Step 1: Decide what you want to declutter
The first step is to make a list of what needs organising. Focus on contained spaces such as a drawer, cupboard, nook, or shelf, rather than whole rooms.
Kondo recommends tidying in the following order: clothes, books, paper, miscellaneous items, and sentimental items. For example, gather all of your clothes from the closets and put them in a pile. Then you can start the process of deciding what to keep.
Start Small and Simple. One way to gain momentum in the paring down process is to start with the easy things. Begin boxing up items that don't hold much emotional attachment. Doing so will lead to a sense of accomplishment and provide motivation for you to keep going when the decision-making becomes tougher.
The 333 method philosophy revolves around one simple rule: you choose 33 items to wear for 3 months. This includes clothing, accessories, outerwear and shoes, but excludes essentials like underwear, sleepwear or workout gear.
Symptoms of ADHD Clutter Anxiety
This may include cluttered surfaces, piles of paperwork or clothing, and difficulty finding necessary items. People with ADHD clutter anxiety may also experience feelings of overwhelm or anxious when faced with clutter or disorganization.
Start small and simplify. Beginning the decluttering process by starting small and focusing on one area at a time can be a highly effective strategy to prevent overwhelm, maintain motivation, and achieve tangible progress in organizing your living space.
What Is the 90/90 Rule? Here's the gist: When you come upon an object you're unsure about decluttering, ask yourself two questions: Did you use it in the past 90 days? If not, will you use it in the next 90 days? If your answer is “no” to both questions, away it goes.
Popularized by Kim Jones of Lock & Key Home, the chaos method suggests emptying every box, shelf, container, cupboard, and drawer in your space (thus creating chaos), then sorting items and organizing it all before putting it all away.
Coined by pro organizer Kayleen Kelly, the “Core 4 Method” breaks the decluttering process into four simple steps: clear out, categorize, cut out, and contain. In essence, it's designed to take the stress and overwhelm out of the organizing process.
Then we tested our hypothesis: the 20/20 Rule. Anything we get rid of that we truly need, we can replace for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes from our current location. Thus far, this hypothesis has become a theory that has held true 100% of the time.
Serenity as the Inspiration. Trish Buscemi, a specialist who creates calm interiors for those with cognitive learning challenges, recommends blue, green, and muted brown towns for bedrooms of children with ADHD. These gentle hues actually work well with people of all ages seeking a space that inspires rest and calm.
🎉 💡 How to Use the 5-Second Rule: ✔️ Pick an area to declutter (closet, kitchen, drawers—anywhere!) ✔️ Pick up one item at a time. ✔️ Decide in 5 seconds: Keep, Donate, or Trash.
Declutter before cleaning
But it's super helpful to have baskets or even garbage bags on hand to collect stuff that belongs in other rooms. For example, when I tackle the office today, I'll have a basket for the stuff that belongs in the bedroom and a basket for the stuff that belongs in the guest room.
Here are some of the common reasons people struggle: Our belongings are tied up in our identity. They give us a sense of security and we feel guilty about throwing things away. They provide comfort.
What is the first thing you should do when decluttering? Not all clutter is trash, but starting with the clutter that is might be a sensible place to start. Clear counters of old mail, shipping boxes, and other items that can be tossed. Doing this room-by-room will give you a clean slate to start actually organizing.