Written by: Meghan Cocchiaro at Organized by Meg

In an age of minimalism and mindfulness, many of us are presented with junk drawers and cluttered countertops filled with items that need to be sorted, donated, or disposed of. However, as complex human beings, we also have another home hurdle to conquer: emotional clutter.

If you find yourself unable to part with mementos from the past, ones that you rarely remember to look at but never seem to let go of, you might be experiencing emotional clutter. If you feel guilty re-gifting or donating the trinkets that have been given to you throughout the years and find them taking up more and more space in your life and home, you are likely experiencing the results of emotional clutter.

Today, I’m discussing the three main types of emotional clutter and how to sort and conquer them. You’ve got this!

1. YOUR YESTER-YEAR MEMENTOS

We all generally have 4 phases of life during which we tend to collect things: childhood and teen years, the college years, purchases for our first home, and purchases for married life. At that point, the cycle tends to begin again with childhood, but this time it is that of our own children and the many items we keep to remember those oh-so fast years (long days, but fast years, am I right?).

If your hallmark trinkets, paper-clippings, and crayon drawings are sitting in a box or a drawer somewhere, are you really paying homage to them? Not really. Select a handful of items that mean the most to you and either use them or display them in your home. Sort, donate, and remove the remaining items. A sorted home is a sorted mind.

2. GIFTS THAT YOU KEEP GETTING

Remember that one time you mentioned how much you like sarcastic t-shirts or clever quotes on coffee mugs? So do your friends and family. Unsurprisingly, every major holiday and birthday only increases your accidental collection of these items. While it can feel totally wrong to give away a gift, keeping those things under obligation isn't actually fair to yourself. Do you need 25 graphic t-shirts or 57 coffee mugs? Probably not. However, there are some people could probably use and appreciate a few more.

Select your favorite gifts, just a handful, to keep and use. Donate the remaining items. You will not hurt your great aunt's feelings if you really don't want to keep the gift she gave you a decade ago. She likely doesn't even remember giving it to you. The act of giving a gift is fulfilling to the giver. After you receive it, you are free to do with it what you wish - guilt free.

3. CONFUSINING, UNCATEGORIZED CLUTTER

Junk drawers are modern-speak for "things-we-don't-know-how-to-categorize-but-are-afraid-to-throw-away." Don't be afraid. How many bottle openers can you use at once? Just one. You really don't need two, even if you have two guests who want to open their drinks simultaneously (you know your mind went there...haha!).

Install tiny hooks in your mudroom for all those spare keys. Use a clear, acrylic drawer organizer for drawers that tend to accumulate junk. Grab a pretty jar for spare change and display it on your desk. If you are able to see what you have, you'll be able to either use it or know that you need to dispose of it.

I personally find it very helpful to have a designated area as a catch all in some busy areas of your house such as your kitchen, your bedroom closet and mudroom. We all need a place to put things that we aren’t yet ready to deal with - we’re human! The catch is that once these catch alls fill up, it is decision time. Put those items where they truly belong in your home, or get rid of them. Clutter is nothing more than the accumulation of delayed decisions.

PRO TIPS FOR GETTING ORGANIZED

1. A little bit at a time. Never sort more than one room at a time. Otherwise, you might become overwhelmed and be tempted to quit. Don't give up! You've got this (and if you don’t, professional home organizers can help get you on track quickly).

2. Keep the floor clean. Use vertical storage whenever possible...coat hooks, robe hooks, open shelving, and stackable storage containers (clear, preferably). The more floor space you can clear, the better you'll feel.

You can curate and organize your home by conquering the three main types of emotional clutter. Many people don’t understand that decluttering well, and decluttering often, is the key to maintaining an organized home. Ask yourself how you want to live in your home and how you want to feel in it - that will be enough of a motivating factor to make decisions on minimizing your stuff and organizing what’s left.

If you loved these tips on living a more organized life, you’ll love learning how Organized by Meg will transform your whole Denver area home…and life! Join our mailing list to get inspired and grab your behind-the-scenes guide here.

Warmly,

Meg