Christina your list is brilliant. so I suppose I will add - remembering that life is an experiment - some things work out, some things don't. That my time and energy are severely limited. And that nothing tragic will happen if I get rid of X item.
@@ros8986 Very good comment! Having been recently widowed, I am trying to walk a fine line between beginning to move on, and not making hasty decisions. In the end, though, as I realised when Mum died, the object is not actually the person, and giving something away is not being disrespectful or uncaring. It's allowing someone else to use it.
Also stuff is not the person it belonged to, I have a lot of my parents things. The are both gone. I had to learn getting rid of something my mother owned, doesn't mean I didn't love her and won't remember her. Same with my children's things.
Yes, absolutely agree, with reference to my Mum and also to my husband who died recently. If I can genuinely use and enjoy something, that's another matter.
You’re absolutely right, @Amy Johnson!! I’m in the process of “curating” the possessions of almost 20 years of married life, after losing my husband the day after Xmas 2022 & I keep having to remind myself that I’ll still always remember him, even if I get rid of his clothes, books, hobby stuff, etc. It’s still hard, but I can do it; especially when I know that someone in need will benefit.
I think that is the hardest part. Getting rid of things from beloved ones who have passed away. I struggle so much with that even though I use to tell myself "keeping this won't bring grandma back"
#1 Focus on what stays rather than what should go. #2 Think of declutter as the process to create space for what you actually care about. #3 Remind yourself that clutter simply makes life more difficult. #4 Think of decluttering as a process of curation. #5 Set systems & habits that work for you on repeat. #6 The money is long gone! #7 Managing the inflow of stuff is just as important as managing the outflow. #8 Holding on could be a way that anxiety is manifesting. #9 My stuff is not me. #10 Ensure that you are approaching your declutter from a perspective of abundance & gratitude.
My husband shifted our language to "decommissioning" rather than "decluttering". It's not that our stuff is junk: it just may not fit our goals anymore.
I lost close to 50 lbs 5 years ago and found myself holding on to my old clothes, in sadness that if I let the old clothes go, I was letting the old me go. I held on to clothes that didn’t fit for FIVE years!!! I finally got rid of it (all but one item) and my life has changed dramatically. I’m not wearing yogas and thermals everyday anymore. I’m wearing my Levi’s and agoldes, and blouses and blazers again. I can see everything! If having nothing to wear and feeling stressed out is the only way to hold on to the old me, then I’m not holding on anymore. Old me was great, but new me is even better. Love this video, Christina. Great work.
For me, when I do a declutter, I always take my clothes to a place called the Hope Mission. I know that my clothes, and a few things for the kitchen, will go to people who really, really, really need it. I find that this makes decluttering so much easier because I really want to help. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have a hard time parting with some stuff, but in the past while, I’ve been able to declutter even more thanks to this focus on mission.
I agree with that! I've been trying to do a massive downsize, which is emotionally very difficult for me, but I was able to let go of so much more (& faster) with the intention of finding things for a women's shelter near me versus just trying to "get rid of things".
Consider Goodwill for fabric items that are out-of-fashion, torn, stained, worn-out, or any other way unusable or unsellable; this includes bath & bed linens, curtains, etc. Goodwill will consolidate anything imperfect for resale and sell it by the pound to textile recyclers, which keeps it out of landfills.
Agree with others that these are great tips! My favorite is #7. So many bloggers and YTers focus on getting rid of things and downsizing, and I don't see as many addressing the "why" of how so many unneeded things end up coming home with us in the first place. That's really where the issue starts, so thanks for mentioning it. Keep up the great work!
13 minutes well worth this viewer's time! Listed below: 1. Focus on what stays, and not want you should get rid of Self Talk out loud! What you REALLY want to keep. Value, function. 2. Think of de cluttering as creating space for what you really care about, want to keep, use and will miss if gone. 3. Remind yourself that clutter really makes life more difficult. Shifts focus from productive use of time, can't focus, harder to decide, clean and tidy. Make life easier by letting go. 4. Think of decluttering as Curating. Looks calm, intentional, Curating. 5. Set systems, habits, routines, that you can implement on a daily basis. Helpful habits to make life easy to achieve new baseline. orderly. Place for everything. Consistent;. Back in place. Make sure, ex. dishwasher's is working while you are sleeping. 6. The $$$ is long gone... remind yourself, you will not get money back if it sits in your closet. Sell, donate, lesson learned. 7. Managing the inflow is more imp. than managing outflow!.. Only buy what is a necessary purchase. 8. Decluttering .. faced w/ mistakes. lesson learned,. ( Keep a To Be Determined and Memory Box) I learned that from the Minimal Mom. fell proud and accomplished when done or therapy to work on inner fears. 9. Our stuff is NOT me. ex. personal style and house, expresses who you are as a person without expressing anything! Self worth, value is you not your clothes! 10. Attitude of Gratitude for all the blessings that you have.
Love the curation idea and the gratitude perspective. Does anyone have a hard time letting go of certain fabrics? if a top is made of silk or pants are linen even though i may not wear them as often as I did, I don’t want to let them go. There seems to be so much polyester now that I’m afraid I’ll never again find such fine materials! Or they will be too expensive for my budget! Maybe as a part of my curation I can have a museum collection😊
One thing you can try is to find out why you are not wearing the items. Can you style them in a different way to make them work? Or maybe you can alter them to make them fit you better?
Susan, I make that experience too. Sometimes I decide to create something different from that fabric, but normally it remains a decision and it doesn't turn into action... so, I guess this is something around #8 as far as I am concerned... 🙂
I completely agree, everytime I went through my closet taking everthing out, it was overwhelming and exhausting. As we wear 20% of our closet 80% of the time, it's easier to pull out my favorites first and then sort through the rest.
Me too - clothes and accessories! I just sorted two boxes of hair accessories and scarves that will be going to a friend's granddaughters and my daughter's workmates, 'makes it easy when I know it's going somewhere that will make someone else happy!!
One mindset that is not helpful is the one I was raised with. "It is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it." This fostered having the second best, third best, and so on. My new mindset is "It is better to release it to bless someone else who needs it today, then to keep it and not need it." And "Let the thrift store be my extended closet. If I need something, I can maybe find it there....not in my extra storage bins!"
I've been on my minimalist journey for over 10 years but I always get inspiration from videos like yours. I especially liked the 'curating' idea. i think that is a unique way to see clearing our spaces.
Great tips! I have been on a travel assignment for almost a full year. I can’t wait to get back to my house and declutter the whole place from top to bottom! I’ll keep these tips in mind as I go through my possessions.
This most recent video, for me, is as wonderful as the one about the toxic aspects of minimalism. I'm currently on the journey of wanting less and decluttering. I'm doing it slowly, at my own pace, and from a place of self-love. I still feel sad, every time I think about parting myself from something. Therapy is the major help I count on for a few years, but this theme of hoarding and wanting a lot is (kind of) new for me. I try to say goodbye, only when I feel I've worn the piece as much as I wanted so it has filled its purpose. Then, I go to another one, and so on. I make lists of the items I'm planning on letting go. Every month I add items to the list, that I try and use to see how I feel about them. Some are really worn and have done a lot for me, so, it's time for them to go. When I find something not worn before, I take profit from that, trying to insert it into my "new" wardrobe. If I bought it's because I loved it, and thought of a way to include it in my outfits. I just need to remind myself of that. So, I found this could be a way of making my brain believe I had something new to enjoy, not buying anything new. The key to this is NOT BUYING. Not adding items to an already long list. I've been enjoying the process, which began about two months ago because I feel I'm kind of playing a game. The joyful side of life is something I'm not willing to let, although the mind set behind these decisions is ultimately very different from before. This is my way, but I admire yours a lot.
Thanks so much for addressing the emotional mindset shift we need to address, I was not in touch with the issues I was buried in so much stuff I owned!
This is probably the best video I have ever seen about decluttering! It makes so much sense to me. I'm in the process of moving to a smaller house and am so overwhelmed. Thank you, I really needed this!
I like the idea of thinking about what you are going to keep first. There are some pieces that I got rid of when I moved that I wish back. They were too small for me at the time and now I lost weight, I could wear them. But getting rid of them helped me make space for what I had room to move. I still have a lot of things I didn't get rid of. But they are still in the boxes I haven't unpacked from fie years ago. I merged my house with my parents house that I grew up in. Grief and loss of those parents has had me stuck for a long time. The essence of my mom is my mom's house.
I was a shopping addict. I am still recovering. Your videor were of great help. Now I know almost all the things I know to get rid of the addiction, and I have recovered a lot, but I still watch your videos. I just love to listening to you.
I now use the word "curating" when I "declutter". After regretting decluttering and getting rid of a lot of my stuff, I now keep (store) a big box of the items that are not part of my curated wardrobe/home. Knowing that if I decide that parting from a particular item was a mistake I can get it back gives me peace of mind and really help with my curating process.
Christina, thank you for making such helpful and self reflective videos. You aren't afraid to be yourself and I appreciate it. Putting things back into their place every time is very important to keeping your space organized and uncluttered. I use to struggle with letting go of things that were expensive but you are so right....the money is already spent.
I'm not emotionally attached to my stuff, but it's still quite overwhelming when I look at all the stuff and declutter for the first time. It's embarrassing when I realize how much money I wasted and how much waste I created. It's takes time and practice to change the mindset. But it's worth it. I'm started to be mindful with my purchase and check my inventory regularly.
I have always struggled with shopping too much, buying things I don't need, and then feeling incredibly guilty - a big part of it comes from body image issues and not getting rid of things that I wish would fit. When decluttering, I try very hard to go in thinking "if this doesn't fit, it doesn't fit and that is not a bad thing" or something like that and it has helped a lot.
Great collection of the most important mindsets when decluttering or rethinking your intentions and priorities. Your videos are always so helpful and aesthetically pleasing (the best combination haha). Especially the therapy tip - or at least focussing in on your intentions and reassessing your state of mind - I find incredibly underrated. When ThE pLaGuE hit, I (and a lot of people on the internet) felt the urge to declutter EVERYTHING. What I didn't realise was that I did it because I was sad and depressed and pretty much nothing felt good for a long time. Accomplishing a declutter and ridding myself of overwhelming stuff was one of the stupidly few nice feelings. Now, I'm in a much improved mindset and even get joy again from new (intentionally acquired) things. Again, I feel like it's a general trend influenced by the state of the world (collective trauma, anyone?) as much as the state of our minds. So for me, the most important question during decluttering is the why. 🧠💕
This was incredibly helpful!!! I have been decluttering since August, and I find it really hard to part with a lot of things. Really hard. I have plenty of storage space in my home, so it's not as hard as it could be. I'm about to do some Easter decorating, so now is a great time to let go of the stored items that I no longer enjoy.
Love this video so much Christina. It’s so refreshing to hear decluttering from a positive stand point! And also understanding the Why made sooo much sense, like a penny dropped lol Thanks so much again!
Thank you, Christina! So helpful to focus on what you want to keep first. And curation worked so well as a guiding principle, rather than decluttering.
Love all these tips so much, especially the mindset of "curating" vs. "decluttering". The words really do matter and mentally "curating" feels so much closer to the end game IMO.
This video is amazing! ❤ Thank you so much! I will go back a watch this more than once. Some of the points such as the money is already gone, keeping just in case and my fear of letting go hit home for me. 💯
Great video! I love the emotional attachment. We all have our own motives for what we do in life. 💜 For me I buy exclusively from second hand stores, it serves two purposes, one is the value and second is a responsibility to the environment. Reuse reduce, recycle 🌍 When I need to declutter and have a hard time letting something go I think about the joy I felt when I found it, and visualize the joy someone else will have when they find it.
The root of issue is buying. If you have next to nothing, you never have to declutter. Those who rely on buying new things to keep them happy, they will never achieve happiness. This is commonly known as hedonic adaptation. Many people waste their time by constantly buying new clothes to try to impress others. What they don't realize is that no one cares. Instead, people should focus their energy on how to improve their minds, such as learning which will bring fulfillment and deeper meaning into life.
I have been trying to find motivational videos to declutter and this is the best I found!!! Made me want to cry, decluttering really IS an emotional thing...
Love all your tips Christina! Love the idea of changing the mindset. We need to become more conscious of the things we consume nor only for our own good, but for the environment. Thank you Queen 🥰
This was beautifully said! In the process of still decluttering years of uncertainty in style choices and failure to let go. This gives me more motivation to find my personal style and be more thoughtful of my “essentials”
Love this video, particularly focusing on what you're keeping and curating, not giving away. It's definitely challenging to accept the $ is already spent though. I just put some things in the donate pile that wouldn't be part of my curated closet!
The money is long gone is a great tip. I have been sending items to friends and family that were expensive and not used to help ease the pain! Thanks!😊
Christina, this was one of the most deep yet simple videos on the issue I've seen so far. I love the focus on what we want, on what is so special that it is worth of being "curated", rather than what we don't want; there's an empowering energy to going through even difficult decluttering areas by setting that focus. Adressing anxiety and other challenging emotions that more often than not arise when we are doing the work is a precious advice... then... the whole process is truthfully about more than only material stuff, isn't it?
Love this video. It is exactly what I needed to here. I have had a difficult time letting go things especially when they were a gift. But finding calm and contentment is so much more important.
Great video and thanks for sharing! I would add a tip about being careful not to overdo the declutter. I've gotten rid of some fantastic thrift finds that became my style again, which I regret. Maybe there's some way we can archive and revisit pieces before saying goodbye
My daughter and I have a couple of "maybe later" bins we keep for just this reason - we get a lot of our vintage clothes from thrifts that we know we won't find again!
Hi Christina! I've only recently discovered your channel. And I love your videos so much. You have such a unique vibe and your points are always easy to follow and very helpful at times! Keep up with that!❤
my probem withe decluttering are the really little things, like selfmade flummies or beautiful stones. They are sitting in a box and I never touch and see them. But I can`t throw them away 🫠
I just had to tell you I’ve watched this video a few times and it continues to help me so much. I didn’t realize how much of my obstacle to decluttering was my mindset. Thank youuuuu 💕
Thank you!I don't know how you did it,but you got through to me!!I have been watching all of the minimalist channels for 2 years and l adore them all.This one really clicked with me,thank you again!!!
I appreciated you saying u had to do alot of work with relation to yourself and your stuff. That resonates, ty! One thing I personally like to think about when letting go of things is: if I donate this now, it might one day become someone else's new found treasure.
New subscriber - your video came up on my feed as my husband and I have been on the minimalist journey for the past two years, and I really loved it when you said “Attitude with Gratitude”! I will be practicing that more since we get lost in the chaos of life sometimes and get so wrapped up in what was instead of what is. So thanks for that reminder and the 10 pieces of advice!
I spring clean because my mind and body is in the open the doors/ windows mode to let things fly out. After a summer off from work, my school year starts and I knuckle down with clothes for the school year, cleaning out files and getting a system in place to set me up for a good year.
I also think about how many times I have gone to a resale shop and found very nice things in good condition at a fraction of the retail cost and how pleased I was. Now I know I will not be able to contact everyone that might need what I have However, if I donate it to a resale shop, perhaps someone will be just as pleased as I’ve been in the past to find something of value.
I'm a low key person with a full house. I used to have way more than I do now. The "just in case" issue was just the worst. I was a military kudos who always had linens and drapes and shelving that might fit in a future home (moving was a real event every 2-3 yrs.) We never threw out items which didn't "fit" we stored them. As I accumulated electronics, I carried this forward similar to my grandmother's button jar. My therapist asked me to name one kind of cord i had.. One was replacement/old cords for monitors and hard drives. I had about 20. Theoretically, I only needed two. (One for each) it took a week to take the rest of them to Goodwill, but when they'd sorted and wrapped them all...they didn't last long. Made me feel better about it. And I had cords for which I couldn't remember the original use. I think there's are good reasons for "just in case" storage. It's about thinking through the "just in case" and if the possible scenarios are actually worth planning for. After I was no longer moving every 3 yrs, for example, it was nice to have only drapes for my current home.
As an annex to number 6 - The money is long gone! --- I also think of the space the item takes up, and the cumulative cost of renting that space just to hang on to an item I don't really want/need. , the time and energy maintaining it (even if it's just dusting it!). Makes it even easier to get rid of it!
I love the first point and it has helped me so much. Otherwise I get overwhelmed by HOW MUCH I decide to get rid of… like “why did I buy all this stuff?!”
My cluttering came from "Retail Therapy" after my divorce, I self soothed myself because of loss & I could purchase something without being told, No! Next phase came from buying a house to filling up rooms/spaces. When we lost our home due to job loss, I was force to downsize and let go of a whole houseful of stuff. Next phase, the vicious cycle. Upon purchasing a new home with my new husband, we both started filling up our home. This home had a basement, my husband could put stuff down there he would purchase to self soothe himself with clutter from the loss of his Dad & that brought up emotions. He told himself, 'My Dad had this and inturn he also wanted it, especially if it was free. 😮 For me, it was a guest bedroom .During the pandemic, I bought things for crafting. Dollar Tree & Hobby Lobby we my go tos and the 50% off sales made it even more appealing. Me personally, am on the road to recovery in 2023. I'm facing my clutter head on. Lesson learned, things don't make me happy!! It's been enlightening. The weight of all the clutter & letting it go is making me feel free.🎉
Let me know the mindsets you find helpful when you’re decluttering!
Christina your list is brilliant. so I suppose I will add - remembering that life is an experiment - some things work out, some things don't. That my time and energy are severely limited. And that nothing tragic will happen if I get rid of X item.
@@ros8986 Very good comment! Having been recently widowed, I am trying to walk a fine line between beginning to move on, and not making hasty decisions. In the end, though, as I realised when Mum died, the object is not actually the person, and giving something away is not being disrespectful or uncaring. It's allowing someone else to use it.
@@AlexLouiseWest thank you for *your* wonderful comment. IT reminds me of Andrew Mellen's "your grandmother's teacup is not your grandmother"
@@ros8986 that's a great expression, thank you for sharing it.
I often think - if I was not here and my loved ones had this , would they keep it or chuck it - 99
% of the time they would chuck it … so out it goes
Also stuff is not the person it belonged to, I have a lot of my parents things. The are both gone. I had to learn getting rid of something my mother owned, doesn't mean I didn't love her and won't remember her. Same with my children's things.
Yes, absolutely agree, with reference to my Mum and also to my husband who died recently. If I can genuinely use and enjoy something, that's another matter.
Yes it takes a bit of time to give away things that belong to family members who are no longer with us.
Yes, it's so right!
You’re absolutely right, @Amy Johnson!! I’m in the process of “curating” the possessions of almost 20 years of married life, after losing my husband the day after Xmas 2022 & I keep having to remind myself that I’ll still always remember him, even if I get rid of his clothes, books, hobby stuff, etc. It’s still hard, but I can do it; especially when I know that someone in need will benefit.
I think that is the hardest part. Getting rid of things from beloved ones who have passed away. I struggle so much with that even though I use to tell myself "keeping this won't bring grandma back"
#1 Focus on what stays rather than what should go.
#2 Think of declutter as the process to create space for what you actually care about.
#3 Remind yourself that clutter simply makes life more difficult.
#4 Think of decluttering as a process of curation.
#5 Set systems & habits that work for you on repeat.
#6 The money is long gone!
#7 Managing the inflow of stuff is just as important as managing the outflow.
#8 Holding on could be a way that anxiety is manifesting.
#9 My stuff is not me.
#10 Ensure that you are approaching your declutter from a perspective of abundance & gratitude.
Thanks for the list!
Thank U !😊
Thanks ✨
Beautiful comment- THANKYOU for your time and consideration of others xx
My husband shifted our language to "decommissioning" rather than "decluttering". It's not that our stuff is junk: it just may not fit our goals anymore.
My clothing rack fell off the wall in the middle of the last night. I guess it's time to declutter 😂
Rude awakening for sure
@@crystal482 I got a heart attack! It was 3 am
I love this! I was always told “clutter is just unmade decisions.” And as a mom of 5 the idea of making that many decisions was instant overwhelm!
Great comment.
Can so relate as another mom to 5!
Yes same!
I lost close to 50 lbs 5 years ago and found myself holding on to my old clothes, in sadness that if I let the old clothes go, I was letting the old me go. I held on to clothes that didn’t fit for FIVE years!!! I finally got rid of it (all but one item) and my life has changed dramatically. I’m not wearing yogas and thermals everyday anymore. I’m wearing my Levi’s and agoldes, and blouses and blazers again. I can see everything! If having nothing to wear and feeling stressed out is the only way to hold on to the old me, then I’m not holding on anymore. Old me was great, but new me is even better. Love this video, Christina. Great work.
For me, when I do a declutter, I always take my clothes to a place called the Hope Mission. I know that my clothes, and a few things for the kitchen, will go to people who really, really, really need it. I find that this makes decluttering so much easier because I really want to help. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have a hard time parting with some stuff, but in the past while, I’ve been able to declutter even more thanks to this focus on mission.
I agree with that! I've been trying to do a massive downsize, which is emotionally very difficult for me, but I was able to let go of so much more (& faster) with the intention of finding things for a women's shelter near me versus just trying to "get rid of things".
Consider Goodwill for fabric items that are out-of-fashion, torn, stained, worn-out, or any other way unusable or unsellable; this includes bath & bed linens, curtains, etc. Goodwill will consolidate anything imperfect for resale and sell it by the pound to textile recyclers, which keeps it out of landfills.
@@chris...9497 Goodwill is beyond walking distance in my case, and the Hope mission is in even greater need, so I continue to take things there.
I take my things to my church’s mental health mission. They too often need things and appreciate being thought of.
Agree with others that these are great tips! My favorite is #7. So many bloggers and YTers focus on getting rid of things and downsizing, and I don't see as many addressing the "why" of how so many unneeded things end up coming home with us in the first place. That's really where the issue starts, so thanks for mentioning it. Keep up the great work!
I ask myself
“Would I buy this now?” 💫 in the intention of fitting into what is now apartment living. It helps take the emotions away.
13 minutes well worth this viewer's time! Listed below:
1. Focus on what stays, and not want you should get rid of Self Talk out loud! What you REALLY want to keep. Value, function.
2. Think of de cluttering as creating space for what you really care about, want to keep, use and will miss if gone.
3. Remind yourself that clutter really makes life more difficult. Shifts focus from productive use of time, can't focus, harder to decide, clean and tidy. Make life easier by letting go.
4. Think of decluttering as Curating. Looks calm, intentional, Curating.
5. Set systems, habits, routines, that you can implement on a daily basis. Helpful habits to make life easy to achieve new baseline. orderly. Place for everything. Consistent;. Back in place.
Make sure, ex. dishwasher's is working while you are sleeping.
6. The $$$ is long gone... remind yourself, you will not get money back if it sits in your closet. Sell, donate, lesson learned.
7. Managing the inflow is more imp. than managing outflow!.. Only buy what is a necessary purchase.
8. Decluttering .. faced w/ mistakes. lesson learned,. ( Keep a To Be Determined and Memory Box) I learned that from the Minimal Mom. fell proud and accomplished when done or therapy to work on inner fears.
9. Our stuff is NOT me. ex. personal style and house, expresses who you are as a person without expressing anything! Self worth, value is you not your clothes!
10. Attitude of Gratitude for all the blessings that you have.
Love the curation idea and the gratitude perspective. Does anyone have a hard time letting go of certain fabrics? if a top is made of silk or pants are linen even though i may not wear them as often as I did, I don’t want to let them go. There seems to be so much polyester now that I’m afraid I’ll never again find such fine materials! Or they will be too expensive for my budget! Maybe as a part of my curation I can have a museum collection😊
I totally agree. I am of the same mindset. Especially when storage is so limited. 😊
One thing you can try is to find out why you are not wearing the items. Can you style them in a different way to make them work? Or maybe you can alter them to make them fit you better?
If you really like the fabric but not the cut, maybe give it to a tailor to change it? Like personalise it?
I experience that feeling as well!
Susan, I make that experience too. Sometimes I decide to create something different from that fabric, but normally it remains a decision and it doesn't turn into action... so, I guess this is something around #8 as far as I am concerned... 🙂
I completely agree, everytime I went through my closet taking everthing out, it was overwhelming and exhausting. As we wear 20% of our closet 80% of the time, it's easier to pull out my favorites first and then sort through the rest.
I’m on my way to heal from buying to much and having to much clothes, accessories and makeup. Your channel really helps me on my journey.
Well done, I hope life gets easier for you.
Me too - clothes and accessories! I just sorted two boxes of hair accessories and scarves that will be going to a friend's granddaughters and my daughter's workmates, 'makes it easy when I know it's going somewhere that will make someone else happy!!
I love it when you try to make your stuff look cluttered for narrative purposes - it's still really neat!
I love when I'm done and can find things better. It makes me feel everything I have is purposeful
One mindset that is not helpful is the one I was raised with. "It is better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it." This fostered having the second best, third best, and so on. My new mindset is "It is better to release it to bless someone else who needs it today, then to keep it and not need it." And "Let the thrift store be my extended closet. If I need something, I can maybe find it there....not in my extra storage bins!"
Letting the thrift store be our extended storage is gold
I've been on my minimalist journey for over 10 years but I always get inspiration from videos like yours. I especially liked the 'curating' idea. i think that is a unique way to see clearing our spaces.
As I give away items, I think about the enjoyment someone else will receive from this new to them item.
Yes! Switching the mindset from what to get rid of to what to keep is a game changer!
Great tips! I have been on a travel assignment for almost a full year. I can’t wait to get back to my house and declutter the whole place from top to bottom! I’ll keep these tips in mind as I go through my possessions.
It is so important to let go of things that are not serving us anymore and after doing it, it feels so good!!
This most recent video, for me, is as wonderful as the one about the toxic aspects of minimalism. I'm currently on the journey of wanting less and decluttering. I'm doing it slowly, at my own pace, and from a place of self-love. I still feel sad, every time I think about parting myself from something. Therapy is the major help I count on for a few years, but this theme of hoarding and wanting a lot is (kind of) new for me. I try to say goodbye, only when I feel I've worn the piece as much as I wanted so it has filled its purpose. Then, I go to another one, and so on. I make lists of the items I'm planning on letting go. Every month I add items to the list, that I try and use to see how I feel about them. Some are really worn and have done a lot for me, so, it's time for them to go. When I find something not worn before, I take profit from that, trying to insert it into my "new" wardrobe. If I bought it's because I loved it, and thought of a way to include it in my outfits. I just need to remind myself of that. So, I found this could be a way of making my brain believe I had something new to enjoy, not buying anything new. The key to this is NOT BUYING. Not adding items to an already long list. I've been enjoying the process, which began about two months ago because I feel I'm kind of playing a game. The joyful side of life is something I'm not willing to let, although the mind set behind these decisions is ultimately very different from before. This is my way, but I admire yours a lot.
For me the hardest part is not the decluttering but how and where to dispose of the things in a mindfull manner.
Thanks so much for addressing the emotional mindset shift we need to address, I was not in touch with the issues I was buried in so much stuff I owned!
This is probably the best video I have ever seen about decluttering! It makes so much sense to me. I'm in the process of moving to a smaller house and am so overwhelmed. Thank you, I really needed this!
I agree!
I like the idea of thinking about what you are going to keep first. There are some pieces that I got rid of when I moved that I wish back. They were too small for me at the time and now I lost weight, I could wear them. But getting rid of them helped me make space for what I had room to move. I still have a lot of things I didn't get rid of. But they are still in the boxes I haven't unpacked from fie years ago. I merged my house with my parents house that I grew up in. Grief and loss of those parents has had me stuck for a long time. The essence of my mom is my mom's house.
I was a shopping addict. I am still recovering. Your videor were of great help. Now I know almost all the things I know to get rid of the addiction, and I have recovered a lot, but I still watch your videos. I just love to listening to you.
I now use the word "curating" when I "declutter". After regretting decluttering and getting rid of a lot of my stuff, I now keep (store) a big box of the items that are not part of my curated wardrobe/home. Knowing that if I decide that parting from a particular item was a mistake I can get it back gives me peace of mind and really help with my curating process.
Christina, thank you for making such helpful and self reflective videos. You aren't afraid to be yourself and I appreciate it. Putting things back into their place every time is very important to keeping your space organized and uncluttered. I use to struggle with letting go of things that were expensive but you are so right....the money is already spent.
I'm not emotionally attached to my stuff, but it's still quite overwhelming when I look at all the stuff and declutter for the first time. It's embarrassing when I realize how much money I wasted and how much waste I created. It's takes time and practice to change the mindset. But it's worth it. I'm started to be mindful with my purchase and check my inventory regularly.
I have always struggled with shopping too much, buying things I don't need, and then feeling incredibly guilty - a big part of it comes from body image issues and not getting rid of things that I wish would fit. When decluttering, I try very hard to go in thinking "if this doesn't fit, it doesn't fit and that is not a bad thing" or something like that and it has helped a lot.
Great collection of the most important mindsets when decluttering or rethinking your intentions and priorities. Your videos are always so helpful and aesthetically pleasing (the best combination haha). Especially the therapy tip - or at least focussing in on your intentions and reassessing your state of mind - I find incredibly underrated. When ThE pLaGuE hit, I (and a lot of people on the internet) felt the urge to declutter EVERYTHING. What I didn't realise was that I did it because I was sad and depressed and pretty much nothing felt good for a long time. Accomplishing a declutter and ridding myself of overwhelming stuff was one of the stupidly few nice feelings. Now, I'm in a much improved mindset and even get joy again from new (intentionally acquired) things. Again, I feel like it's a general trend influenced by the state of the world (collective trauma, anyone?) as much as the state of our minds. So for me, the most important question during decluttering is the why. 🧠💕
Very good comment, thank you.
This was incredibly helpful!!! I have been decluttering since August, and I find it really hard to part with a lot of things. Really hard. I have plenty of storage space in my home, so it's not as hard as it could be. I'm about to do some Easter decorating, so now is a great time to let go of the stored items that I no longer enjoy.
Love this video so much Christina. It’s so refreshing to hear decluttering from a positive stand point! And also understanding the Why made sooo much sense, like a penny dropped lol Thanks so much again!
I love these unique tips! My favorite was the “curation” one 😌
Thank you, Christina! So helpful to focus on what you want to keep first. And curation worked so well as a guiding principle, rather than decluttering.
Love all these tips so much, especially the mindset of "curating" vs. "decluttering". The words really do matter and mentally "curating" feels so much closer to the end game IMO.
for people just beginning a first clothing declutter, Hannah Louise Poston's video on trying a minimalist wardrobe for one month is great (IMHO)
This video is amazing! ❤ Thank you so much! I will go back a watch this more than once. Some of the points such as the money is already gone, keeping just in case and my fear of letting go hit home for me. 💯
These were wonderful- especially the idea of curating vs decluttering. So much better to curate your life !
Great video! I love the emotional attachment. We all have our own motives for what we do in life. 💜
For me I buy exclusively from second hand stores, it serves two purposes, one is the value and second is a responsibility to the environment. Reuse reduce, recycle 🌍
When I need to declutter and have a hard time letting something go I think about the joy I felt when I found it, and visualize the joy someone else will have when they find it.
Your first tip really hit home! Focus on "stay"😊
The root of issue is buying. If you have next to nothing, you never have to declutter. Those who rely on buying new things to keep them happy, they will never achieve happiness. This is commonly known as hedonic adaptation. Many people waste their time by constantly buying new clothes to try to impress others. What they don't realize is that no one cares. Instead, people should focus their energy on how to improve their minds, such as learning which will bring fulfillment and deeper meaning into life.
I like the term curating. These were great mindsets to consider.
I have been trying to find motivational videos to declutter and this is the best I found!!! Made me want to cry, decluttering really IS an emotional thing...
>> *shared interests were not always mine so as much as a mechanism to show emotional support and the items left behind don't need or give validation*
Randomly found your video. Immediately subscribed and binge watching ALL your videos. Love your style and tips so much!! 💯
Love all your tips Christina! Love the idea of changing the mindset. We need to become more conscious of the things we consume nor only for our own good, but for the environment. Thank you Queen 🥰
This was beautifully said! In the process of still decluttering years of uncertainty in style choices and failure to let go. This gives me more motivation to find my personal style and be more thoughtful of my “essentials”
Love this video, particularly focusing on what you're keeping and curating, not giving away. It's definitely challenging to accept the $ is already spent though. I just put some things in the donate pile that wouldn't be part of my curated closet!
把整理變成一種習慣，生活就會越來越好
極簡生活就會讓我們的生活越過越好～～～
#6 was a super important realisation for me and in the long run helped me to make much better purchase decisions!
This is honestly the most helpful video I've seen yet on decluttering. Thank you!
You put out the best videos, I always go away with new ideas, thank you 😊
I watched soooo many videos about this topic but yours is hands down the best.
The money is long gone is a great tip. I have been sending items to friends and family that were expensive and not used to help ease the pain! Thanks!😊
Christina, this was one of the most deep yet simple videos on the issue I've seen so far. I love the focus on what we want, on what is so special that it is worth of being "curated", rather than what we don't want; there's an empowering energy to going through even difficult decluttering areas by setting that focus. Adressing anxiety and other challenging emotions that more often than not arise when we are doing the work is a precious advice... then... the whole process is truthfully about more than only material stuff, isn't it?
Love this video. It is exactly what I needed to here. I have had a difficult time letting go things especially when they were a gift. But finding calm and contentment is so much more important.
Abundance and gratitude, THANK YOU! This makes it a lot easier and less overwhelming. "Keep what you care about"! Mind blown🤯
Great video and thanks for sharing! I would add a tip about being careful not to overdo the declutter. I've gotten rid of some fantastic thrift finds that became my style again, which I regret. Maybe there's some way we can archive and revisit pieces before saying goodbye
My daughter and I have a couple of "maybe later" bins we keep for just this reason - we get a lot of our vintage clothes from thrifts that we know we won't find again!
Hi Christina! I've only recently discovered your channel. And I love your videos so much. You have such a unique vibe and your points are always easy to follow and very helpful at times! Keep up with that!❤
YES! I struggle with #6 too!!
You are definetely not alone
I really like the 'curating' tip ^^
Love the inspiring tips especially curating your closet. Thanks for sharing your wisdom on the emotional aspects that can hold us back.
These are great ways to change mindsets regarding de-cluttering/ curating. I really love your channel and I recommend it to everybody.
my probem withe decluttering are the really little things, like selfmade flummies or beautiful stones. They are sitting in a box and I never touch and see them. But I can`t throw them away 🫠
So refreshing to hear someone relates this theme to mental health ❤
I just had to tell you I’ve watched this video a few times and it continues to help me so much. I didn’t realize how much of my obstacle to decluttering was my mindset. Thank youuuuu 💕
great idea on focusing on what to keep instead of what to get rid of. positive mindset 👍🏽
I love the idea of looking at it as “curating” - I think that will make the task more exciting!
Thank you!I don't know how you did it,but you got through to me!!I have been watching all of the minimalist channels for 2 years and l adore them all.This one really clicked with me,thank you again!!!
I appreciated you saying u had to do alot of work with relation to yourself and your stuff. That resonates, ty!
One thing I personally like to think about when letting go of things is: if I donate this now, it might one day become someone else's new found treasure.
OMG THANK YOU for pointing out the positives and encouraging side of this work!!
New subscriber - your video came up on my feed as my husband and I have been on the minimalist journey for the past two years, and I really loved it when you said “Attitude with Gratitude”! I will be practicing that more since we get lost in the chaos of life sometimes and get so wrapped up in what was instead of what is. So thanks for that reminder and the 10 pieces of advice!
New subscriber here! watching while decluterring. I have been decluterring for 3 years now. Never ending journey
I spring clean because my mind and body is in the open the doors/ windows mode to let things fly out. After a summer off from work, my school year starts and I knuckle down with clothes for the school year, cleaning out files and getting a system in place to set me up for a good year.
Very good and helpful tips. I need to declutter ASAP
I also think about how many times I have gone to a resale shop and found very nice things in good condition at a fraction of the retail cost and how pleased I was. Now I know I will not be able to contact everyone that might need what I have However, if I donate it to a resale shop, perhaps someone will be just as pleased as I’ve been in the past to find something of value.
Happy Spring 2024! My husband & I are working on this little by little. 🙂❤️🤓❤️ Thanks, Christina, for your excellent content!
I'm a low key person with a full house. I used to have way more than I do now. The "just in case" issue was just the worst. I was a military kudos who always had linens and drapes and shelving that might fit in a future home (moving was a real event every 2-3 yrs.) We never threw out items which didn't "fit" we stored them. As I accumulated electronics, I carried this forward similar to my grandmother's button jar. My therapist asked me to name one kind of cord i had.. One was replacement/old cords for monitors and hard drives. I had about 20. Theoretically, I only needed two. (One for each) it took a week to take the rest of them to Goodwill, but when they'd sorted and wrapped them all...they didn't last long. Made me feel better about it. And I had cords for which I couldn't remember the original use. I think there's are good reasons for "just in case" storage. It's about thinking through the "just in case" and if the possible scenarios are actually worth planning for. After I was no longer moving every 3 yrs, for example, it was nice to have only drapes for my current home.
Christina, hello! I`m watching your videos from Russia, you inspired me to refresh my life 😀🙃
Like “curating.” Positive!🌷🌷
I’m really grateful for your videos.
I have to rewatch some as reminders.
morning christina :] thanks for helping me heal and become more intentional with the things i do and buy
Really well thought out list... great reminders ❤
I always enjoy your perspective and leave energized. Thank you!
Refreshing guidelines!!
As an annex to number 6 - The money is long gone! --- I also think of the space the item takes up, and the cumulative cost of renting that space just to hang on to an item I don't really want/need. , the time and energy maintaining it (even if it's just dusting it!). Makes it even easier to get rid of it!
the 27 dresses reference! 💙 loved this videos, the tips are great, it's helping me declutter
I like the concept of framing in a positive mindset, of what we are keeping and abundance ☺
I love the first point and it has helped me so much. Otherwise I get overwhelmed by HOW MUCH I decide to get rid of… like “why did I buy all this stuff?!”
Your makeup and lighting are so good in this video :)
Best video I’ve ever seen on decluttering! ❤
This is going in my saved folder. Very helpful and easy-to-understand list. Thank you 🎉
My cluttering came from "Retail Therapy" after my divorce, I self soothed myself because of loss & I could purchase something without being told, No! Next phase came from buying a house to filling up rooms/spaces. When we lost our home due to job loss, I was force to downsize and let go of a whole houseful of stuff. Next phase, the vicious cycle. Upon purchasing a new home with my new husband, we both started filling up our home. This home had a basement, my husband could put stuff down there he would purchase to self soothe himself with clutter from the loss of his Dad & that brought up emotions. He told himself, 'My Dad had this and inturn he also wanted it, especially if it was free. 😮 For me, it was a guest bedroom .During the pandemic, I bought things for crafting. Dollar Tree & Hobby Lobby we my go tos and the 50% off sales made it even more appealing. Me personally, am on the road to recovery in 2023. I'm facing my clutter head on. Lesson learned, things don't make me happy!! It's been enlightening. The weight of all the clutter & letting it go is making me feel free.🎉
I like the Curation word!
Very astute content! I have a friend who is buried even deeper in stuff than I am. Want to help, but the mindset is perhaps the biggest obstacle.
I use videos like this for therapy lol and it works like a charm thank you so much! Of course in harmony with my prayers!
The clip of "the cluttered desk" 😂😂😂 Excellent mindset shifts! Very helpful in getting ready to move! Thanks.