- 1). Choose one room or a section of a room in which to begin the de-cluttering process. Focusing on only one small area at a time can reduce the overwhelming feeling of having too much to process and organize.
- 2). Separate the items into three piles: "must keep," "donate" and "trash." The "must keep" pile contains important and truly valuable items such as documents and family heirlooms. The "donate" pile is for items that are still useful but are only taking up space, such as a spare waffle iron that you haven't used in five years. The "trash pile" is for garbage and miscellaneous items that aren't useful.
- 3). Reassess your piled items, challenging any thoughts you have about what you must keep. Ask yourself if you'll actually use all of those items, especially if you have large quantities of them, or if you're keeping them for another reason. You may be tempted to keep things because you feel guilty for spending money on them or because you fear being wasteful -- not because you actually want or need the items.
- 4). Bag the trash and box the donations. You may feel uncomfortable or think, "I might need that later," as you're doing this. Acknowledge these thoughts and feelings and consider recording them in a journal, but resist the temptation to move any of it to the "must keep" pile.
- 5). Set the bags and boxes in an out-of-sight area if you're not yet comfortable letting them go. If, after two weeks, you have not needed anything from those containers, take them to the dumpster and donation centers. Temporarily having the items out of your sight but within reach can help you comfortably adjust to the notion that you may not miss or even remember the items once they're gone.
- 6). Repeat this process in different areas of the home, rewarding yourself for making progress. For example, allow yourself a free day of relaxation for each room that you complete.
- 7). Prevent another build up of clutter by practicing organizational skills and confronting emotional troubles or addictions that contribute to the clutter. A licensed therapist can help you overcome compulsive hoarding, compulsive shopping and other psychological issues that could inhibit your success.
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