Filling your home with so much stuff that it becomes overwhelmingly cluttered is easy. It rarely means that you are untidy, or a poor housekeeper, simply that you have obtained – often in all kinds of ways – so much ‘stuff’ that your home can no longer contain it and still be a place you enjoy living in, or are proud to show off to guests.
From a purely practical point of view, making a serious effort to declutter will free up space in your home and make it look and feel tidier. A good decluttering session or two will also save you a lot of time in the long run, and you’ll have a lot less tidying up and cleaning to do with the stuff you don’t need gone, and the rest organized in a manner that makes sense for your home and lifestyle.
When it comes to the actual work involved in decluttering and organizing home spaces, it’s not the biggest reason people avoid such a project. After all, they can spread out the work over manageable chunks of time and, if they need extra help, there are people like me, professional organizers, who can come in and take on most of the work.
What tends to stop people from tackling a decluttering project effectively more often than a ‘fear’ of the extra work involved is guilt.
The desire to cling to precious memories, remorse in giving away gifts from others, shame in spending hard-earned dollars on something that’s now going to waste, or the fear of guilt of having to buy something all over again should you need it “someday” can all contribute to guilt associated with getting rid of things and decluttering effectively.
Wherever your guilt stems from, it’s a good idea to break it down into sensible reasons why getting rid of the clutter is better than keeping it. Here’s a look at some of the best and most important of those reasons.
- Clutter blocks energy and good things from coming into your life, including abundance.
Too much ‘stuff’ that we don’t use regularly or that doesn’t bring us joy on a daily basis has a profound effect on our mental health, mood, and self-esteem, as well as the usable space we have in our homes.
If you are a very practically minded person it might interest you to know that extensive clinical research has found that clutter makes it difficult for us to relax, creates feelings of guilt or embarrassment, and constantly signals to our brains that our work is never done.
From a slightly less scientific point of view – although it’s often very accurate, Feng shui says that:
- clutter blocks and drains you and your home of positive energy.
- storing too many things above you (in an attic for example) creates feelings of being pressed down on, resulting in anxiety and overwhelm.
- clutter under you (in a basement) leads to procrastination and unfinished projects.
- clutter in a closet or cabinet that is filled completely blocks the flow of chi into your home and life.
So open up some space to let the energy and new good things flow into your life!
- The more stuff you keep that isn’t useful or joyful to you, the less space you have in your mind for better things.
Not only does your clutter take up valuable space in your home, but it’s also always in the back of your mind that this thing is here with you in your home and you, therefore, need to either remember where it’s stored or take care of it if it’s out in the open.
It seems inconsequential, but when tiny pieces of your brain are used up for these things, there’s less of it available to focus on what you really want to be doing. So get unnecessary things out of your home and off your mind.
- Memories live in you, not in things.
The memory of a loved one, or of a very special occasion, can be triggered by keeping just one or two things that remind you of them. A whole box of stuff doesn’t mean you remember or love them any more than a few favorite things.
Choose your favorites and display them out where you’ll see and enjoy them. You can talk about your loved one when someone comments on the piece. Keeping those memories alive within you, not within a box in the basement that you never look at, is what really keeps loved ones (past and present) close.
- Gifts that you hang onto but that don’t bring you joy will only make you feel unhappy/anxious/irritated/resentful instead of thankful.
Accepting a gift in the first place is really what counts; the giver simply wants to show you love and appreciation. So say thank you, be genuinely grateful, feel warm and fuzzy because they gave you a gift at all, and then pass the gift on so that others will be able to get joy from it.
You don’t need to feel guilt over not keeping the physical item. Keep the sentiment. It’s what counts. And then give a gift yourself by passing the item on to someone who will benefit from it.
- Less doesn’t mean none.
Keeping every piece of china that was handed down to you from family doesn’t honor them any more than keeping just one or two of your favorite pieces and displaying or using them proudly. So if your storage space is crammed with family heirlooms that you don’t use, consider passing them on.
- It’s only wasteful if you keep buying more.
I understand it can be difficult to get rid of things you forked out your hard-earned cash to buy in the first place. But the money is gone, so holding on to it but not using it isn’t going to make it a good use of your cash.
A better option is to try and sell any big-ticket items to make back at least some of the money, donate the rest so others can find what they need at a good price, and then enjoy the benefits of not being tied down by another item you have to store and/or take care of. THEN…and here’s the critical part…make it a rule that you won’t waste more money and environmental resources from here on in by purchasing things that you don’t truly love or absolutely need.
- “Just in case” rarely ever comes.
It’s been well studied that most of the things we hang onto “just in case I might need it someday” will never ever be used. The Minimalists have a good rule: if you can buy something you might need that’s under $20 and you can get it within a 20-minute drive, don’t keep it. If “someday” ever comes and you really need that item, you can go purchase it again or, better yet, borrow it from a friend or neighbor.
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
- The 30-Minute Fall Reset: A Strategic Habit to OrganizeYour Busy Season - October 2, 2025
- The Ultimate Guide to Organizing and Storing Pet Food (Without Sacrificing Your Home Style) - September 30, 2025
- 25+ Things You MUST Declutter When Selling Your Houston Home - September 25, 2025
