We’ve all been there—crushed under a mountain of things that we just can’t seem to get rid of. You’re not alone if you have hoarding tendencies; plenty of people hold onto far more junk than they need to. When you decide that enough is enough, it can be a scary process to begin to declutter. Here we’ll look at a few easy steps to overcome hoarding tendencies to make the transition just a little bit easier.
Start With Little Things
Wanting to overcome hoarding doesn’t mean you have to throw out every single thing you own all at once. Sentimentality is still important, which is why starting small is the best way to go. Choose one small area of your space, and go through it methodically, slowly getting rid of what you don’t need. This will prevent you from getting overwhelmed and never starting in the first place.
Give To a Good Cause
The thought of items that you once cared for sitting in a dumpster or landfill somewhere can be a recipe for anxiety and stress when you’re trying to declutter. Instead of simply trashing everything, search around your area for places that take donations of old items for good causes. Places like the Purple Heart Pickup association will use your donations of items and turn them into money that helps the community. That way, your once-beloved items aren’t wasting away in the garbage.
Resist the Overthinking Spiral
If you need to do mental gymnastics to come up with a reason to keep something, you probably don’t really need it. This is the downfall of many people who try to overcome hoarding tendencies—overthinking and coming up with silly reasons to keep certain items. Take a step back, and recognize when you are spiraling into this pitfall. When the reasons start becoming a little farfetched, it’s probably time to let that item go.
Keep Yourself Accountable
There is nothing wrong with needing a little extra encouragement to get control of your tendencies. Enlisting a loved one or close friend to keep tabs on how your decluttering is going can be a fantastic way to make sure you’re not putting it off. Hoarding can be detrimental to your mental health, and those closest to you want to see you succeed, so don’t be afraid to ask for their assistance when you need it the most.
Following these steps to overcome your hoarding tendencies can get your home—and your brain—back to working for you rather than against you. Always keep in mind why you’re doing this in the first place: a cleaner home and a fresh new mindset to take into the future.
