Don’t let fear hold you back from living your best clutter-free life – I know – Easy for me to say – hey? Know how you must be feeling….. because I have been in your position… I was SWAMPED with clutter – Cupboards bursting (sorry I’m getting off track)
But how do you deal with Declutter Regret?
Simple – You don’t. I’m not being flippant here. Ok…. Maybe that
should have read You don’t need to deal with decluttering regret because
if you follow this tried and tested method – you WON’T have regrets.
There is no feeling more liberating than getting rid of things you don't need, but the worry that you'll regret letting anything go makes anyone second-guess their decluttering choices or put it off altogether.
The key to overcoming it is to find ways to avoid clutter in the first place.
We're all in favour of a positive attitude when it comes to decluttering, but if you're in a rush, you're much more likely to panic purge. One of the best things you can do to make sure you feel confident in your choices now while avoiding any regrets, later on, is to take the time to make logical, well-informed selections.
Declutter regret is a real fear and it shouldn’t be underestimated. “ but I might need this one day” is, certainly a valid point. Yes, you might, but predicting what you might need several years from now is virtually impossible unless you are a super clairvoyant future predictor. I'm not going to lie, there’s always a slight risk of regret when you first start to declutter. But you can only work based on what you need in your life right now.
The more
decluttering you do, the more confident you will feel about making
decisions on what you can discard. The better you will feel once you see that clutter disappearing.
But don’t let those fears hold you back. I have listed below 10 ways to help you to avoid
declutter regret, including decluttering tips and some decluttering
mistakes to avoid, so you can start living your best clutter-free life.
1. Start with The Area That Bothers You Most
Attempting to declutter an entire house, or even a whole room for that matter, can
be very overwhelming. You will need a clear mind for decision-making, so if
you're wondering how
to declutter your home when you feel overwhelmed, the answer is to DON'T try
to tackle everything at once. Start with the area that causes you the most
stress – a bursting wardrobe or something small like a kitchen
drawer. The relief you will feel at discarding the items is likely to overcome any decluttering regret you may feel and this will encourage you to carry on decluttering.
When I very first started decluttering, I started with my
wardrobe, which lead on to my husband's wardrobe, the chest of drawers, under
the bed and before I knew it I had 17 bin bags (two of which were my husband's –
which he decluttered on his own – Gasp of Amazement!!!) all ready to find their
nice new home with someone who needs them more than me. Out of those 17 bags, there is not one item
that I miss, or have had to replace or even thought about until I sat down to
write this – And, I am still not regretting it.
So I went further (when you get to know me, you’ll realise that I
don’t do things in half measure – So I decorated, painted the furniture and
rearranged my whole layout. I have NEVER slept better than I do now…plus
that spared me on to do more, and decorate more etc.
2. Take Your Time
Declutter regret is most often experienced when
decluttering in haste. The way to avoid this is to take your time. Set
yourself clear,
realistic goals. Think about decluttering your wardrobe - you want to go through each item and really consider what
you want to do with it.
It helps to set a criterion for deciding what you want to keep/discard in advance of
decluttering can really help you with the decision-making process.
Questions to ask yourself include:
- Do you love it?
- Would you buy it again at full price?
- If it got damaged, would you spend the time, energy and money getting it repaired?
- Do you see yourself using it in five years?
If you answer yes to any of the above then keep the item, but if
you answer no, then let it go with complete confidence that you
will not regret your decision.
3. Allow Yourself A ‘Maybe’ Box
This is a controversial one.
To me, it’s a NO-NO. Only because
you can end up with so much stuff in your maybe box – plus you need somewhere
to store the box, and the reason why most people declutter including me is
that I was lacking space in the first place.
But if it is your first attempt at decluttering, it does allow
you to take some of the pressure off, any items that you’re really unsure of
can be placed into a ‘maybe’ box. The theory behind this is that you store this
box somewhere out of sight for a month or so. If you don’t miss any of the
items in that time, you can feel confident in passing them on
permanently. If you’re going to do this it's IMPORTANT that you put a date
on the box – otherwise, you will just have another box hanging around.
4. Keep Hold of Important Documents
While most paper clutter can be fed to the shredder, there
are some documents you will need to keep hard copies of throughout your
lifetime – think birth certificates, house deeds, tax records, social security
numbers and so on. Once they have been discarded, they can be extremely hard to replace, so
save yourself the headache and keep hold of them.
There are certain papers you’ll need to keep safe to validate insurance claims, too; receipts for household items, for example.
You will also need to keep warranties and guarantees for the duration of their
term. But the water bill from 10 years ago, feel free to shred that bad boy,
you won’t need it – unless you are calculating just how much water has gone up
in the past 10 years – and that’s a stress that nobody wants.
5. Don’t Declutter on Behalf of Someone Else – Especially Children
Decluttering for other people, in general, is a big no-no, but children in particular can find it very upsetting if you make decisions without consulting them. If you have little ones, so be sure to involve and support them throughout the decision-making process. Let them know that those items aren’t going into the rubbish bin – instead, they’re being donated to others who will love and play with them.
I
remember when I was younger and my sister and I would find that toys would “Go
Missing” and my mum had thrown them in the bin, or give them away. It became a running joke in the family that
if you couldn’t find something that “Mum had binned it”
I know it's hard when you have caught the decluttering bug - my husband holds on to things so much - he is definitely a "just in caser" and I am so tempted to just discard what I can - But I don't. At the end of the day - these items are his possessions and if he is not ready to part with them I have to abide by his decision no matter how much anxiety it causes me. So I do the next best thing - I containerize them and make them at least look prettier 😊
6. Don’t Be TOO Ruthless
These household appliances/gadgets that don’t get used all
the time are victims to decluttering all the time. However, you should give some real thought to whether you’ll need an item before getting rid. You can’t really use the criteria above for
them, I mean who actually loves a blender?
Now my Ninja Foodi on the other hand – I love with every fibre of my
being 😊 If
it’s likely to serve a purpose, no matter how occasional it might be, it’s okay
to hold onto it – you’ll only regret it further down the line
otherwise!
Instead of having lots of different gadgets, try buying ones
with multiple purposes. I mentioned my Ninja Foodi – it’s a 15 in 1
smart cooker – so I was able to declutter my slow cooker, steamer, and pressure
cooker. That’s a win-win in my opinion. I
honestly never thought I would be saying this – I am the GADGET QUEEN, rather
WAS.
7. Let Go of Obligations
If you’ve fallen into the trap of hanging on to family heirlooms
– your great grandmother's beloved tea set, or Crystal Glassware (yes that’s
just me ranting... because parents were decluttering their loft – I was handed
two whole boxes of crystal glassware - just as my mum was handed them off her
mum – you see where I am going with this).
The majority of family heirlooms are passed down - just because they’re
so old, rather than because they really mean something to you. If this is your problem - it’s time to free
yourself of the obligation. If you actually like them and want them in your
home, that's amazing – keep them. I just
want to say - Giving inherited items away DOES NOT make you a bad person.
Bear in mind - that your home is not a museum and memories
are not in physical objects, so you should be able to remove them from your
home without feeling guilty. If you are
struggling with guilt, consider offering the items to another family member, or
passing it on to a new home where you know it’ll be appreciated.
8. Turn Clutter into Cash
The fact that objects were expensive, to begin with, is a further justification for clinging onto them. Although getting rid of an item may make you feel as though you wasted money, it has no hidden value. That pricey coat that's been stowed away for more than a year? Time to let it go is now. Selling the item can be an option if its cost is upsetting you. A car boot sale is especially satisfying because you can see that your possessions are going to excellent homes. Make sure to get advice from a specialist seller for more expensive things.
Treat yourself with the money you make from the sale of your items; rather than a material item, choose an experience that will bring you joy and happy memories, such as a spa treatment or a visit to your favourite restaurant.!
9. Create A Memory Book
Sentimental attachment is one of the main reasons for holding onto things, so ask yourself this question to help you distinguish what really matters: what would you grab if there was a fire? Limit yourself to one small "memory box," and curate an edited collection of the items that mean the most to you; the rest can be photographed and catalogued in a "memory book."
Remember that your memories and the people you created them with are far more valuable than the item itself. Instead of missing the 'thing,' reach out to a loved one and talk about the memory you share. Keeping all of your old memory items prevents you from creating new ones.
10. Pass Items on To a Charity
When decluttering, pick a charity that resonates for you
personally and you’ll find it a lot easier to make your peace with letting go,
my charity of choice is Barnardo’s -
The charity works with vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
Alternatively, chat with neighbours and friends to see if
they need anything you’re looking to get rid of – you’re less
likely to feel regret knowing your items are going to a good home
11. The 20/20 Rule
If you are stressed with deciding whether to keep or discard
an item, try using the 20/20 rule. What
Is The 20/20 Rule for Decluttering? If you’re struggling to make
decisions, the 20/20 rule for decluttering can help you
distinguish what’s really worth keeping. If you're undecided about
whether to keep or discard, think about what it would take to replace that item if you needed
to. would take you less than 20 minutes, and cost you less than £20, go
ahead and get rid of it. Is the effort of replacing it worth the space it’s
taking up in your home, chances are, you won’t miss it
What Should You Not Do When Decluttering?
Falling victim to decluttering mistakes can make organising
your home feel far more stressful than it needs to be, not to mention make
decluttering regret much more likely. So, what do you need to avoid?
1. Not allowing yourself enough time.
Decluttering is a lengthy process. Some people are often shocked by how lengthy
the decluttering process can be – if you’re doing the job properly that
is. Rather than rush through, set
yourself manageable goals; organising drawers in a day, or 30
minutes a day for a week, are good examples, but it’s whatever works for you
and your schedule.
2. Too Much Pressure
It can be and overwhelming process, when you first start to declutter, so be kind to yourself. Allow yourself some wiggle room with things - you don't have to declutter everything, but set some boundaries to ensure you make progress; for example, one box of sentimental items only - I recommend leaving this until the end of the decluttering process. To avoid regret, donate sentimental items to places you're familiar with, such as friends, family, or a charity that speaks to you.
Thank you for dropping in, I really appreciate it Thank You because without you wouldn't be here.
Believe in yourself, because you got this, Now Go Declutter!
