Does clutter make you feel overwhelmed?

How do you deal with things when they get uncomfortable?

During last week’s De-Stress Your Mess Challenge, we spent a lot of time going over the MINDSET behind the clutter.

Many attendees asked questions about how to stay motivated, how to handle emotions that come up during decluttering, and—maybe the biggest issue of all …

How when decluttering … the mess will get BIGGER before it gets BETTER!



It’s normal to be overwhelmed when these feelings occur—especially when you’re already overwhelmed by the chaos clutter causes. 

You might be tempted to just ignore how you feel, or hide from how much clutter really affects you… 

We often hide our feelings when they happen, just like we hide the messy piles when guests come over unexpectedly! 

Here’s the truth—hiding from difficult emotions SEEMS easier than dealing with them head-on, but in reality, they never go away and just get bigger over time (like ignored clutter!) 

The ONLY way to move through these feelings and move forward with your decluttering goals is to deal with them head-on. 

So, if you are having a hard time dealing with your thoughts and feelings about clutter...

Or if you can't seem to stay motivated, and you want to give up when your efforts seem to make the mess bigger instead of better...

I want you to know this is normal—in my 27 years of doing this work, I have seen this again and again. I also know that you CAN fix your negative stinkin’ thinkin’ thoughts and move into a different mindset: the mindset of a clutter warrior! 

Sure, you need to acknowledge HOW you feel but you should also acknowledge that by either moving a muscle, changing your thoughts, OR getting a bite to eat or a bit of rest… you can also change how you're feeling almost instantly.

Now, let’s be real…

You can get some quick relief with any of those things, but changing how you think about, feel about, and interact with your stuff in a lasting way won’t happen overnight—and it’s also not as hard as you might think.

If you’re willing to do the work, even 15 minutes at a time, you can move past the negativity and create a new confident, capable mindset—it just takes one step to get you on a new path.

Remember, you CAN do this—you are a clutter warrior. Let’s work on shifting your thoughts right now: say it out loud: I am a clutter warrior!

Here’s to more love and less self-doubt! 

Andrew

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