Introducing 3 superior declutter tips to complete that unfinished room (Spring Cleaning Edition)
When you have a very strong vision for how your home to be you may be going in circles trying to do it yourself. If you’ve been doing the same declutter project, overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you have, and feeling overwhelmed about what to do, you have mild clutter.
Maybe you’re in-between “I can do this” and “I want to organize” but you’re stretched to capacity. If you find yourself doing the same projects over and over and over again, this is for you.
So, what is Mild Clutter?
I define mild clutter as a home whose primary spaces can be better but are functioning okay. From the outside looking in, your home seems organized because general spaces are maintained. It’s when you start opening *certain drawers and cabinets that you see where you can improve the space.
Having mild clutter also means you’re on the other side of or in the middle of a new life stage like a promotion, career change, having a baby, starting a new job, getting married, moving, or buying a house. So, your level of clutter is just as much about your home space as your endeavors.
You may find yourself repeating the same tasks, going through the same stuff, and repeatedly organizing the same room. So, your Spring Cleaning tasks will focus on the mental shifts you need to make to have lasting change in your environment.
With that said, here’s your first Spring Cleaning task:
Spring Cleaning Task #1
Grieve one item a day
We're all holding on to some reality, even the ones we don't like. But when it comes to holding onto something physical that you genuinely want to let go of, try this:
Take one item you know for sure you want to get rid of and ask yourself, what does this item represent? Spend 1 day grieving it then put it in a donation bag. This task will help you declutter your home because you’re giving yourself time to slow down from your usual routine while also being intentional about purging. Since you’re moving from one space, this exercise allows you to mourn the space you’re leaving (either literally or figuratively).
Spring Cleaning Microtask #2
Stop bringing junk mail inside
It seems like transitions come with so much paperwork, contracts, pamphlets, instruction manuals, new bills, and merging documents with a partner. So naturally, papers pile up. Instead of giving yourself more decisions to make and more paper clutter to sort through, do this instead:
Don’t let junk mail inside the house. When you’re at the mailbox, immediately sort between junk and mail you need. Throw out junk mail before you get inside. Bonus points for immediately opening your mail when you do get inside and trashing those return envelopes. Cause you absolutely will be switching to paperless billing and paying it online. This is a great paper organization tip if you have ADHD.
Spring Cleaning Microtask #3
List what a complete space looks and feels like to you
There could be a few reasons why you keep doing the same declutter project over and over again. If every month you’re tackling the same space like your kitchen or bedroom, something isn’t clicking sustainably. If every month you’re taking out 2 bags of donation but nothing is getting complete, try this instead:
List what a complete space looks and feels like to you. This is super key. Choose one room to work on and write down what it means for that room to be complete. What needs to be in it, what needs to be gone? For it to be complete what does it need to look like? Feel like? When you’re clear on what’s complete to you, you’ll know what to focus on.
Grief
There’s so much to be said about being mentally prepared for a new life. There are habits and beliefs that you need to maintain your new life. If you give yourself the space to grieve what was, who you were, the way you thought, the things you did- you create the opportunity to let go of what was once familiar that no longer works for your home. This will ultimately help you to maintain where you are now.
There’s something called success grief which can be a series on its own. I won’t go too much into it because this article touches on it perfectly. Read, High performers don’t know how to grieve–but it might be just what they need on Fortune.
Often, holding on when you want to let go is just a version of yourself trying to stay relevant. We're all holding on to some reality, even the ones we don't like and that don't serve us cause it's what's familiar which is what’s comfortable.
With these spring cleaning tips, we're taking those demons head-on. So before, during, and after decluttering your home, self-soothe with these decluttering tips and acknowledge the reality you're holding on to.
Why Joan Clayton?
I’ve personally been obsessed with Joan Clayton and the real life Tracee Ellis Ross since Girlfriends. And I like to see her as home goals for those with mild clutter.
Maybe you purchased a home like Joan but you’re overwhelmed and anxious about your clutter cause more space = more stuff. Joan is what Issa Dee is striving towards. So, use Joan’s home as an inspiration to focus on the internal shifts you need to make to reflect in your external space.
These aren’t exactly microtasks but you can make them your Spring Cleaning tasks for the next 30 days. Especially #1 which is why I believe people with mild clutter stay stuck decluttering the same room over and over again.
Conclusion
To summarize your Spring Cleaning tasks:
Grieve one item a day- so you can slow down and declutter your home intentionally
Stop bringing junk mail inside- so you can reduce your paper clutter
List what a complete space looks and feels like to you- so you know when you’re finished organizing a space
As a professional organizer, I’ve created a system to gauge where someone is on their home organizing journey. That’s what I’m referring to when I say mild clutter and use Joan Clayton as a reference.
It's a part of the system I’ve formalized which are the 5 Homebody Archetypes. You too can know exactly where you are and what to focus on by taking the free quiz.
If you found these tasks helpful, pin it and share it with your people! If this breakdown was inspiring or insightful, and you want to learn more about what it means to have moderate clutter, take my free quiz Homebody Archetype below.
Hey you, I’m Rebekah
I'm a home therapist or professional organizer lol. And I’m a proud member of your home goals support system.
I create home-organizing tools for women who want to break generational curses. I help them declutter with intention so they can create a safe home. I’m on a personal mission to help Black women and families (me and mines included) have more structure, order, and peace in our homes. Welcome to the revolution.
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