Dabbling with Decluttering

This week I have dabbled in some decluttering. I picked up some tips by listening to the Creative Culture podcast (formerly the Woodworking Talk Show by Steve Ramsey). The guest was Cassandra Aarssen, the host of the Clutterbug podcast. The discussion around anxiety resonated with me.

I found the idea that anxiety might be related to why we hold on to items intriguing. Cas suggested we might be holding onto items we don’t need because we see the items as part of our identity. For example, I am a woodworker; I must keep every scrap of wood since this is what I do. I can’t dispose of this scrap because I am getting rid of part of who I am. 

Cas also proposed that we might hold on to clutter because we don’t want to make a mistake by disposing of it. We ask ourselves, “What if I regret it? What if I need to repurchase it?” which leads some of us to keep clutter. Personally, I am guilty of keeping the boxes for newly purchased items. My thought is, what if I need to return the item for a warranty? In reality, I have only requested warranty service a few times. Each time I did, the company sent me a replacement without asking for the original item. My other thought used to be, what if I move? I outgrew that thought once we settled down in our current house. We don’t plan to move anytime soon.

During the podcast, Cas mentioned the time you lose looking for something you know you have but don’t know where it is. I am guilty of this. I bought charcoal filters for the countertop trash can near our kitchen sink. I spent time looking for the best brand and price on Amazon. I bought a 12-pack of filters. I cannot for the life of me find the filters. I have used less than half the pack. If I never locate them, my cost per filter has doubled. I have spent so much time searching that the unit price has increased dramatically. If only I had been better at putting them in a better place and had less clutter to look through to find them.

A suggestion to start with decluttering today was a 21-item toss. Cas cautions us not to sort or make piles and not pull everything out and make a mess. She instructs us to thin the overall pile by removing items to be trashed or donated. She says if you complete two tosses over a weekend, your space will have 42 fewer items.

I’m starting to make a dent in my clutter. What about you? Do you have any plans for spring cleaning? Do you have any tips for reducing clutter? Please share in the comments below.