Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the mess that you call home? I know I have. Over time, I’ve felt the crushing weight of clutter pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. If you’re wondering how to start decluttering when overwhelmed, you’re in the right place.
Before we dive into how to start decluttering when overwhelmed, it’s helpful to recognize why the decluttering process is so important. Decluttering not only transforms your space into a more organized and inviting home but also enhances your overall well-being. If you want to explore these benefits further, be sure to check out my post, Why is Decluttering Your Home Important?.
How to Start Decluttering When You’re Overwhelmed
The key to decluttering when you’re overwhelmed and your house is a disaster is to make progress. You don’t have to do it all and you don’t have to do it perfectly. Okay? Let’s get started…
1. Get Motivated and Inspired
There are so many resources to help you get started with decluttering.
- Play a podcast while you’re doing housework.
- Watch Marie Kondo or the Home Edit on Netflix (not necessarily for their processes or a goal to attain to, but more for some visual peace and inspiration).
- Read a book about decluttering and organizing, like The Clutter Fix, or look at one with pretty pictures of lovely spaces.
Remember to look at these as a breath of fresh air and not something to compare your home to. Hopefully, you will come away inspired to tackle your own home!
2. Gather All the Trash
If your house is a big mess, there is probably trash lying around. Pop cans, old papers, etc. Take a few minutes to walk your house with a garbage bag and gather the trash. Just cleaning this up will help the mess and your mindset immensely.
3. Look After Anything Time Sensitive
If you are feeling overwhelmed by your home, you need to look after the things that have some time sensitivity to them. This might include things like going through the stack of papers on the counter to find bills that need to be paid, library books that need to be returned, etc. Focus on these items first, and then tackle the rest little by little.
4. Make Sure Clothes and Food are Looked After
Once you have dealt with all of the time-sensitive items, move on to clothes and food. If you need to go to the grocery store, make a meal plan and head to the store. If you need to order a pizza tonight so you can get caught up, that is okay. Focus on feeding everyone, and making a plan for the rest of the week or month.
Then deal with the clothes. Take a laundry basket and go through each room of the home to pick up all the dirty clothes. Throughout the day, make small loads and get through that pile of laundry.
5. Set a Timer for Just 15 Minutes Each Day
Take some time either at the beginning or end of each day and set a timer for 15 minutes. Touch on the high-traffic 10 clutter hotspots.
If you didn’t get through everything, that’s okay. Tomorrow is another day, and you can pick up where you left off from there.
If you find yourself getting overwhelmed again, remember why you’re doing this in the first place. You’re on a journey to a much simpler, stress-free life where you can reclaim your time to do the things that matter the most to you.
FAQ
Start by motivating yourself with inspiration—listen to a podcast or watch a decluttering show.
Break tasks into small, manageable steps. Focus on one area at a time and celebrate each small victory to build momentum.
Keep a simple checklist of tasks or take before-and-after photos to visually see your improvements as you go.
Remind yourself that decluttering is a journey. Reflect on how far you’ve come and adjust your goals to be more realistic and achievable.
More Decluttering Ideas
- How to Start Decluttering When You’re Overwhelmed
- 10 Types of Clutter You Probably Have in Your Home
- How to Declutter Your House in 7 Easy Steps
- The 5 Decluttering Methods
- 5 Essential Tips to Make Decluttering Easier
- How to Declutter Your Home Room-By-Room
- FAQs About Decluttering Your Home
- How to Declutter Sentimental Things
- Get Rid of Paper Clutter Once and For All
- Why is Decluttering Your Home Important?
- 50 Things You Should “Throw Away” Today + Free Printable Checklist
- What Not to Do When Decluttering
- 9 Creative Ways to Easily Declutter Your Home Right Now
- 30 Things That Make Your Home Look Cluttered
Take a deep breath, and remember to take it one simple step at a time. I’ve learned that it won’t happen overnight, but with each small effort I make daily, my home feels a little less overwhelming. If you’re wondering how to start decluttering when overwhelmed, just know that progress is possible, and every little bit counts.
Have you felt this way in the past? How about recently? Let me know in the comments below!
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Thanks Shannon – I needed this today. One step at a time. Sigh! I think another helpful piece of advice is to make an effort to put things back in their place once you are finished with them. 😔
Yes! One little step at a time! No need to feel overwhelmed. And yes, putting things away when you’re finished helps a lot too!
Thank you for your timely tips! They are very well thought out.
Thank you!
Setting a timer is a great idea! Especially for a small time block when you’re first starting to get decluttered and picked up. AND, it’s amazing to see how much you can get done in just 15 minutes!
#MMBH
Katelynn, hampersandhiccups.com
Thanks! I am always overwhelmed with the house and endless tasks that come from homeschooling, working from home, and just general life! I love the idea of the 15 minutes a day.
I so agree with getting dressed, putting on makeup and lipstick, it makes me feel better
But unless I am leaving the house, I usually just brush my hair
We moved a year ago, actually you! Inspired me to sell our house and buy a new one.
It was all over within 3 months.
Anyway, when we were packing, I thought, why dint I wear more of my clothes? I think
I was rotating maybe a weeks worth of clothes.
Why have clothes if I don’t wear them? I don’t get dressed up like June Cleaver, Beavers
Mother to keep house but I do wear my good clothes, pretty things that somehow were
Put to the back of the closet but really seemed “ too nice” unless I was going out.
I feel much better, my best self in appearance when I look nice, am dressed nicely and I
Have sometimes changed into “ housecleaning clothes” for certain jobs.
I can get depressed but looking my best really does help and there have been times when .i
Just changed nightgowns when I took my shower..this is a very good point.
Also some days, I put on some earrings or a necklace that I haven’t worn in awhile.
Why have it and not wear it? Yes, getting dressed and making the bed is the way my
Day starts.
Good post Shannon!
I hear you. Sometimes when you stay home it’s hard to know whether to dress up a bit to feel nice, or to keep it simple because you have cleaning to do. 🙂 I too feel better though when I take the time to get dressed and put on makeup.
Great, practical suggestions! Pinning.
Thank you for pinning!
I think with so much more clarity when my surroundings are organized! And it only takes a few minutes!
These are great simple tips for when you are overwhelmed. When you can allow yourself to start small and work your way up to the bigger tasks I think you will actually surprise yourself and do more than you think you might. Thanks for sharing these ideas.
Yes! Starting small and working through it. For sure! 🙂
Shannon, it’s easy to think, “Why bother?” on a day when you aren’t well or only have the time or energy to do some small task. But, as my husband always says, “If you do something every day, it adds up; if you do nothing, it can’t add up!”
It’s SO EASY to say ‘why bother’ when you’re tired and worn out! (And sometimes that’s okay. Rest is good. She says to herself.) But yes, on the regular, little bits add up a lot!
AWWWWWWEEE!!!!! Just what I needed to get on track!!! I tackled the ever dreaded “tupperware cupboard” that everyone riffles the clean stuff into when doing dishes! yikes!!! I ended up donating more than I kept which felt so good. I have been dreading this job for weeks! and it took me all of 30 minutes to do!! I wasted more energy worrying about it than it actually took to do and then I couldnt stop opening cupboards to check it out! Then I made a list of the small jobs I wanted to do each day this week. Your advice gave me the momentum I needed to get moving! Thank you for the help!
Oh I’m SO glad! And woohoo! on tackling the Tupperware cupboard! That can be a tricky one!