongings blocking the path in these areas. For that reason, you should always start decluttering here.
2. Work In Shifts
Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed by what you are doing? Have you tried to clean before, only to find that you have no idea what to do next?
Cleaning, especially when you have a lot of belongings, is going to be an exhausting and overwhelming task.
Things are not going to simply be better in just a few hours if your situation is extreme, and that is okay.
Rather than overwhelm yourself by trying to do everything at once, it is best to work in shifts.
Set up a specific time of day or a specific number of hours per day that you want to work on cleaning.
Stick to this schedule, but don’t let yourself go too far overboard.
By limiting how long you spend on cleaning every day, you’re less likely to grow tired of it.
3. Put Like Things Together
One tip that has worked for many from the popular Konmari method is to put like things together when you are cleaning.
If you know you have nail polish in three different rooms, gather your entire supply into one place before you start decluttering.
Without having everything in one place, you won’t know which items to get rid of and which to keep.
However, being able to see everything at once is an excellent tool for making difficult decisions.
Plus, you will be better able to determine how much space you need to store your belongings after decluttering when you can see it all at once.
4. Take Donations and Trash Away Quickly
One mistake that many hoarders make is that they hang onto items that they plan to donate or throw away for too long.
This issue only leads to additional hoarding, and it is a type of hoarding in and of itself.
To avoid this problem, you should take the trash and donations out of your house as soon as possible after decluttering.
One way to make this easier is to schedule this time into your cleaning schedule.
If you plan to clean for two hours daily, set aside the last 15 minutes for trash and donations.
During this time, you will dispose of all trash and put donations into the car to take to drop off as soon as possible.
Doing this might just set you up for future successful cleaning sessions.
5. Limit Incoming Items
There is a common adage used when cleaning up: one in, one out.
This means that for every one item that you bring into the house, you must take one out.
People who have managed to get control of their clutter or hoarding will find this rule very important but challenging to follow.
If you don’t limit how many items you begin to bring back into your home, it will immediately start to revert to how you used to live.
For that reason, strictly following the one in, one out rule is critical.
6. Get Help From Blinkist
Another great way to learn how to get motivated to clean when overwhelmed by mess is to read nonfiction books about organization and cleaning houses.
If you don’t have time to read many books or you simply want to quickly learn the best organization lessons, Blinkist may be a great tool for you.
Blinkist is a book summary platform that presents the key concepts from nonfiction books in a quick and easily digestible way.
By spending just a few minutes on the site or the app, you can learn all about the main points of a new book.
Learning about cleaning in books can help you to get a better understanding of why you are struggling to keep things clean.
7. Be Patient With Yourself
Finally, remember that you are not going to be able to declutter your entire house overnight.
It could take days, weeks, or months to fully clean things out, depending on the severity of the situation you are in.
And that’s okay!
No matter how long it takes you to get a hold on your clutter and feel like you have reclaimed your space, it is important to be patient with yourself.
Decluttering can be a very difficult time, so you need to allow yourself to heal, grieve, and rest as needed throughout.
‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ Book Summary
One of the top books on Blinkist that is full of decluttering tips is The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.
This book details the Konmari method that Kondo created. Essentially, she encourages people to only hold onto items that bring them joy.
All items that are unnecessary or simply do not spark joy in their life should be packed up and let go.
This method may not be for everyone, but it does present a lot of interesting ideas.
In The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up summary provided on Blinkist, you can see the exact procedure that Kondo suggests hoarders follow.
Decluttering Tips for Hoarders
With help from Blinkist and the decluttering tips for hoarders we have covered above, it is your time to start cleaning!
Getting rid of clutter can feel overwhelming at first, but the tips are actually a great way to ensure that you can make the most of your life.
Who wants to spend every day at home stressed by their belongings? Don’t be held captive by clutter any longer; it is time to make a change in your life!