How to Overcome Your Biggest Decluttering Mental Roadblocks

Decluttering is tough under the best of circumstances. However, it becomes even tougher when roadblocks get in the way. The thing is we all have various roadblocks but overcoming those decluttering mental roadblocks is nearly impossible if you don’t know what they are.

The real key is recognizing what the roadblocks are that making it so hard to declutter your home.  Once you do you can create a strategy for how to get through them will ensure your decluttering success.

Decluttering mental roadblocks are those things that prevent you from getting started, slow down your progress, make you feel overwhelmed, or take you on a detour.

Once you’re able to identify what YOUR decluttering mental roadblocks are, you’ll be able to reduce them to slight speed bumps instead. So let’s look at those roadblocks and ways to go around them!

1. Decluttering Sentimental Items

Let’s go ahead and start with the number one decluttering mental roadblock. This is a big one for pretty much everyone.

There’s no doubt that letting go of personal attachments is never easy.

When it comes to trying to declutter sentimental items it’s important to look at why you’re holding on to them in the first place. The answer to this question will really dictate what you do with it during the decluttering process.

There are many different reasons for developing sentimental attachments to things. For example, are you holding on to something a relative or friend gave to you and you’re afraid they’ll notice it’s gone when they come to visit?

Do you have certain items that are sentimental to you because they belonged to someone who is no longer around?

Or perhaps you’re holding on to an item because it holds special memories of your childhood or your kids’ childhood?

Common advice tells us that if you declutter one of these items you should remember that you are just letting go of the item – you are not letting go of the person or any of the memories attached to it. While this is indeed true looking at the item is what triggers the memory. Personally, there are certain items I love deeply because of the memories they trigger.

So what’s the answer for overcoming this decluttering mental roadblock? Well, I’m glad you asked 😉

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Take Pictures of Your Sentimental items

Taking photographs of your sentimental items is an excellent way to hold onto those memory triggers. At the same time, you’ll prevent being overrun with unneeded items taking up space in your home.

If you enjoy scrapbooking you can put together an album of with pictures of all those sentimental items. With a scrapbook, you can also jot down your thoughts about the item or event right in your scrapbook.

Another option I love is a photo book. They are really easy to make using your own photos. I prefer the hardcovers, with glossy book paper pages.  Most of the standard books have 20 pages included in the base price. You just upload your photos and have fun designing it.

There are various places you can order them.  Amazon’s photo books are super affordable.  Shutterfly is probably the easiest to use.

Once the book comes you can display it on a coffee table or special shelf

This is also my favorite thing to do with kids’ artwork. Pick out some favorite pieces, scan and upload to Amazon or Shutterfly. They’ll send you a beautifully printed book of your kids’ artwork.

Repurpose Your Sentimental Items

With just a little bit of creativity, you can hang on to all those memories by repurposing sentimental items you don’t currently use.

Any kind of clothing or fabric items can be repurposed into beautiful quilts.

If sewing really isn’t your thing, consider framing some of those sentimental items. This works not just for sentimental letters or documents, but you really can frame almost any item.

If the item doesn’t lay flat shadow frames may be a perfect solution.

Get creative and think of ways to repurpose sentimental items. You’ll be able to hang on to all those memories without having to keep all of the actual items.

Meet a Need

At one point I had acquired a small collection of crocheted blankets that were made for me. Because I had no real need for them but loved the person who made them it was hard to just let them go. So what I did was place them in a bin in the garage. Clearly, they were not doing anyone any good there.

One of the kid’s schools were having a blanket and towel drive for low income and homeless families. That’s when I decided to go ahead and donate all the blankets in the bin.

Donating those blankets did not remove my love or gratitude for the person who made them, they cleared up space in my garage and most importantly they meet a genuine need of someone who needed and used the items.

Keep it

There is no rule that says you have to get rid of every single sentimental item you have. You don’t!

It is perfectly okay to keep those things that mean a lot to you. I have a box for each of my kids that hold favorite treasures from their youth. Any time I come across the box it always brings back a ton of memories.

I also have a small box that holds a few special items from my own life. These items are very treasured and really do trigger some wonderful memories.

I firmly believe it’s just as important not to get rid of things for the sake of decluttering them as it is not to acquire things just for the sake of having more.

2. Decluttering Gifts You’ve Received

Receiving gifts that you know you’ll never use can be another pretty big decluttering mental roadblock. Gifts are hard because we appreciate the time and thought that went into the gift. Yet at the same time, it’s taking up space and creating clutter.

When it comes to gifts you just have to drive around that roadblock. Here are some ideas that will make it a little easier to let go of the unwanted gift.

Sell It

The person who gave you the gift wanted you to have something you would enjoy. By selling the gift you can take that money and purchase something you truly love. There’s no reason to feel bad about that!

ReGift It

If there is someone you know that would truly enjoy the gift, don’t be afraid to pass it on.

HOWEVER, before you decide to regift, think about why the gift was unwanted in the first place. The last thing you want to do is add to someone else’s clutter just to avoid your own.

Donate It

If you don’t know anyone personally who would enjoy receiving the gift, consider donating it. There are so many worthwhile charities that would ensure the item went to someone who really needs it.

3. LACK OF TIME TO DECLUTTER

I’m gonna be honest with you, I think that “lack of time” is more of an excuse than a decluttering mental roadblock. But maintaining the mindset that you don’t have time will block your decluttering efforts.

Let’s face it, we all have the same 24 hours in our day. This means overcoming this mental roadblock is more about emotionally committing to the process rather than finding the time. The bottom line is, if you don’t put in the time, it won’t happen.

So to stop making excuses and drive around this obstacle try one of these:

Make Decluttering a Priority

It may seem less important than all the other activities and obligations on your calendar, but when you understand the value and benefits of a clutter-free home, you’ll see why it should be a top priority.

You can learn all the decluttering tips in the world, but in the end, it’s up to you to make it a priority and do the work.

I want you to stop what you’re doing right now. Grab your planner and schedule, at a minimum, one decluttering session each week for the next month.

Commit to a Specific Period of Time For Decluttering Tasks

One of the things that make us feel like we don’t have time to declutter is that we view decluttering our home as one big project. There is no need to declutter everything at once. Taking just 15-20 minutes here and there will, over time, yield big results!

To start, determine how much time you can devote to decluttering each day. How long or short a period of time you choose doesn’t really matter. Just know that any time that you devote to the process moves you one step closer to getting things done.

Next set a timer on your phone for the amount of time you picked and get to work!!

Direct Your Focus to Decluttering 

I am 100% not kidding when I tell you, you don’t have to devote extra time to remove clutter from your home. All you have to do is direct your focus and pay attention.

Any time you walk past or pick up an item of clutter in your home take a few moments to deal with it immediately. Even if it’s as simple as throwing out a ripped t-shirt you notice while folding the laundry. Eventually, it will become a habit and you won’t even realize you’re decluttering.

Set Realistic Goals for Removing Clutter

You need to be realistic in what you can accomplish in your season of life. Do you have babies and toddlers at home? If so you’re not going to be able to do as much as if your kids were older and in school all day. Do you work full time outside of the home? Give yourself a break during workdays and plan decluttering efforts for the weekend.

Consider your season of life and don’t try to take on more than is reasonable.

Remember that conquering decluttering mental roadblocks will actually free up more time in the long run. This is true because you’ll no longer be wasting time taking care of things that you do not use or spend time looking for things that are buried in the clutter!

4. Not Knowing Where To Start Decluttering

Not knowing where to start is the most paralyzing of the decluttering mental roadblocks. It can be the biggest and hardest to get past. In fact, not knowing where to start and not having enough time are the two biggest roadblocks for most people.

I’ve found that this roadblock most often arises from piles being formed and unfinished projects around your home. So here are some ways to conquer this roadblock:

Start Small

Stop looking at decluttering your home as one big project. And please don’t try to declutter your entire house all at once if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Instead, start in one room and focus on small tasks throughout the day.

Decluttering One Area At A Time

It doesn’t matter what size of the project you’re working on. If you feel like your entire kitchen is overrun with clutter start with just one drawer or one cabinet.

You can also declutter one area according to the amount of time you have available. If you only have 10 minutes, set the timer on your phone and declutter that one area for 10 minutes. When the timer goes off your done.

Start with Trash

Another helpful way to get over this roadblock is to start with items that don’t require making any real decision. Things you know you are basically trash items. For example, you can go through all the clothes and just declutter the items that are ripped or stained.

Remove Decluttered Items Immediately

Whatever items you decide to declutter, remove them from your home immediately. Bag them up and if they’re trash taking them out to the trash. If they’re to be donated put them straight into your car.

By getting the items out of your house right away, you’ll see the progress and feel a lot less overwhelmed going forward. Here are some more ways to get started on a clutter-free home.

5. Holding On To Clutter In Case You Need It Someday

This is possibly the biggest decluttering mental roadblock for me personally and it arises out of a Scarcity mindset. I convince myself that I’ll be sorry later if I get rid of it.

But here’s the thing, I’ve NEVER ONCE kept something “just in case” and gone back and used it or been sorry if I let it go.

But if this is still a large roadblock for you here are some things to consider:

• Do you love this item or is it useful – if not let it go. Your home should only be filled with those things you love or are useful.
• Does this item need repair? – Chances are if you didn’t fix it right away when it broke, you never will. Toss it.)
• Do I already own one (or 10) of these or do I have something else that would do the same job? – If you answer yes, get rid of it!
• Could I borrow the item from someone if I needed it? – Most of the time you can so no need to keep it!
• If I was shopping right now would I buy it? – If you answer no to this why would you want the item in your home?

6. Losing Motivation to Declutter

Another decluttering mental roadblock we encounter is losing our motivation to keep going. There are several things that create this roadblock.

A big one is not seeing the change our efforts are making. Especially since oftentimes the process of decluttering requires making a mess. In other words, it always gets worse before it gets better. This causes us to lose sight of the progress that has actually been made and see how far we’ve really come.

When you find yourself losing motivation to keep working on eliminating the clutter here are a few things you can do to regain that motivation and create a home you love:

Motivate Yourself to Declutter By Taking Progress Pictures

If you have a good amount of clutter, it may take a while before you see the difference your hard work is making.

Taking before and after pictures as you declutter allows you to track your progress and see what you are really accomplishing. Before and after pictures will show you the difference your decluttering efforts are making and keep you motivated to continue.

It’s amazing how much of a difference it makes being able to see your progress by comparing the before and after pictures side-by-side.

When you start to see the change in one area of your home (and your life), The motivation to continue your decluttering efforts will be invigorating.

Visualize Your Ideal Clutter Free Home

Setting a specific vision or plan for how you want your home to both look and feel, is a natural motivator. It causes you to notice those things that are out of place for that vision and start eliminating them.

Pinterest is a terrific resource when you’re looking for inspiration. An excellent way to motivate yourself to declutter and clean is to make a board on Pinterest of rooms that you love.

Do you have a favorite decorating style? Do you love the boho look, the industrial or farmhouse vibe or do clean and airy spaces inspire you? Whatever your favorite style is, do a quick search and you’ll get lots of inspiration.

Pinning images of beautiful spaces is a great motivator. It lets you know what’s possible. By keeping regular visuals of clutter-free and tidy homes you’ll want to get your house in order, that just maybe all the motivation you need.

7. When Decluttering Feels Wasteful

Last, but not least is the money roadblock. This decluttering mental roadblock rises up when you try to get rid of something and you start to associate it with the price you paid for it. When this happens it can feel like your throwing away actual money.

Here are some ways to overcome this common roadblock:

Change Your Mindset

The only way to drive around this decluttering mental roadblock is by changing your mindset. Instead of looking at how much you paid for the item start seeing how much it’s costing you to keep it.

The truth of the matter is that it’s more expensive to keep an item you neither use or love. There are actual dollars and cents costs and emotional costs for hanging on to things you don’t need.

Here’s the key thing I want you to remember—- you’ve already spent money on the item, the damage is done. Holding on to that item will not bring that money back. If you aren’t using it and it’s taking up space, it has no value to you, let it go!

Help Someone In Need

Another way to overcome this decluttering mental roadblock is to think of the good the item can do if you let it go.

There are so many people in need, your item could help them tremendously! Why keep it stored in your home when you know you’ll never use it?

What you will gain is the joy from helping someone less fortunate AND the happiness of a less-cluttered house!

Decluttering is hard. But now that you recognize your own decluttering mental roadblocks and have a strategy for overcoming them, know you’ve ensured your decluttering success!