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How to start decluttering when you’re overwhelmed: 21 tips

In this post:  You’re ready to simplify your home, but you don’t know how to start decluttering when overwhelmed by clutter everywhere!  Here are 21 ways to get started reclaiming your domain today! 

Do you ever feel like your stuff is reproducing at an alarming rate, like gremlins after midnight?

It’s easy to accumulate more than we need and feel bogged down by the sheer volume of clutter in our homes. And getting started clearing it out feels like no easy task.

Luckily, this list can help! Check out these 21 tips and start decluttering, even if you’re feeling overwhelmed and have no idea where to start.

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My house is so cluttered I don’t know where to start: 21 tips to try

1. Start Small when you’re overwhelmed

If you’re wondering how to start decluttering when overwhelmed, the best place to start is small.  Choose a small room (like a bathroom), a corner of a cluttered room, or even a drawer or closet.  Identify the project, declutter it to completion, and enjoy the fruits of your labor every time you’re in that space.  

Often that small win is enough to gain motivation to declutter other places in your home. 

minimal white vessel sink

2. Five minute masterpiece

Along the lines of starting small, find a 5 minute task you can accomplish start to finish.  Declutter a drawer, a closet shelf, or your Tupperware collection.  Simply scour the space, looking for things to declutter.

If thinking of tasks seems like too much for this moment, I’ve got ya covered!  Download my free Reclaim Your Domain starter guide and check out the 5 minute task bingo sheet.  Pick a task off the list and then tackle it.  Boom!  Progress.

simplify your home starter guide

Drowning in a sea of stuffed animals and stinky laundry?

Snag the FREE guide and learn how to turn the tide on clutter, once and for all!


3. Set the mood

Sometimes motivation will come once you set the scene for it.  Consider lighting a favorite candle or diffusing your favorite motivational essential oil blends (mine right now is orange, vanilla, and lavender). 

Pop in your earbuds and listen to your favorite music or press play on a motivating audiobook.  I personally love listening to books about decluttering when working on my home. You can find lots of amazing options (for free!) on Libby.

oil diffuser to set the mood when decluttering

4. Eliminate the obvious to declutter when you’re overwhelmed

Sometimes much of what’s cluttering up your space when you’re overwhelmed by clutter is trash.  Clutter breeds clutter.  Often we don’t even see the trash and garbage around our homes because it blends in with the mess around it like a chameleon in a cluttered jungle.

Grab a bag, enlist the family, and go on a clutter scavenger hunt. Turn it into a game by settling a timer and see who can gather the most trash in their bag before the timer goes off.  Once time is up, count up the trash and see who collected the most.  The winner gets to pick the selection for family movie night or gets to choose the desert option for after dinner.

5. Pick a spot- declutter one space, one room at a time

Often we don’t see progress in our efforts because our work is spread too thin. Instead of focusing on the entire house, pick a spot.  Declutter that space until completion instead of working on it for a while and moving on.

This trick works because our minds like to see the loops closed.  Our brains don’t recognize progress until a benchmark is passed:  

  • We don’t feel like we’re making progress on our weight loss goals until we see a certain loss on the scale.  
  • We don’t feel successful budgeting until we see a certain number in the bank account.  

When it comes to decluttering stuff, we don’t feel we’ve achieved anything until a space looks completely clear of clutter and organized.  

So, instead of fluttering around like a hummingbird in a wildflower garden, plant yourself in a spot and grow roots.  Remain working on that area until it is completed.  Only then will the work you’re doing feel like progress.

6. Create a haven space to end the overwhelm

One of my decluttering hacks to share with mamas who want to start decluttering when they’re overwhelmed with stuff is to create a haven space.

Choose a spot to declutter that would bring you peace.  Maybe it’s the front sitting room, your office, or your bedroom.  Maybe it’s to clear a corner of a room and create a cozy reading nook, or clear off the deck of kids stuff so you can actually enjoy a cup of coffee outside in the morning without staring at all the toys.

minimalist bedroom oasis

Whatever you choose, declutter that spot first.  Then, as you are working on other areas of the house or you get overwhelmed by the stuff in your home, you have a refuge.  One clean, clutter-free space to call your own.  

Spend time in it.  Enjoy it. Savor the serenity you find there.  It will remind you of what you’re working toward and give you motivation to keep going.

7. Remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be complicated

It can be hard to know how to start decluttering when overwhelmed by everything you see front of you.  Our minds take us to a place of desperation and extreme thinking.

We begin to tell ourselves so many garbage thoughts….

  • Getting organized is too hard. 
  • Decluttering is too much. 
  • We’re not worthy of having the kind of home we desire.

Lies…lies…lies!

elf movie throne of lies
Will Ferrell Elf GIF By Filmeditor

You don’t have to listen to those negative scripts in your head.  Instead, rewrite them with truth. 

Remind yourself that decluttering can be easy.  You can choose to let it be easy by trusting yourself to make the right decisions; by not putting the pressure of perfectionism on yourself.

Remember, this is a journey, and that you have everything you need to make solid decisions and create the home you want. 

8. How to start decluttering when overwhelmed: Use a checklist

When you’re overwhelmed with too much stuff, the last thing you want is to have to think about one more thing.

Take the thinking out of decluttering with a checklist.  Instead of wondering what to tackle next, just move down the list, decluttering what’s next on the task sheet.

I’ve included a list of 100 items to declutter in the Reclaim Your Domain starter guide below.  It’s even organized by room so you don’t have to waste time scurrying around the house like a squirrel before the first snow.  Just pick a room and check off each task as you move through.  

reclaim your domain mock up image of free guide


9. Create a room plan

One of my favorite ideas for how to start decluttering when you’re overwhelmed is to create a room plan.  Choose a room and divide it up into zones for decluttering.  Decide how long you want to declutter (5 minute tasks, 10, 20, 30, or so on) and then chunk the room up into tasks that will fit that time.  Then, just check each zone off the plan as it’s completed. 

10. Set a simple goal

When you’re overwhelmed by stuff, it’s best to keep things simple (even if that seems counter intuitive).

My entire house is a disaster!  I need a major intervention!”

While it can be overwhelming to face such a daunting task, remember that small progress that’s repeatable is better than a grandiose plan that never gets accomplished.

Set a simple decluttering goal- one that can be achieved in a day. Then, create a new goal the next day. And the next. And the next.  

Maybe it’s a goal to declutter 20 minutes a day.  Go through one kitchen drawer a day.  Throw out 10 pieces of trash.  Gather up a grocery bag of donations a day.

Simplify your home consistently, a little at a time, and watch your space transform before your eyes. 

11. Make one new habit that makes something easier

This is as much a life and habit hacks as it is a decluttering hack.  Once you determine what your simple goal is, use the power of habit stacking to increase the effectiveness of accomplishing it!

Habit stacking is a technique explained by James Clear in his book, Atomic Habits.  In it, Clear explains that we can increase the likelihood of achieving desirable habits by attaching the habit to something we already habitually do. 

For example, I always make a pot of coffee in the morning.  Once the machine is set, it takes about 10-15 minutes to brew a pot.  During that time, I go start our daily laundry load in the basement.  I attached something I wanted to do (create a consistent laundry routine) with a habit I already do without thinking (making coffee).  By stacking the new desirable habit with one I already do automatically, it greatly increases my chances of staying up on our laundry.

laundry room with white washer and linens

You can do the same with your decluttering goals.  Think of something you do habitually, and then determine what decluttering goal you could stack with that habit.  Maybe it’s to clear out a kitchen drawer every time you make coffee, or clear the sink and run the dishwasher before you lock up the house for the night.

12. Remind yourself why

When you are overwhelmed with too much stuff, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Stay focused on your goal to simplify your home by consistently reminding yourself of what you are working toward.

What will your home feel like once it’s decluttered?  How will your life improve when you are no longer overwhelmed with stuff?

Jot down the vision you have for the after in your mind and keep it handy.  Whenever you stall out or get overwhelmed with all you have to do, remind yourself of what you’re working toward. 

13. Try a decluttering challenge if you’re overwhelmed

One of my personal favorite ways to start decluttering when overwhelmed is to ry a new decluttering challenge.  I love challenges because they breathe new life into my routines and can re-energize me by adding weapons to my decluttering arsenal. 

Challenges can be based on time (declutter the year) or by result (40 bags in 40 days). Even if you aren’t successful at the challenge, it can still help you make a lot of progress when you are overwhelmed by stuff.

Grab the Reclaim Your Domain starter guide and challenge yourself or some friends to a round of decluttering bingo!

14. Make it fun

Speaking of friends, things are more fun together!  Enlist a friend to help on your journey to simplify your home.  Try a new challenge together, or hold each other accountable with a daily decluttering text thread.  

Set a time for a virtual decluttering session and declutter together via Google Meet or Zoom while you tackle an area of your homes together.  

This is also great because you have someone there to help you work through stumbling blocks, ask questions, or get opinions from as you purge. 

15. Set a reward

Create a list of rewards that you could earn for your decluttering efforts.  Consider a few Lush bath bombs so you can relax in a hot tub after a decluttering session, or reward yourself with some new baskets or organizing tools AFTER your space is totally decluttered.

Or, freshen up your space with a makeover once it’s simplified.  It’s amazing what new paint colors and curtains can do to breathe new life into your newly decluttered rooms.

decluttered desk area with simple decor

16. Think of others who could benefit from your decluttering

You know you have too much stuff, but it can be hard to part with things that were expensive or are still useful.  Guilt is  a real emotion.  

To overcome these dramas, think of others who could benefit from your purge session.  Maybe that sweet newlywed couple from your church would love your barely used food processor.  That young mom at the end of the street might really enjoy that old baby swing.  The young college grad could really use your old sofa as she finds her first place.  

Let generosity fuel your purging and replace the guilt with gratitude.

17.  Identify the very best in each space

When you’re overwhelmed with too much stuff, it’s life that you can’t appreciate the things that truly matter to you. 

To solve this, identify the very best things you love in any given space in your home.  Maybe it’s that vase from your grandmother in your living room and the giant canvas prints of your kiddos hanging on the wall in your living room.  

Or, maybe it’s that copper tea kettle on your stove and that antique wire chicken basket on your kitchen counter (or maybe that’s just me).  

Once you have identified the very best in your room, work to eliminate all clutter and collections from the space so that the things that are truly the best can shine. 

18. Box it up

Along those lines, consider boxing up everything in the space that isn’t currently useful or the very best.  Mark the boxes with what’s in them, and place them in an out of the way location, like a basement or garage. 

boxes full of decluttered items

As you find a need for something, remove it from the box.  After a designated period of time (three months, six months, one year), donate everything that remains boxed up.

19. Question your choices

If you want to know how to start decluttering when overwhelmed, start asking yourself some tough questions.

Often we keep things out of irrational fears or wrong thinking:

  • I’ll hurt her feelings if I donate this gift she gave me
  • I might need this in the future
  • What if I give this away and then regret it?

    But, if you want to transform your home from a place of stress to a place of rest, you have to ask yourself the hard questions.  Dig deep and figure out why you’re holding on to so much stuff.  Unpack the emotions.  Grieve and forgive yourself.  And then pull an Elsa and let it go.

You can find support for how to overcome the emotions of decluttering, along with two pages of questions to ask yourself when you get stuck in the decluttering process in my FREE Reclaim Your Domain starter guide. 

simplify your home starter guide

Tired of clutter sucking the joy out of motherhood?

Snag the FREE guide and create margin in your days for what truly matters to you.


20. Trust your gut

Don’t second guess yourself when you’re decluttering.  Go with your gut and trust yourself to make the right decisions.

Overanalyzing is the killer of progress, so don’t spend too much time questioning yourself and thinking through every possible outcome.  Instead, remind yourself that you are a grown adult who can make good choices, and trust that your decluttering decisions will be good ones.

People always worry about discarding something they might end up regretting.  As a result, they keep too much and never truly get the simplified home they’re after.  

I assure you that the biggest regret is not that you’ll get rid of something you want back, but that you’ll waste years of your life keeping things that truly never mattered.

21. Keep a wins sheet

Celebrate your decluttering victories, big and small.  Reward yourself when you need a simplifying goal, or overcome something that has challenged you in the past. 

Keep a record of wins to remind yourself of all you’ve achieved in your journey to simplify your home.  Nothing is too small to celebrate, so record it all and cheer yourself on!

So how do you start decluttering when overwhelmed?

Just choose a place and go!

You don’t have to stay stuck. There is hope. You’re not too far gone.  It’s possible to simplify your home and clear your mind from the stress and chaos of too much stuff.  

You don’t have to worry about how to start decluttering when overwhelmed….just choose something from this list and get started today! 

Decide that you are done with being overwhelmed with too much stuff and take back your life.  Your future self will thank you.

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