• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

sloely

enjoying life slowed down

  • clutter free
  • simply frugal
  • natural remedies
  • grow your own
  • non toxic living
  • Simple Parenting

Declutter Questions

December 30, 2019 by Alice 3 Comments

Most of us know we we will be happier without crazy clutter and truly want to let stuff go.

But we feel we can’t escape from it.

We’ve all got so much clutter we end up in an overwhelmed tailspin of indecision when we try to decide what to say goodbye to.

And sadly, most declutter guides out there don’t help. They tell us to ask questions like:

  • “Did I wear it in the last year?”
  • “Would I buy it now?”
  • “Do I have more than one?”

All very sensible questions but they don’t work because they are too sensible and too logical.

And we don’t grab lots of new stuff and cling on to old stuff for sensible reasons. But because of weird emotions we don’t truly understand.

So to clear clutter we need to work with our emotions and these three must ask decluttering questions do just that.

Must Ask Declutter Questions

I have used these questions to let go of thousands of things I am happier without.

I was a big hoarder of all sorts of stuff but the questions gave me the strength to break free from the prison my clutter had become.

They really are liberating.

Do have a read and give them a go. And let me know how it goes. I love to hear your stories.

And for more help check out my FREE step-by-step declutter guide which is full of clutter busting checklists & challenges PLUS tips on selling clutter and gentle motivational support.

But now on with our three questions …

3 Must Ask Declutter Questions

1. Am I Ready?

The first question to ask when we start decluttering is simply : am I ready to let this go?

It sounds too simple doesn’t it?

But believe me, it really makes a difference. You see, the big, crazily powerful emotion making us cling to clutter is anxiety. So when we start decluttering we must avoid getting anxious.

Trying to make big decisions on all our stuff – Marie Kondo style – makes us more anxious. And then of course, we cling on harder.

So here’s the trick …

Decluttering bonkers bits and bobs we’re ready to let go  – expired food, gunged up nail varnish, an odd sock – actually relieves anxiety.

And our ability to let go is like a muscle long wasted from lack of exercise. Clearing little things we’re ready to let go trains the muscle.

Use this list of no regrets clutter to train yours.

Then when we get to the harder stuff, we’ll be less anxious and can use question 2 to free ourselves from even more crazy things.

2. Could Someone Enjoy It More?

We often think of humans as selfish but you know what? We all really love gifting.

So our second must ask question – which I took from the Swedish Death Cleaning book – taps into our deep desire to be generous.

We simply ask : could someone enjoy it more?

It sounds lame right? But it works. I promise you. Not for everything but for lots of stuff : clothes, toys, gadgets, kitchen ware, furniture.

And especially stuff we don’t use. We all tell ourselves “I might need it one day” but imagining someone else enjoying our things gives us that shove we need to pass it on.

It’s weird I know. But heh, it works. So do it!

Use these simple prompts to look for stuff you can easily donate to family, friends or a charity.

Giving stuff away makes us feel good which is super helpful because with our third decluttering question we’re going to tackle the tricky stuff we’ve been avoiding!!

3. Will I Be Happier Without?

OK we’ve cleared crazy no regrets stuff and gifted things we’ll never use but there’s lots left.

And – despite what Marie Kondo says – lots of it is really lovely stuff. And really does spark joy!!

Pretty stuff. Clever stuff. Funny stuff. Interesting stuff. Stuff given generously with great love. Stuff rich with our most precious memories.

There are wonderful reasons to cling onto these things. Don’t let anyone tell you different.

But – and it’s a big but – they come at a price.

And the price is way too high.

Chaotic homes full of clutter hurt our mental health. Clutter is actually a big cause of anxiety, depression, debt, anger and family breakdown.

Clutter made me scream at my family so much, they hid from me. It left me weeping inconsolably in my kitchen because my own home felt like a prison I could never escape.

Use big list of all the problems clutter causes to see the price of your clutter.

Very few things are pretty enough or clever enough or funny enough or interesting enough to be worth that despair. No one who loves us wants their gifts to cause that much pain.

So question 3 is all about balance. It’s about putting stuff on the scales and saying yep, it’s lovely but will I be happier without it?

The answer is almost, always yes because the freedom of living life clutter free is amazing.

The Freedom Of Clutter Free

My home is no spick and span minimalist haven. Ms Kondo would hate my messiness.

But I tell you what, it’s super easy to tidy.

And as a family, we are just happier. We have the space to enjoy sharing our home. We have less chaos and more calm.

And when life’s hard we find it easy to cut each other some slack. The daily sniping is gone.

So if you feel imprisoned by crazy clutter – just like I was – use these three simple questions to help you let stuff go and find your freedom.

And for more help check out my FREE step-by-step declutter guide which is full of clutter busting checklists & challenges PLUS tips on selling clutter and gentle motivational support.

 

Declutter Questions
Declutter Questions To Ask
Declutter Questions To Ask To Get Rid Of Clutter
Declutter Questions To Ask To Get Rid Of Clutter

Original image source: rawpixel.com

Filed Under: Declutter, happier without

Previous Post: « A Quick Christmas Declutter
Next Post: Simple Declutter Rules »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Autumn says

    January 3, 2019 at 4:04 am

    Discovered your site tonight via Pinterest and am really enjoying it so far. I come from a family of hoarders and have extreme anxiety surrounding possessions and especially sentimental items, especially my kids baby things. I’m starting to reluctantly donate and sell a few things at time at the less than gentle urging by my husband.. A lady who bought a pair of baby boy jeans sent me a photo of her sweet little guy wearing them today. She has no idea what that photo meant to me struggling to let this stuff go but seeing it being used and loved by another sweet baby and family instead of sitting in a box in my basement just made my heart smile. I will definitely referring back to that photo as I think about question #3.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Declutter Rules says:
    January 8, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    […] easy stuff first : start with anything you are ready to let go so you get into the flow of feeling good about passing stuff on. Don’t worry about other […]

    Reply
  2. Declutter Boxes says:
    August 21, 2020 at 5:54 pm

    […] Declutter questions […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar



PRIVACY - DISCLOSURE - ADVERTISE - COPYRIGHT

Footer

Clutter free …

Gentle Declutter Method - Just 10 Things
Declutter List Of Things To Declutter Right Now

Grow your own …

Spring Vegetable Planting List
Natural Mosquito Repellents For Garden And Camping
How To Grow Raspberries In A Small Garden
Growing Rosemary From Cuttings In Water

Natural remedies …

How To Relieve Lower Back Pain Long Term At Home
Natural Remedies For Stomach Ache & Indigestion
PRIVACY - DISCLOSURE - ADVERTISE - COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT