Join Take Your House Back for just $94 right now! cli.re/Take-Yo... And plan to join us for the next ALL DAY DECLUTTER on Saturday, Sept. 23 -- a full day of guided decluttering, community and fun!
Join Take Your House Back for just $94 right now! cli.re/Take-Your-House-Back-Dawn And plan to join us for the next ALL DAY DECLUTTER on Saturday, Sept. 23 -- a full day of guided decluttering, community and fun!
My husband has been watching me declutter for the past couple of years without fully buying in. A few mornings ago, he mentioned to me how nice my side of the closet looked with my clothes all separated, while they are on hangers. He said he might have a few things to donate. His clothes are packed so tightly in his closet and drawers I refuse to put away his laundry because it causes me stress to fight to put them up. In our house, it is true that by being both persistent and kind, he is seeing and feeling the difference slowly getting on board. In fact, he has decided we need to declutter the garage enough to get the cars in there, and he is considering doing your take your house back challenge next weekend. This is HUGE!!
Agreed! I battle depression, and when people ask me what I am doing on the weekend tondestress, I say clean. Because having a clean space helps me get into a more positive head space.
Dawn, today we are hosting our biggest group ever for a birthday party. Plus, we just moved 6 weeks ago. Other than a bit of tidying and a little extra attention to the bathrooms... it's been really easy to get the house ready because it's so easy to manage. You have played such a big role in our home getting to this point!
I experienced this for my sons birthday last week!!! I wasn’t cleaning like mad for days before and being sooo stressed out - if was so amazing being able to focus on my kiddos birthday ❤ thank you Dawn!
We have downsized to a house a third of the size of a previous house. Fortunately I found Dawn. I decluttered on steroids. My husband would not get rid of anything. Yesterday he went through his study. Asked for a box for rubbish etc. he said he was doing a ‘Sal’(me). First time he got rid of old cords and things he doesn’t need or use. 🎉
We’re transitioning out of a survival mode situation into the next chapter of life, and this sounds like the perfect opening paragraph to our new story.
@chicane7752 Congratulations for moving into this next stage! I, too, moved from survival mode. Take time and give yourself grace as you make this change, please. Took me awhile to stop beating myself up for not having it all together as fast as I thought I should. Helps me to recognize that 'better' is always the goal rather than 'perfection'.
Oh my goodness, yes! i can totally relate to your comments. Three hectic residence moves in 2 years 4 months, and clearing the very large marital home under duress. Much smaller home now, and time to purge, but it is emotionally draining. Instead of beating myself up for not making faster progress, I need to remember to give myself and my daughter grace, while we slowly progress forward into a more streamlined home environment.
@CherryFoxSeaGirl I am now 5 years out from leaving an abusive marriage and a nuclear warfare-style divorce myself, and when I was decorating for the holidays this year, I realized how painful it has been to hold onto so much stuff from my "old life" just because it was "sentimental" to me. I never realized I was still suffocating myself with old, bad (some horrible) memories - reminding myself every time I looked at certain things from the past, just how bad things were. I've been in a pretty deep depression for the past year or so as well, so a lot of deeper cleaning tasks have gotten ignored or missed during that time too. I finally hit a wall, becuse I am happiest in a clean, organized space, and I realized I was dreading being at home because of the mess and clutter. Ever since, I have started watching a lot of these videos on RU-vid - learning and planning for the beginning of a deep declutter, organization and cleaning - and these videos give me such motivation (and HOPE!)! As emotional as it has been to go through all the "landmines," and the more clutter I let go of from my past, the better I feel overall! I have just started, and have a LONG way to go, but I finally see the light at the end of the decluttering and organizational tunnel! Best wishes in your new life too! ❤
I no longer have enough stuff to declutter very much anymore. My apt looks so peaceful. Thank you for all the great videos. If I had more stuff I would join y’all, but I’m super minimal now ❤
I had the same thought. I am so happy for you. I am working on the details in my drawers and closet. I am a cricket so I am tough on myself. It makes me happy to have less and less stuff to take care of.
Just a note to Michelle Mitten Prepper Veteran A good way to find out if your child has used a game in the past three months is to use clear tape on the closures. In three months get your child and say let’s check to see if they’re any games we can donate. The ones that hadn’t been opened are the ones to discuss.
Just saying...I cleaned up the surfaces in my bedroom, put away a everything on the surfaces that had no business being there, and later my husband made the comment, "you are so much more affectionate today." I definitely think it is related.
We've been without an income for almost 3 years due to serious health issues. I finally won my disability case, but we're still waiting for any payout. I truly hope it comes before this event. I'm trying so hard to declutter and get my house more manageable for those times where I just don't have the ability to do a lot around the house. I'm hoping it makes it easier to keep things clean and in order. I was at my worst for the last year, after 7 years of bariatric complications making it impossible to eat any solid foods. I've had an "up" month, but feel like I woke up from a longggggggggggggggg sleep to find my whole life fell apart because of my illness. Your videos are helping me take control in very small steps. My husband and eldest daughter are bipolar, and I feel like the clutter also harms their mental states. I need to fix this for all of us.
Neither do we! 😂 We're seniors (he's 81!) & it's hard to declutter when you have health, strength & endurance limitations. And so much of our stuff is kept for sentimental reasons since we're getting too old to make, or even retain, new memories! It also feels like we're losing a part of our lives at a time when we're realizing time is running out & we just want to dig in our heels & make time stop! So, be gentle & patient with your seniors, there's deeper issues than just the accumulated stuff going on.
After having to help my kids clear out their hoarding Dad's place, I have come to the realization that my Mom's stuff is hers to cherish until she's gone. Then there will be issues with siblings wanting to keep all of it. All I can do is limit the stuff I bring home.
The Take Your House Back course is the best money I have ever spent. Of all the random things that most of us spend money on they eventually become something we have to wash, manage, find a place for and every so often evaluate whether the item is being used enough to warant the space it takes up. The Take Your House Back course is a constant place for inspiration, motivation, sisterhood of giving or getting support when needed. I will always be a member as I get so much value and motivation. I have made huge changes to my home. I have driven car loads multiple times to donate. I was eventually able to move everything from a packed four bedroom home to one storage unit while we built our home for a year. I adore all three coaches and the many members that inspire us. Best group to be a member of!
Thanks for this review! I've been contemplating signing up for the course, but money is tight right now, so it's been something I've really had to think about. Your review has been really helpful in giving me the info I needed to commit to it! ❤😊
@@KitKat10281 Thank you for your kind words. I know you will get so much out of the course. It is worth so much more than I paid for it. I wish you the best.
I let my son declutter almost all his toys. He was 9 yo, and the youngest of 4 boys, his oldest brother being 24 at the time. It really was hard for me, b/c many of those toys had been in our home almost 24 yrs. We sold or donated them all. I knew there were a few really special to him toys that he got rid of, but he was so tired of picking up all the toys. I recommend putting toys in a time will tell bin and see if they ask for specific toys back b/c the other day he lamented getting rid of 2 special stuffed animals. I missed them too, so i ordered replacements. It costs me $60 b/c they are now collectibles. I know its crazy, but unlike Dawn I have gotten rid of many things I wished I hadn't. I look for clothes in my closet and cannot find them. Then I remember I got rid of them. I should have put them in a time will tell bin. I love Dawn, but i'm more sentimental than she is and i don't change sizes or buy new trendy clothes. I still wear what I wore 20 years ago. They are still in good shape and are classic styles. I do want a decluttered home, though, so i try to make my home better, not perfect.
I've been decluttering for a few months and still have so much stuff. In fact, so much I was almost paralyzed looking at it. I decided to just put everything away. Yes my closets are packed, but now I can do a closet at a time and actually make progress. Now instead of dread I'm hopeful that there will be progress and organization!
This is a really good idea! It's like quarantining without packing into boxes. I have also been going a long time (almost 3 years now) and it would help me live without things before making the hard decisions. Good luck to you! ❤
You guys should add a cleaning angle to your Take your House Back program. "Clean my Space" could be a great bonus for decluttering and organizing a house. I know I'd like some cleaning tips thrown in throughout!
I think the course is great but depends a lot on facebook, I don't do Facebook and am not interested in joining it. Keep up the good work and encouragement! God Bless You!
You make a great point that it's never been so easy and cheap to acquire stuff. All of this inexpensive decor and clothing just did not exist in the 70's when I was growing up. Also, I LOVE the art piece on the cabinet behind you. It's very pretty and peaceful.
i have been listing to you for about 2 months. i had SO MUCH STUFF... I went though a divorce and held on to EVERYTHING as a safety blanket. I started purging things that didn't make me feel good when i saw it, but got stuck after that for about a year. watching you explane things helped me get braver to do more and more. now, my kids and I are so much happier! clean home that is manageable for us! Its encouraging that you say your process took years. I have touched several spaces several times now to refine it! you are great! thanks for the content!
Strangely enough as I have strived to declutter and organize our home I have been told I have a mental disability! lol Sometimes I just have to laugh and keep on going.
These videos have helped me tremendously in my home and in my life. I've already made two trips to donation and have another car load almost ready to go! My partner is slowly getting on board as well! Very inspiring! Thank you!
Downsizing from 2500 Sq ft to a 1300 mobile home in 2 months with zero storage spac3 anywhere and SUPER STRESSED!Not prepared but looking forward to the fresh start. Thanks for all you do!
What has motivated me most is some of these extreme cleaning videos. Midwest Cleaning (not completely certain of the name), he recommends some others. I no longer watch them now (cause if you’ve seen one, you’ve pretty much seen them all), but I do like to see the before & afters. These folks have a great understanding of how depression is the main problem when it comes to everyday functioning & clinging to stuff.
Dawn, Cass (clutterbug), and some of my favorite podcasts make it easier to do…. I can put on a long video and listen to it while I work and get more done or if I don’t have the time I often ask what can I do right now in under 5 minutes out tiny kitchen has been packed to bursting for a while and I e been slowly one drawer and one shelf going through it takes a while but I do feel better when I do even one drawer
Talking to my husband about decluttering makes him defensive, but once I really started on my own and he felt the difference, he's starting doing baby steps on his own! Thanks for your awesome videos!
"Clearing clutter allows us more time to do the things that are important" (paraphrasing Dawn). Yes! I decided that finding clothing that fits and is a regular go to is better than having a closet full of clothing that doesn't work. Same for my pantry. Donating food that we likely won't consume. Thank you Dawn!
I absolutely love your channel it helped me and so many others to simplify and to be happier. Endless thank you to you!! One area I am hoping you will get more into in the future is sustainable living. There are plastic containers and there are wood, rattan, hyacinth, paper, boxes you already have containers etc etc. Controlling what gets into the house and avoiding the materials that will eventually pollute is also super important. With your amazing ability to rally thousands behind the idea, it’s a direction where you can make a huge difference. ❤❤❤
I was just wondering how clutter and sensory overload affects children in the classroom? I taught preschool for 20 years and I am now retired and now thinking of how these environments affect children? Just curious.
As a grown up now.when I.go into classrooms, I.get overwhelmed. I remembered even as a child, I didn't like busy bulletin boards. One.simple.idea.on the wall was enough for me! I didn't like multiple flashy posters. (And I was always one of the top 3 in the class.)
I was a teachers aide, and definitely for my students it could be overwhelming or distracting. It's tricky as people have different learning styles and challenges.
Dawn's video popped up...i just cleaned out my bedroom closet! Didnt even plan on it today, but Dawn, you seriously have the "inspiration annointing" 😊
We are getting new carpet on Monday (yes I’m a carpet lady) and starting to empty out the room. The room looks great with the things we’ve taken out. Told hubby “everything is NOT coming back in.”
I read a great suggestion for putting things back after new carpet,paint,etc. Start with the large “must have furniture” like sofa ,coffee table recliner,etc. but after that,group all like items together. Put a blanket on your dining room table and put all of your (cleaned and dusted) wall art on it with a donation box next to it. Make a nice grouping and only hang what you love. Get rid of the rest,ditto fr everything else.🙌🏻 P.S. Carpet lady here too,of course when you vacuum daily and get it professionally cleaned yearly, you can really enjoy it.🤭
@@lauramitchell6725 great tips. The old had been down 20ish years. We are empty nesters so that prolonged the life. Did I say I really hate the mess of renovation. It is so stressful. Thank God for young men that can move the heavy stuff.
after a lifetime of managing items my unexpected collosal challenge was my hoarder mom who was also famous and collected priceless antiques and collectables----- dying.
I’m just starting your video-know it will be SO helpful! One quick thing I wanted to say, and I know you know this! In discussing the way we value things and how that has not changed (excellent point!!), you said “it’s almost like things are disposable”. I know what you mean, and many people certainly treat things as if they are, but this creates another, different problem. There is so much waste! Waste of money, resources, and space in our homes. All these videos about “What to Buy at the Dollar Tree” and hauls lead to such consumerism and clutter! Would love to see this topic explored sometime.🤗
At the end of the day, you really have to manage the flow of stuff entering your house. If you don't change a habit of bringing stuff in (free stuff, accepting unwanted gifts, retail therapy, garage sales, buying stuff on clearance) you won't see lasting changes in your home. That being said, some maintanence decluttering is needed regularly, even if you minimize the incoming flow of stuff.
I think the comment you answered for Erin was perhaps misunderstood. I'm not sure but I think she was saying that it wasn't working properly for her, even though she had full Internet etc. Tech difficulties perhaps?
Thank you for being my evening motivator when I do my daily clean up for the past 4 years... all the best to you and your family. Your honesty is refreshing :)
I heard it said recently by a minimalist/organizer and she talked alot on her vlog about the reason some dont have success is bc we push "motivation". We get a burst or energy or motivation one day and we pulled stuff out and didnt get it put away or the task finished so then the next few weeks to months we never get "motivation" again and what we pulled out or started now makes the house even messier. She pushed hard how if we change from the mentality of motivation to "self discipline", thats where we become successful. That helped me alot on days when I dont feel motivation (the older I get). Its easier to plug along with the mentality of needing to be self disciplined, than of motivation, bc you cant make yourself be motivated. You can speak to yourself in the area of self discipline. Does that make sense?
Dawn, I’m on vacation right now with my sister. Any time I’ve traveled with her I’d shop like crazy at all of these places that I don’t have in my home town. I was a bit worried about reverting back to my previous self and getting caught up in the moment. I’ve done so well! I did buy a photo that I’m already having buyers remorse over, however, I’ve walked away from so many cute things that would have been inventory to pack for the plane, inventory to find a place for at home, inventory that I know I’d lose interest in (most likely) after I get it home. I can’t believe the change in my mindset. I’m not totally where I want to be, but I’m certainly not where I use to be with trip buying. One time, I purchased so much at antique stores that my suitcase burst open and came off the carousel bungeed by the airline staff. Embarrassing! Lol You’ve helped me reform my thinking and habits to where I enjoy looking at things without diving in with “I HAVE to have this thing that I can’t get anywhere else!” Which now, if I pass something I really wanted and can’t stop thinking about, most likely can be found online. It doesn’t have to be purchased just because I’m there and then hauled or shipped home. Then there’s the Airbnb’s. Remember your travel videos? Looking around and seeing just the bare essentials makes me want to get home and declutter more! The financial aspect is not to be lost. I’ve saved money! The most I’ve spent has been on food, that dumb picture, two tshirts with matching bead bracelets, useful stocking stuffers for the family (with my sisters military discount) and that’s it for a week of exposure! Which I will ship home. I’m also learning how to be a minimalist traveler. One week to go, but I know I’m going come out so much better than before. The focus is on the places we are going and each other. Thank you! ❤
I highly recommend the Take Your House Back course! And, I'm glad the all day declutters are recorded. I'll be busy most of the day Saturday, so I'll be watching the replays. 🙂
All Day Declutter... sounds interesting. Not this weekend, but maybe the next time you do this. Can I sign up even when there is no weekend planned? I could still follow along one of the past ones...
I think they did a video together, maybe earlier this year, where Diana talked a little bit and said that she’s not as minimalist as Dawn but had simplified a lot too.
I’ve been watching your channel and the Clutterbug channel for the past few months now and I’m always inspired to organize while I listen/watch! I am pregnant (due with my second next month!) and nesting has made me see so much around our house that needs decluttering/improvement. Sometimes I feel really overwhelmed and stressed, but I have noticed a HUGE change whenever even one small section of our house gets transformed. My husband and I are generally the type to keep things because we MIGHT use them in the future, but we also get spurts of energy to just get rid of things and organize. He bought me a label maker a while back and it’s helped so much. I notice that when I’m organizing and decluttering a lot, it kind of gets him into action, too. He’s not home half as much as I am, so I did the bulk of it by myself, but lately he’s done his spaces, helped with the kitchen (top shelves/things I can’t reach or lift) and documents/paperwork. It’s cool seeing him get into it, too, and he and I both feel so much better when everything is clean, less cluttered, and easy to see. I feel like I’m down to the last few places in my house that need decluttering, but whenever I need motivation and don’t have an actual friend to body double, I turn to you guys! ❤
The best tip I ever heard for helping kids declutter was a tip that someone shared on A Sob Comes Clean (Dana K. White). It was to play garage sale with your kids! Let them sell you the things they don't want anymore. Everyone wins! The kids happily do the sorting - which saves time and energy for the parents - and they don't feel like they're losing anything because they're getting paid. Because the parents are paying garage sale prices, it's not costing them much either. I wish I had known about this when my kids were little - but it worked great for having my teen daughters go through their closets.
I would love to join in with this but I just don’t feel I can. I’ve a full time job, a 4 year old and my mum moved in with us following my dads death this year and she has dementia. As if this doesn’t make me tired enough, the clutter. Ironically I know clutter makes my mum’s symptoms worse. I’m working on fumes!
I suddenly became a family caregiver until I suddenly wasn't seven years later. My suggestion is to focus on the place where you do or store required items for whichever is your most demanding task. I found that making something difficult even a little less hard, something time consuming a little bit more efficient, is more helpful than almost anything else. Also take any help you can, and if unhelpful help is offered try to suggest alternatives that might be within the abilities of your would be helper. But don't waste time or emotional energy on people who only want to criticize, whatever you are doing imperfectly is always far more valuable than input from the people who are merely transferring their own guilty feelings about not contributing to you.
I'm going to be here for the September 23 ALL DAY DECLUTTER... I am one who has already signed up the TAKE BACK YOUR HOUSE course but was unable to attend... thanks for your encouragement! I really appreciate you. As you explain it, I am imagining how effective body-doubling could be for me!
I think we naturally want to take care of our family and realize how much it impacts the whole family… I just work one space at a time and just keep going… every little bit counts, every 5 minutes counts, it all matters! I successfully have my mom on board finally! I helped her with her closet, and now she and my dad have gone through their whole bathroom and are moving through their house one little space at a time… still want me to help with the big ones which I am happy to do!
I just thought of one reason why I don’t usually Declutter. It’s hard! When you first get started, it is so hard to decide what to get rid of and what to keep… I just had my hallway painted so all the pictures had to come down. I was planning to put a lot of them in a scrapbook but now I don’t want to because later when I put it back up in a new house I’ll just have to put it back in a frame… I’m still thinking really hard about this and that’s another thing that makes it hard. It’s the decision fatigue. I need to decide exactly what I want to put back up here. Those things can stay in the frames but the other things can go in the scrapbook. I am thinking about selling my house and I want to keep the artwork pretty generic so, I might keep some of the non-generic artwork in frames if I have room to store it until after the house is sold.
I have problems with the idea of decluttering items like craft supplies. I can have items stored away for years then realizing something in storage is perfect for current project. Having those items saves me time and money. FYI, I do review what is on storage periodically and purge anything that is damaged or the I no longer like.
I do the same. I’ll have something saved for years....then something comes up and I’ll say....”oh I have that item that is perfect for this” and I’m so proud of myself for having kept it all those years and most of the time knowing where to find the item! I’m refining my storage and doing some de cluttering too but it seems as soon as I let something go, I need it! I try, but I’m a hoarder at heart and I’m fine with it 🙂
I think the measure is the trade off between the impact of keeping it versus the difficulty obtaining it when you need it. You're maintaining it and if it doesn't bother you, I think its okay to be more maximalist in some areas.
I have inherited beautiful china, over 120 years old with good memories of my mother. Still I don't want it and others either. I can't throw it away and it botheres me whenever I see it.
Can you keep just some of it - maybe one full place setting and a beautiful bowl or platter? If you pack the rest away into its own “time will tell” box, you can revisit it in 6 months or a year, to see if you missed it, before making a decision about whether or not to donate.
Or maybe just keep 1 teacup & saucer to display instead of a full place setting. Maybe use it as a tiny vase for flowers or a place to keep your keys so it's functional too.
Did you ever try to get Miss Heart from A Hoarders Heart for the Take Your House Back? She has very good insight into hoarding, and how to help children with decluttering. 🙂👍
Love your videos and content! But…Could you please consider if you could stop saying “magic”? As a fellow believer it makes me cringe every time I hear that word. ❤
My first thought was actually…you’re not crazy, your toxic, envious mother is just trying to meddle and run sabotage on you again. 🙄 Maybe it’s not the exact subject, but toxic people are the worst kind of clutter and not every mother is exactly loving and maternal. And these things need to be said (Bcuz they exist in this world) whether anyone wants to hear them or not. Occasionally I just fall out tho. My struggles now have more to do with activity and trying to do too much. I push it hard until one day I just collapse and sleep and whatever would normally get done doesn’t get done. Or I just leave the house on purpose Bcuz I’m just tired of being run so ragged.
@@limonade2684 Please enlighten me, oh wise one. 🙄 It’s like watching someone struggle to make it out of a strong rip tide and just not drown but offering no real help or encouragement or no credit for all their efforts to keep pushing to find a way…and instead only judgmentally asking them why they can’t swim any faster or better than that…not helpful. If it was that cut and dry, you’d never see anyone have to struggle to leave or be free or cut them off or escape from some deranged, delusional psycho. You’d never see these poor women in DV situations having a tragic end. Who doesn’t wish that such things didn’t often occur, but it’s not reality. Reality is that anyone who ever got trapped by one of these isn’t ever going to have an easy time getting free of it. And how much more I wonder for someone trapped from birth by your own supposed care giver? Or born into something like a long standing fam cult? The premise being that some psychos on this planet look to deliberately hold people hostage and such people would go to any lengths to hold said hostages there. Unimaginable lengths. And what do you tell someone who has a gun pointed at their head by some psycho tho? To just walk off and maybe be shot dead? You just don’t get it. So until I can see that the pistol isn’t pointing at me…maybe make a run for it. (If I even can get a few ducks in a row also). But until then might actually be smarter to tell the psycho anything they want to hear. Like watching true crime and being the one who says “I’d never put up with that” or “I’d never let that happen to me,” and yet how do they really know if they’ve never been in that situation before? Could it just as easily have been them instead of someone else..like the luck of a draw? It’s very presumptuous of them to say such things they know nothing of. Bcuz what? Do you mean if we were as smart and strong as you are, we’d do better than we are doing, but we are somehow not as stellar as you are? And yet nobody knows how well you’d handle it. You just assume you’d come out like a champ when “weaker” folks would not. Or did you have help? Support? Somewhere safe to go? Who will finance it? Well that’s all on me alone so I want to do it right this time and not wind up unable to sustain my own freedom. Do you really know what it’s like to have someone relentlessly after you like some rabid stalker forever and a day, (plus always trying to prevent you getting support or anyone ever believing you) and no matter what you do to prevent or block it, they find some sneaky way in to you anyways? I highly doubt it. God help any poor soul who has ever been targeted by one of these utterly obsessed, control freak whack jobs. Anyone who has ever become the object of their vindictive and cruel plans. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. You just do the best you can and say your prayers. Live like a ninja until they finally croak or something. You may never understand, but I’ll say it louder for all the people in the back anyways.
Look up “the spoon theory” it’s about preventing burning yourself out from over exerting yourself beyond your physical limits. Could be helpful for you, goodenoughgirl, you are good enough!!!!!
I’m famous once removed!! ME, I’m the one from the mentor group who has the 30 year old daughter with her entire childhood early adult life in my basement!
In the past year I have decluttered a HUGH amount of stuff (that I don’t miss at all). I know I still have more that needs to go because I don’t feel the sense of peace yet and that is my benchmark.
I’ve seen lots of people say that it took their spouse a while to get on board with decluttering their own stuff, but what if they’re actively bringing in more constantly that’s taking up all the space you’ve decluttered! For example in our closet I have maybe 10 items hanging up and the rest is packed with my husband’s clothing. I used to have more like 1/3 of the closet but as I got rid of more and more he has just filled in the empty space. He will do the same with bookshelves. I clear out space thinking I can put a vase or something there for a more spacious look and he will just put more books there (sometimes even double stacking the books so it looks so cluttered!) He’s always tucking things away in corners and on top of furniture that I’ve worked hard to keep clear. It’s not just like he isn’t on board but at least his stuff is relegated to a certain area of the house, his stuff just creeps out into areas I’ve cleaned out and he keeps getting more and more. I’m afraid the house will end up more cluttered than when I started decluttering and if it’s all his stuff I have no control over getting rid of it anymore. My MIL has a borderline hoarder level house and multiple outbuildings that are so full you can’t even walk in the door. She’s constantly telling me that my husband doesn’t stand a chance because he comes from a long line of hoarders and how when she dies we will be responsible for carrying on the memories of all the sentimental stuff she’s kept. She tells me that I need a house with a large basement or extra storage rooms so I have space for all her stuff but that is such an incredible waste of space and stuff that other people could be using and enjoying. It really stresses me out to think of what will happen if my husband doesn’t get on board with keeping things more minimal. It’s been like 5+ years that I’ve been working on decluttering stuff and he doesn’t ever seem to notice or care and like I said he will just take over my newly decluttered space. I’d really appreciate it if anyone has any advice in this situation!
I'm so sorry. Very frustrating situation. My husband has more things than I do but he's very tidy with them. He has his own den so most of his things go in there. And, he cleans it himself. I get itchy to declutter some of the things he has collected but I restrain myself lol . . I wish I had an easy answer for you but I don't. However, when we moved into his mother's house after she passed away, I told him in no uncertain terms I was Not living in a shrine to his mother. Took us a month, but we cleared out the house. Some went into storage that eventually was gone, the rest we hauled off. I hope things work out for you and your husband. I can't imagine having to live with clutter in every room.
Gosh thats quite a burden for MIL to put on you and talk about trying to control things from beyond the grave! Next time the subject comes up tell her you married her son, not her stuff!!! I don't recall managing several generations of inventory EVER being in anyone's marriage vows. Maybe that needs to be said to hubby too. It probably hasn't occurred to him he's squeezing you out. My hubbys family have hoarding tendencies too. I've been warning him for ages, and it's created quite a bit of friction, until he suddenly had to clean out his mother's house and his business at the same time! And the business space is massively downsized, where he used to poke a lot of stuff. Now he's really paying a price in stress hunting for places to put things. These issues shouldn't just bite the non-hoarder, they need to impact the hoarder too. The only thing I can suggest is find away to cordon off areas as yours or common use. If you choose to keep yours empty that's your business. I've started talking about Swedish death cleaning, and how freeing it is to be able to find things. I'm also talking about inventory and my time. We're all not getting any younger and our time managing this stuff is precious.
?? I’ve been with you for awhile. I have learned so much, and my life is SO much better, BUT I’ve been in a long period of stress and low physical energy. What is the best way to get re-motivated? Even the challenges over the summer seemed like “too much”.
I need to declutter majorly and have been watching so many videos. I just can’t watch the ones that are sped up. It puts my brain and anxiety in overload I have to get out 😂
Another ideas for simplifying games is to have just the boards in a bookshelf, let go of the boxes and keep a generic box of tokens/dice, etc This won't work for all games but it can work for a lot.
I love when I see a video of yours posted 😁, I will always watch everything lol! My home unfortunately is still cluttered slowly working on it. Thank you so much for sharing all your wisdom and experience ❤🙏🏻😁👍
One tip to help a spouse get on board is to pull out the stuff you know he doesn't use or wear and ask him what he wants to keep. Because he didn't have to go through it all, he may be way more likely to get rid of stuff.
Yeah I do that. My husband usually agrees to get rid of it. I can see he's totally overwhelmed by the quantity of decisions, so if I filter it for him it's easier. The garage is much harder though, its big bulky stuff I can't physically manage on my own.
Does he mean the mess it's in now or the mess during decluttering? Some people are overwhelmed by the thousands of decisions required. It's definitely a "muscle" that needs to be strengthened. But it's also a mindset. My big fault was "someday" clothes, until I realised that day had arrived! After that it was as easy as throwing out weeds from the garden.
Hahaha yes. I needed less on my walls to not have so much visual stimulation. And yes 1 large rug can make a difference to not echo. But some people have beautiful hardwood floors and don't want to cover them up. I guess it depends on where one's priority is. Cover the floor or live with the echo 🤷♀️
@@JaneH3675 agreed. I don’t like rugs too much but health wise, I needed a rug as echoing causes dizziness for me. What I don’t like now is that I am having to clean that rug 😑
Woman are more stressed by clutter as the traditional role of women is that of gatherer. In tribal communities women would care for young and search for roots, berries, eggs, etc. So women are conditioned to see everything in their surroundings. Men are traditionally the hunters and have developed singular focus. They have been conditioned to ignore the periphery and focus on their target.
I'm trying to do a deep declutter since I'm 64 yrs old so not to leave a mess behind but how do you get rid of my deceased husband and parents sentimental items??
Ask whether your children are interested in having. Or, maybe you have younger siblings or nieces/nephews who would like treasure. If so, can you part with some of these things now, and maybe share some of your favorite memories with the recipient. Put things you can't bear to share with others in a memory bin.
I’m so sorry - sentimental things are so hard. I normally have a really hard time with this, but Dawn’s memory bin idea has been a game changer. I highly recommend looking into that! 💜💜💜
Been following a few years, & this has been the most asked question, especially my friends’ most asked. Go over to her playlist, she’s covered the subject at least 3x.
I have books that are very important to me, not books like novels or just light reading that I could get as e-books but books about our Indigenous culture, history, Church related books that I want to keep. But I also have a very small home, smaller than yours, Dawn. Does anyone have any unique solutions to keeping books when there's not really any good space for book shelves?
If i have to fight to put something away.. i start tossing.. life is too freaking hard for stuff to make it harder and get in the way. The more that goes the more free i feel.
?How to declutter job? I don't want to miss some oportunity so I have alot of job. I'm blessed with big business of my own but I'm so overwhelmd!!! I declutered my home ( and now feels so good ) so I want to do it with job/business (not engish natitive speaker so sorry for language mistakes)
Suggestion on getting others in home to 'get on board' with decluttering. Dawn has such a good thing going for us with 'body doubling'. While we are doing this 'with', it can be helpful for others (and us) to hear out loud how these items can be a blessing for others. Sometimes I hear that our items are bought by Resellers, as though this step is keeping the item out of the hands of those who 'need' them. My thoughts-Even if the items are bought directly by Resellers, maybe this is a blessing for them AND the final buyer:-).
I use the note with a date for stuff my husband doesn't want to get rid of. I give him a long time. I say: I am going to give this a 6 months date and if you haven't used it , do I have permission to let it go.
I removed a lot of framed photos from my walls and shelves. It was too much visual stimulation and too much to dust. So I put them all in a photo album. Some people don't like having a lot of photo albums, but I'd rather have those than all those frames sitting out. That's the choice I made. Some people just scan the photos and keep on a thumb-drive or external hard drive.
Any advice on how to convince partner to de-clutter? This has been going on for decades and I have a "no buying more stuff" rule... that sometimes gets broken.
I joined the course last spring, but I was only able to view the first session of the day. After that I was unable to access any of the materials. I noticed a few other people had the same problem. Unfortunately, I have an all-day church event next Saturday.
??? If you joined a previous course is there a discount? Ty!😊 I joined Jan 2022. Am I then just able to sign in that day…or is a link sent? Not sure if I am on FB page. Ty😊
