I FEEL that identity clutter in my blue frog collection. I started collecting when I was 11 and EVERYONE sees a "blue frog" ANYTHING as a perfect gift for me. I am 59 now. This past year I picked 4-5 blue frogs that I truly love and GAVE THE REST AWAY. Such freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did the same thing with my elephant collection. I kept less than 10. It wasn’t fun or visually pleasing anymore, they became a responsibility, chore & visual clutter. Congrats to us☺️
SAME!! Such a good line. Now, let's see if we can do the hard work to let it go 😬 I feel like I need to journal this out, then take a hard run 🏃♀️, first. I don't know how else to detangle my people-pleasing ways from those items. Some of them are huge pieces of furniture that will feel so good when it is gone!
I struggle with all of the types of clutter. It occurred to me watching this video that old photographs of people who've passed away, even their photo albums full of people I never knew is guilty clutter. It feels almost disrespectful to get rid of photographs of memories that meant so much to them. I have to remind myself as I go through them that a functional space is important and I'm not hurting my mom by throwing away valentines she got as a child.
We had old chests full of pictures that had been handed down through multiple generations and none of us knew who these people were! We ended up donating the items to the local historical society.
I know exactly how you feel.. I struggle with sentimental clutter.. my mom passed away in May of 2021. She was my best friend and I struggle as I go through pictures and cards and everything else. It does feel disrespectful I am slowly chipping away at it but it's so hard..
Yep, I get this one in a big way. It's as though we're throwing away the identity of our Mom, or whomever, by tossing their photos, and in many instances our moms are/were so important to us that it kind of feels wrong. That's my take on it anyway.
@@elizabethhannah6836 My Mom is in a nursing home now, and I still can't get rid of the clothes she wore here at home. I just can't. It feels so disloyal, and I just feel like I'd be letting her down. She was also the photographer in the family, so I've inherited the family photos. Most of the albums are filled with our immediate family, but there are others filled with people I don't know...I guess the historical society is a good option 😟
Identity clutter gets me. I have held on to college biology notebooks for the last 25 years just because they look so nice and neat. No one else will ever care about this, but I feel so proud of myself for how much effort I put into my studies and how meticulous I was with my work.
When I heard you talk about identity clutter previously a HUGE light bulb went off! My craft room was bursting at the seams with everything I thought I needed to keep. So much so that I couldn't use ANYTHING in the room since there was no space anywhere to try and do any crafts at all. I got rid of so much stuff and now I can actually craft! It's funny that my craft identity clutter kept me from crafting, but letting it go lets me actually be a crafter again. Thank you!!!
So true! I am a quilter and make a lot of scrap quilts but too many scraps of fabric keep me from making quilts. Also so many of my quilter friends give me fabric because they want to declutter. I have learned to say ‘thank you’ as I know they need to declutter and then I in turn give away what I know I don’t need. It is hard when you see usefulness in every scrap but I also have to keep my space tidy and organized so I can continue to make (and give away) quilts. Learn your limit, play within it.
@@lindabourcet1349 OMG!! Please don't get me started on fabric. I have a fabric addiction. It doesn't help that I have the most amazing discount fabric store in my area that I cannot resist. I can spend hours in the fabric store dreaming up all kinds of tablescapes I will design with different fabrics. I love making tablecloths, napkins and anything to do with tablescape/entertaining. I will be decluttering my fabric stash and my dishes that I have collected over the past 20 years.
Same. I have spent a few years having decluttering sales (with people coming to my home and selling via FB), donating and moving to trash. Peeling back many layers of craft stash. I am ready again for more to go (my smaller cube system is full and I recognise that I do very little crafting now). When we downsize to a smaller home, I want it all to fit in a compact storage unit and only have 1 table (instead of 4!)
Inheriting other people's clutter is hard. I lost my mom earlier this year, and am still going thru her things. I had to realize I have to let a lot of things go, and then it actually makes the things I keep more meaningful.
I had to do a house clean out of my Aunt’s last year as her Executrix. She had nice things. Well cared for things. And 95% of it was junk. The furniture has been covered for decades. It has helped me be better about getting rid of stuff. You are right that the things you do keep are more meaningful. I was fortunate that I wasn’t that emotionally close to my aunt, but it was still hard facing that so much stuff really had little value outside of what it was to her. My sympathy for the loss of you mom.
Julie, I’m going through the same thing. I lost my mom and sister a couple of years ago. 6 months apart and I’m still going through all of their stuff. I’ve got rid of a lot but the personal stuff is the hardest. Prayers to you.🙏🏻 we will get through it all sooner or later. God Bless. Sorry for your loss.
I've been dealing with my inherited things for 10 plus years. A lot is gone but the rest is the most difficult items. It has been a long process for me.
I think Identity Clutter is some of the hardest things to part with. It’s like giving up on a piece of your life, hopes and dreams. It has taken me a while to get past that.
Me too. Something that's really helped me is taking a photo of the item(s) so I still have a reminder of the good feelings without having to keep the actual object. Also keeping one item that stands in for a bunch of other ones, or even just a fabric swatch or a single page from a book (books are a renewable resource). Honoring the identity by framing/displaying one or a few representative objects also feels really good. ❤
The piece about identity clutter really hits close to home, especially with the still images of the pokemon cards and action figures. My identity as someone who plays Pokemon is genuinely very important to me, because I believe Pokemon led me to my perfect career and my perfect partner and a lot of joy that I wouldn't have had without it. But that doesn't mean I have to keep every long broken burger king toy or plush. And I shouldn't keep my older games collecting dust in a box. If they're that important to me, they should be treated as the special keepsakes they are and not like clutter. I know I'm not your usual demographic, but your channel does a lot to inspire me to make my home comfort and to be myself ❤
Same.. I have way too many Pokemon (Bulk) cards Nobody will buy them and I can't bring myself to throw them into the trash because after all, I spent a lot of money on them
Identity clutter was the hardest for me to give up. I have had many hobbies, been a single working mom, homestead gardener, made all mine and my kids clothes. As I look back, I don’t know how I did it all. Life moved on, kids grew up, then I wanted to downsize to an apartment. I realized I was stuck when I packed up all my fabric to donate, and could not do it. It sat on a table for a whole year until one of my friends came, took it to the car and we took it to a place that made quilts! That was only one of my multiple identities, my life long ambition was to be an artist. I painted in oils, acrylics, watercolor, mixed media, all had their own stuff. It was difficult to narrow down my “when I grow up” identifications. In the mean time I started sewing and quilting again and the fabric stash grew. My creativity identity was taking over. Your channel as well as Dana and Dawn made me realize the chaos of my supplies in my small space was stifling any creativity I might have. It was hard, but I did it. I decided what I wanted to do, what would fit in my space, I think I am a ladybug, I want to have a home for my stuff when I’m not using it and not see it. I want my surfaces to be clear, minimal-ish and neat. I have accomplished a lot. It took a lot of time and many trips to donation sites. I don’t think I will ever be ‘done’ it takes maintenance. Thanks to you and your collaborations, I am so much better. I draw every day, my sketch book and pens fit in my purse! I paint in watercolor and all my stuff fits in one cube! My identity is identified! I’m living my dream, I am an artist. Thank you for helping me finally peel off the layers of my onion. I’m 75, lived a full happy life, raised kids for 50 years, empty nested finally living my dream. Thanks to minimizing and organizing. You are my hero.
Linda, you inspire me! I’m 51, STILL raising kids, have more hobbies than I can count and am terrified that I’ll never be able to truly enjoy any of them. I keep thinking that by the time my last two are out of the house (10-yr old twins), I’ll be too old (and quite frankly, TIRED) to do anything that I want to do now but don’t have time for. I love hearing that you’re in your 70s and living the dream!!
Super interesting video! It made me realize I have trouble with my identity clutter. I was a globe-trotter for many many years and worked for an adventure travel agency. It's so hard to explain but it's like I need to hang on to those things so that I can still be in this globe-trotter mindset if that makes sense!? It's actually the first time I talk about this and I feel a certain vulnerabily but at the same time I find it freeing...🌍🌟 P.S. I almost didn't post this comment but I decided it feels good to recognize it!💛
It makes complete sense to me ❤❤❤! Maybe you could integrate it more into your life again, or if not, find something that is equally fulfilling to you, so you might feel it is alright to let go of part of the stuff - though I don't think we necessarily need to let go of these things - if we love it enough that we still hold a big place in our hearts and homes for it, that might be completely fine ❤❤❤ The question is if it makes us feel good or sad - if sad, it might be time to look for what it gave you in your current life
I've got to say that having adventure travel identity clutter is at least pretty cool sounding clutter, lol. Sounds like you miss your globe-trotting days, or possibly find the memory of them to be more appealing than whatever is going on now. I don't know if this is "Clutterbug Sanctioned" but what if you chose 3 things that you especially like that can be decor, then put the rest of it in a container that's out of sight. In a month or so take some time to access how you feel about that stuff, who knows what might happen. Signed, Woman who kept her "work" clothes for 20 years after becoming an at home Mom 💼👠
Do you have souvenirs that you could group together and take photos of and then have blown up nice and big to hang on your walls? You could make them poster-size and hang two or three for a while and then switch them out. You could then donate the souvenirs and still have the memories.
I just got rid of about 14 garbage bags of fantasy clutter. Whew! I'm a seamstress and I run a small business, but I had way too much fabric and I kept way too many scraps. Some bags went to our local thrift shop, and some went to a charity quilting group. My room can breathe now, and so can I!! Thank you for helping me to get inspired to do it!
My biggest struggle is fantasy clutter. In my mind I have all these great ideas and I buy all the things required but I run out of energy when it comes time to actually do it. Between working full time night shift, being a single parent, and dealing with Multiple Sclerosis I just can’t keep up.
I think it’s ok to organize projects and pack them away for another season of my life. I bought some huge ziplock bags and a couple of boxes, separated the projects neatly into the bags, put them into the boxes, labelled them & tucked them out of the way. I know where to find them when life lightens up - perhaps years later. If not, or if I lose interest they’ll be easy to donate. Meanwhile they aren’t clutter & my mind is free of them. 💗
For those of us with a chronic illness, fantasy clutter may be our way of opting, trying to be “other” than not healthy. It is our hope, our dream, our “healthy” self. I realized that having it hanging around in my face makes me feel the guilt that “I can’t do it ” but having my painting supplies neatly sorted and stored in a plastic bin on wheels under my bed gives me a great sense of calm as well as hope for when “I feel better, have the time and can be my true, creative self”.
Oh boy, the identity clutter…that really hit home. I wasn’t aware of this psychological phenomena. I was an old mom at 40 and went through so much to be able to adopt my child and wow, just wow..I have held on to so much of her childhood and I have to declutter and downsize. My now nearly 30 year old doesn’t know why I have her childhood stuff because she’s not interested in seeing or having it. She lives in the now and I’m holding onto those past precious, precious moments of motherhood. Gees, that makes me want to cry. Ok..I can do this. Awareness is really powerful, thank you so much for telling us about these emotions tucked away in our subconscious.
I struggle with that, but to be fair my craft room is an absolute mess that I can't walk into so I have no ROOM to make it. I'm in the process of a very HEAVY handed declutter in there this week (it also doubles as a homeschool dumping ground of projects we may or may never do and my kids craft supplies). Heck, I haven't used my laptop in months because I can't access the desk. First corner I just finished clearing and I already have a full trash bag and a full donation bag. I'm keeping a few fantasy projects properly stored in a single cabinet and am giving myself 1 year to touch them or they're going too. Honestly I'm being very brutal in this decluttering, if it has no plan for it, it goes. Added bonus, is I have a huge selection of scrapbooking stuff that I just haven't touched in years, but my mom scrapbooks and she's visiting next month, I told her she may be going home with an extra suitcase as she's free to "shop" in my room 😂
Hey Cas! Sourdough starter is the kind of “pet” you only have to feed when you want to build it up for bread baking. It can be kept in the fridge when you want it to be “dormant…” then you can revive it by feeding it!😊
My mom and I have revived sourdough starter that has been in the fridge for a year without a feeding. It just took a couple of days of monitoring on the counter for it to bubble back to life. Keep it cold, in the dark, and in a sealed container when storing and you should be just fine.
Something that's helped me let go of Identity clutter (and positive forms of "Guilt" clutter such as a thoughtful but not-quite-right gift) is taking a photo so I still have the positive reminder without having to keep the object. Also keeping one item that stands for a bunch of other ones (e.g. a single inherited cup, one drawing), or even a swatch of cloth or one page from a book (books are a renewable resource). Honoring the identity by framing/displaying key objects also helps.
Dear Cass I had an unexpected visitor today. He called less than 5 minutes before he arrived, and those 5 minutes were enough were enough for me to put away my "lazy clutter"!!! Thanks to you who taught me some method. I watch you adventures for a few years now. I'm so proud of my very acceptable home now. Thank you for all that and for your funny stories. 😁
The guilty clutter for sure. My apartment was looking so nice for awhile. But after my parents both passed the last couple years, it is hard to part with some of their belongings. Especially ones that I grew up with. I also think there is a depression clutter. That is one of the hardest things to get through.
The thing that helps me is deciding what would be special enough to pass down to my kids and have enough of a memory/story behind it so they could one day pass that down to their children. What’s the point of keeping something if you are the only thing with that connection to the item? You will have to decide what is special enough to pass down and still be special enough that your kid would feel that was special too. You can let go of things and keep the memories. If you are scared of forgetting take a photo and print it out with the story written on the back. Good luck.
@@ashleypate1349 great thought. I feel I should write a note about the few items I decide to keep so whoever handles it will know why it was special enough to keep.
I read a book that one grandfather made about his 100 year old journey to his family, it had pictures of his family as well. It was so nice to read, this is the type of item or book that can be passed down to the next generation. It was self published, it was pretty nice! My mom had to move out of her home to go into hospice care, yep, it is hard to decide what to save. I started with quite a lot of stuff at the beginning because I was in a hurry and couldn't decide on the spot and feared I would regret it. As time passed I realized what I really valued and donated the rest. Many of the items were easy to decide, they stank of mould, I took pictures and threw them away.
I just wanted to say, its okay to let go of this stuff slowly. Sometimes when we lose important people we want to hang onto their memories so tightly. Its okay to wait until you are ready and move slowly through letting things go.
For me it was books. I had ALL the books. Novels, old textbooks, books I bought (some I read, some I didn't) for teaching the material. SO MANY books. I have realized they were both guilty clutter AND identity clutter. In the last few months I have cleared out literally hundreds of books. I've kept some, but most have been donated. I can actually hang art on some of my walls now, because they aren't all covered up with bookshelves. It felt--and still feels--FANTASTIC!
For anyone who struggles with guilty/sentimental clutter, if those things are in regard to lost loved ones ask yourself--would they want me to be miserable with all this stuff or keep a couple of meaningful things and be happier? (I could hear my parents telling me, "that meant something to me not you silly, get rid of it!" 😁💕) (I will say if it's a recent loss, there's nothing wrong with giving it some time, I know it's too painful initially.) This was a helpful tip for me, just wanted to share. 💕💕
I totally agree with you, Angie. I was able to get rid of some things I was keeping because my mother liked them, but they were not anything I was interested in at all. The one place I'm really struggling is with a smallish box that contains her writing supplies, her desk stuff, and her journals. I really don't need or want any of these things, because there is nothing special, fancy, or expensive about any of the desk items or writing implements, and her handwritten journals are impossible to read - both because she had horrible handwriting 😂 and because she wrote partially in actual shorthand which she learned in the thirties when she was a secretary. 🙂 My mom died in 2007, and I have tried to confront that box at least a dozen times over the intervening years, but I always just close it up and put it back away. In a weird way, getting rid of the things in that box are like getting rid of her. When I say that to myself, it sounds so stupid, but it is what it is. (Clearly, the way Cass framed it, it's identity clutter. Oddly, though, it's somebody else's identity! 😬🤪😁) I told my husband yesterday that in this round of decluttering, I am starting to feel like I'm going to just take that entire box - without opening it again - and just throw it out. I have a lifetime of precious, wonderful memories of my kind, funny, Godly, resourceful, generous mother. I don't need anything contained in that box to still have all of those priceless, treasured memories of her. 😢😍❤️❤️❤️🙌
@@homeandgardendiy6363 Awww, I completely understand sweetie! I know 2007 seems like a long time ago but with matters of the heart there's no timetable. I know you will do what you need to when you're ready and don't beat yourself up, I totally get that! Yes those sweet memories don't need tangible things they live in our hearts & mind's eye, but I completely understand when you say it feels like getting rid of her, I can relate. Maybe keep a small portion? Babysteps until you're ready for it all to be gone? You'll get there. Love, hugs & God Bless you 💕💕
@@Famous423 I'm so glad you decided to put a comment here! I had forgotten to respond to Angie's nice comment. Thank you so much for reminding me! God bless you. ❤️
@@angieburnett4341 I'm so thankful for Famous423's comment just now because she reminded me to respond to your very nice comment. 😍 In my defense, I forgot because I'm busy decluttering! 😁🤷♀️😁 Yes, I will just keep taking it step-by-step and see how it goes. You said you understand, so I know there's a level of grief there for you still, too. I'm glad you can hear your parents' voices in your head still guiding and leading even though you don't physically have them here anymore. May the Lord bless and comfort you as well. 🕊️❤️
I resonate with ALL of the different clutters. My mom had clutter challenges too. I'm now living in the house she lived in. She passed away a little over a year ago. I'm finally launching the big de-clutter and organizing programme. So happy I found you!
Good Luck!!! I’m in the same boat almost. My grandmother passed away and I have all of her stuff packed in my great room but need to declutter my house and then incorporate her art and furniture into my house. It’s been 3 months and it’s still all packed in the great room. 🥺 I love this channel for inspiration.
Oh my GOODNESS! You speak my language! Identity or fantasy clutter are my biggest areas of accumulated stuff! We have many bins full of books that don't fit anywhere in our new house, but I cannot for the life of me throw out almost any!!!! I don't read them, but I would like to be known for "having resources and being knowledgeable" because I skim through them and like to share what I learned! Same thing with CLOTHES!!! Especially kids clothes... bins upon bins of stuff in the garage. So embarrassing! I pride myself on buying bargain deals from well-known brands. I love scoring a good deal from Old Navy or from children's brands. Because everything was soooo expensive and I purchased it at such a great deal, I can't donate them. Every piece of clothing has to be allocated to my friends' kids and it's SOOO hard to sort through piles to pick things for someone else's kid! We can't even organize our own clothes around here! Anyway, I'm now officially a storing Wearhouse for other people's kid's clothes! That's SAD! Fantasy clutter includes multiple pieces of makeup as I love to imagine trying new looks, and beauty product that I never use, but pride myself on knowing about and giving recommendations to others... and probably kid's pictures ON MY PHONE! Even though they are backed up online, I cannot bear erasing them on my phone. It feels like I'm failing them somehow... so, my phone is always overused and doesn't have any space for new photos or videos.
Find or make a home for it close to where you naturally put it down so it's just as easy to put away :) Baskets, cabinets, drawers, trinket trays, etc. Clutter doesn't look like clutter when effectively corralled!
Yep, Cas did a video about "valuable real estate" a while back now... Basically prioritising storage space for what you use in that exact space, and either decluttering or re-homing elsewhere in your home the stuff you don't actually use there... For example, I remember her moving the placemats from her kitchen island drawers to make a homework station there instead.
Agree with being self aware for sure. Between lots of therapy visits and even more books and TH-cam videos I figured out a lot about myself. Figuring out what bug I am helped sooooo much in the beginning lol I'd also say that life situation plays a huge roll too. I took care of my disabled Dad for 20 years while having my own chronic health issues. I'm also a hoarder. My biggest clutter issue is fantasy self clutter, which I had heard about a few years ago, my journey started im 2017 to seriously get my house a functional home. Now, since I was pretty much only a caregiver 24/7 for the last 6 years, all of my stuff is fantasy self. Moved to a new house in 2014 and never actually moved in. Never painted anything, never decorated. I rarely if ever went out other than to run errands, saw friends once every few months. No time to be artistic, for hobbies, just surviving everyday till my Dad passed January last year. Mom was in rehab from RSV that almost killed her when he passed. The er doctor almost sent me on a grippy sock vacation when all of this was going on because I was not physically or mentally able to take care of Dad by myself. It took all my Mom and I had. My friends have started to come over and help declutter and clean up this month!! But since I'm way more self aware now, yet still have hoarder tendencies, I'm struggling with my fantasy clutter. I have all of this stuff I really like and haven't had a chance to, idk how to put it, experience yet. Everything is just piled. So my friends are getting the trash out, I don't have as much trouble letting go now. They separated everything into like piles. I'm sorting and purging out those piles and taking the stuff to the room it's going to live in. I'm going to do everyroom like this, then I'm going to pretend I'm moving in. Deep clean each room, make repairs, paint then unpack and organize. I've curbed my spending to stuff that I have an immediate need or use for. I'd say I've had trouble with lazy clutter in the past, the bug system helped me figure that out years ago, butterfly always lol. But due to my situation and chronic illness, I wasn't being lazy it was more self preservation. Also a big one to remember is you are worth it. I am neuro spicy, possibly autistic, ADHD, have chronic depression and anxiety. I was very isolated due to the clutter and my Dad for years upon years. Neglected myself like a typical caregiver. I truly believed that I was not worthy of being comfortable, took care and living in a "nice" space. Idk, just thought I'd share my clutter journey and maybe help someone.
Give yourself some grace. You gave a lot. Now is the time for a new chapter in your life. Your friends sound terrific - they stuck around and they are helping you. Sounds like you have a good system. Build your decluttering muscles dealing with the easy stuff. I like the idea of painting etc as you go. Hugs from Australia.
That sounds so difficult! But I'm so glad you are feeling like you see a path forward and that you have a support system. All the best! Enjoy your "new" house!
Oh, my! I listen to you and many others to get my house in order. This is one of the best, if not best explanations of clutter. I suffer from all these, but the one I especially find difficult is the identity clutter. I have lots of hobbies, and I’m a retired teacher. I’m slowly getting my house decluttered, and feeling more peaceful everyday. (It’s really just a few rooms! Most people would think I’ve got it together!) Thank you also for sharing all your struggles!
I didn't know identity clutter was a thing but it makes sense. I have such a hard time getting rid of anything I think I can use in a craft. I'll even pile things that I plan to give to Goodwill and I second-guess that as well.
This is WONDERFUL, Cas. I've tried, without success, to explain this to my spouse and a close friend. This and "decision fatigue". They just stare at me and offer zero comfort. I feel so very alone.
That must be so difficult :( but perhaps these categories will you give you a more specific way to explain it -- or we on YT can be your people + understand you + hopefully offer some comfort too
Wow! Did this video ever hit home! I LOVE the distinction between guilty clutter, identity clutter, and fantasy clutter. SO helpful! Love it! I've been hanging onto memorabilia and my racing bicycle ( !) from when I did triathlons 30 years ago! I was so proud of being of triathlete I feel like getting rid of that stuff loses part of my identity. Now I hope I have the courage to get rid of most of it and keep just a few reminders. Thanks!
One tip I learned & need to do myself 😆 is to just take a photo of something like kids drawings then throw out the the item & you'll still have a reminder of it if needed 👍
Homeless clutter is my biggest struggle! Thank you for identifying this for me. Now that I understand what it is, it will be so much easier to deal with it. Thank you for your encouraging, insightful and humorous videos.
You described fantasy clutter very well. Even when I decide to let some things go, I struggle to do it perfect. To not feel any guilt of polluting the Earth, or wasting stuff that someone might just use very happily.
My husband did sour dough for a long time. He was so obsessed with it that the kids and I started referring the starter as Bubbles. He got so excited to see it grow, so I laughed when you said it was your new pet. It was definitely his pet for a year or two. I struggle with fantasy clutter and homeless clutter. I also have two hoarders for children and a husband that just drops things wherever he is.
I suffer from lazy clutter and guilt clutter. Thank you so much for all the advice and encouragement that you provide. i just found your channel last week and am already benefiting from your advice.
Oh yes 🙌🏻 thank you for “the why” we have clutter, identifying the kind of clutter and the messages it carries identifies the emotional weight it can carry. I knew I had emotional clutter, and now I can practice separating myself/ my identity from the “stuff” 💕
I didn't even know about Identity clutter! That's going to be a game changer... I'll be re-evaluating why I keep things or why I can't give something away. I love having only things that are championing and supporting the person I am today!
A couple of years ago when I was a teenager, I finally admitted to myself that I didn't need my Barbie dolls, doll house, and Barbie accessories anymore. I had been trying to scale down and separate the sentimental from the silly, but I just couldn't be objective about it. I eventually realized that when I was looking at it I wanted to keep everything and when I wasn't, it didn't really mean that much to me. The solution was to tell my Mom (who knew it needed to go) that she could get rid of all of it as long as I didn't have to look. 👀 I didn't know until now that it was identity clutter. Thank you, Cass, for educating us.
Identity clutter all the way! I don’t reread books but the thought of parting with them is like cutting off a limb. Over the years I’ve definitely let go of many and cried every time, but in the long run it’s worthwhile. I don’t have to get rid of all of them but I know in my heart that I need to let some more go.
Thank you for this video! As someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and ADHD, a lot of times when it comes to bills or things that I really don’t want to deal with. I avoid it, and just leave it around so I don’t even have to open it. Timers really help with creating urgency especially if it is something with no real deadline.
I have the same issue! I literally have boxes full of mail I’ll probably never get to because I have mixed feelings of laziness and an abundance of guilt.
@@larawrightt You are not alone! If you have someone you trust, have them go with it with you for just a few minutes. And make sure you let them know that there can’t be any judgement (hello shame spiral!). I have also broken stacks of paper up into multiple smaller piles. Have compassion for yourself, it isn’t easy to live life with so much stress and overwhelm, think of taking care of these tasks, as taking care of yourself. Sending you lots of love and compassion. ❤️
This makes me so grateful that my dad and both my grandmothers encouraged us to only keep/take things we truly would like and enjoy. They recognized we have different tastes. My one grandmother was a self recognized hoarder and she said to me once to not let myself get to that point because it’s awful to live like that. She mostly collected books but never got to fully enjoy them so now I get books, go through them, only keep ones that have value for me to keep and go back to. Otherwise, out the door it goes. My clutter issues are sort of all over the place right now as I’m purging and getting rid of things I’ve bought myself upgrades for and trying new organization systems in some really awkward spaces I’m stuck with due to being a renter.
I can see myself struggling with each one of them. The identity clutter was the big one for me last year. During the TYHB course it was that realization of once I did it all the crafts the sewing the knitting crocheting embroidery. I was that Mom during the all-day the Clutter I got rid of so many things and donated them. The beauty of it I had to trust that if I want to do it again I can. I kept a little bit in case I want to dabble but it wasn't like I had to have my shelves exploding. The other thing was guilty clutter. I'm the oldest grandchild and so when my grandmother sold her house I felt I had to take it. She was having a hard time and she was worried who was going to have her stuff and at one time I had so much I had lost identity of my house of me because it was so much of her. Little by little I let it go but during the all-day declutter I realized I could let go and have hints of my grandma. I didn't have to hold on to everything. My grandma's been gone for 15 years and I was surprised how many things I held onto because I was fighting I would fail her if I let it go. But I will tell you I'm not failing her and I have things of her. She would be thrilled that I am happy. She's in my heart and memories. I downsize so many of Christmas ornaments that were hers. Thank you Cass for your wisdom your videos and you let us take back our lives and our homes! I wish I would have known this years ago. But I want to tell you my youngest she's in her twenties she is learning earlier and she's not holding on. My three oldest are thrilled that I let go of things and created my home to be me more
Getting rid of my 3 sets of grandma chins changed my life. It was the dam that broke free and started my decluttering journey. I am so thankful for the day I boxed those dishes up and donated them!
OMG “Fantasy “ clutter is so me. I never thought of it this way. And it does make me feel awful. This video was so helpful. I need to save this and listen to it often. ❤
Oh, identity clutter! I have a small filing cabinet full of papers and research from when I was in college that I can't bring myself to throw away. It is so hard to even think about going through it all because I loved college and who I was then. It is a huge part of my identity even though I graduated 25 years ago!! 😳
I found it really hard to throw out / recycle my college and university notes (hand written---from back when notes were taken that way). Those notes represented years of 'work' and years of enlightenment and knowledge gain. But realistically, when would I ever go back and re-read them or consult them? With great clenching of teeth I got rid of the whole, high stack.
I guess I'll throw this out there for what it's worth. My husband wrote his thesis over 40 years ago. He had three copies of it that have been in a file cabinet the entire time we've been married, almost twenty years now. Last year, he mentioned it in a class he was teaching, and one of the students came up and asked if he could have a copy to read. 😂 You just never know when that stuff might be helpful to someone! 🤷♀️😁
I also had both of those guilts. What helped me to get started was to stand in the “space”, close my eyes, take a deep breath until I was calm. Open my eyes and start to see the space as it is. A room full stuff I haven’t touched in years, tossed here, there and everywhere!!
@@ember1794 I think so too. Getting passed all the Country wood furniture of the '80's is one thing but when your Father built it all for you is just another level of letting it go. *Deep breaths
@@emptynestgardens9057-Try this. Your father built that for you to help you. An act of love. If the furniture is no longer helping you, he wouldn’t care if you moved it on. He loves you wants to help you (or past tense, if he has passed).
Seasonal clutter gets me. I currently have an island of totes and various items in the middle of our living space waiting to be put away. Yes, I have been cleaning around it for a month. I am waiting to purchase a shelving unit to hold the totes. Just buy the shelf Melanie!!! My husband is so patient.
Homeless clutter, especially papers. I have always hated filing. I have also realized I need a schedule because I never make time to work on these papers!
ALL of it. We are still decluttering-down to the hard stuff now so it’s a slow go. I’m much better taking things where they go in the house. It’s definitely a process!!
You so nailed it with the comments about identity clutter and books. I am clearing out over 40 years of accumulated clutter as part of moving into a beautiful new home, and in many ways the new home is a chance for a do-over, a chance to practice all of the things I’ve learned from you over the past year. But I currently have literally thousands of books, and decluttering them has been like ripping limbs from my body. I know that the peace I will experience in my new, clutter-free home will be worth it, and I’m confident that the new insights I’ve gained from your videos will help me to never be buried under decades of clutter again, but MAN is it painful in the process! Thanks for giving me the tools I need to get through this. BTW, I literally laughed out loud over your sourdough pet story. 😆
Robin Y: I too had HUNDREDS of books and was forced to downsize them when we downsized! I decided to keep reference books,sentimental and of course those that I hadn’t read yet. Getting rid of all of the ones we had read but would not read again or refer to again got it down by more than half. Funny thing,in the six years that we have been in our new home,we have rarely referred to any of our reference books so I can foresee another pass at decluttering. ( I am also in the good habit now of immediately passing along the ones I read and wouldn’t read again!🙌🏻)
Yep, you nailed it! All of those relate to me. But two things I have learned from you (and Dawn and Dana) is to just put stuff away where I'd look for it, and let go of the "good intentions " clutter. It's Definitely a process. Thanks, Cass!!
Touching on this Fantasy Clutter is something I surely can identify with. I have all these piles neatly in laundry size baskets or boxes of projects I've started and intend to finish SOMEDAY, all throughout my house. You hit the nail on the head when you said that when we look at all these unfinished projects, it makes me (us) think that we're not good enough or there’s surely something wrong with me. Why can't I even start with just one of these baskets? It's overwhelming to look at the piles and even taking that one basket off leaves a whole bunch under it and I freeze.
Thanks! Perfect timing for this reminder. I'm a mom of a 15 and almost 18 yo and have been pondering my identity a lot these last few years and have been struggling to let go of the last of my clutter - mostly guilty, identity, and fantasy. Good luck with the sourdough!
@@thecreativegramgram8592 I’m married to a very non-creative man and have three kids, two with high needs. I’m naturally quite creative but feel stifled. I just feel like a maid most of the time. I daydream about living on my own and how peaceful & relaxing it would be.
Also my husband is gluten intolerant (not celiac) and he can tolerate homemade sourdough bc of the fermentation! We use organic flour and it's so much healthier and tastes better than store bought bread!!
I watch several channels like this one, and your channel is the best! The information you have is different because it is not just how to but why we have it in the first place. It has been most helpful to me than anything I have seen before. Thank you!
Cas, Thank you. I won't go into a chapter of my life at present other than my husband is 78 and I'm also in my 70s. Your encouraging words are helpful motivators to keep being tidy and put things away. Life changes at different stages of life. Keeping good habits of home management is very important for all people of all ages. You never see an illness, limitations, or old age coming when you can no longer clean the house in 2 hours or declutter your home quickly.. My challenge is staying motivated and as you said having places to put things away as easily as to leave out. Thank you!
I’m mostly deluged with homeless clutter! I’d be interested to know how to keep on top of things if you’re physically unable to do a lot (in my case, a chronic illness).
I'm an equal opportunity clutter girl, but I agree with you- I'd love some ideas on how to make things easier if you have a chronic, or debilitating illness.
I’m helping an elderly friend with this. She gets a ton of mail everyday so I got her a rolling shelf to put next to her recliner. The top shelf has a basket marked “Important” for bills,taxes,etc. and another basket with stamps,envelopes,pens and scissors.The second shelf has two baskets that say “File” and the other says “Time Will Tell” for catalogs,things to read etc. ( so all of her papers land in one of those three baskets,not all over the house) I told her that she needs to go through the “Important” basket every week and take care of things, (but if she needs something,at least she only has to look in that one place) and deal with the other two baskets when they get full. The bottom shelf has two cans that say “Trash” and “Shred”. And yes,it has been working.🙌🏻
I’ve decluttered so much, but I still have too many craft supplies. At least they all have a home. I’m most proud of creating a mail processing station right in our landing zone! It’s amazing how much goes right into the recycling bin. I keep my Sunday box right on top. Underneath I have 3 bins, one for recycling, one for shredding, and one for trash. I’m so amazed. Paper used to take over the whole house, and I constantly lost things, important things, like the property tax bill!
The hardest ones for me is Homeless clutter and lazy clutter. I have piles of paperwork which is mail and shredding. The lazy clutter is definitely the laundry. Thank you so much for doing this video. I will definitely have to start setting alarms for me.
Wow Cas, this video took me to church! I needed to hear this. I realized I’m a fantasy clutter and identity clutter person. Now I can look at my stuff differently. Thank you ❤
I am a natural clutter collector I can see my fitting into all of the options. Currently I am doing the guilt clutter. I am cleaning out after my father/stepmother/sister deaths. It is wonderful that you give me permission to throw away or donate stuff. Some of the things I like and there is just too much of it. Looking ahead I will really have a though time when my mother passes. She has so many heirlooms from the family. I feel like I will need to open a museum. Love your videos and all the great advice.
Identity clutter is definitely my problem. Basically all of the examples you gave are me-- former stay-at-home mom, book lover, crafter, and collector. Of everything, I find toys to be the hardest to get rid of. My husband and I even made our daughters' (rather huge) dollhouses ourselves. What complicates matters further with toys is that my daughters and I have a lot of imagination, and the toys (the stuffed animals especially) all had distinctive personalities. We sewed clothes for them and made all kinds of things for them. They were quite real, in the Velveteen Rabbit sense. How much easier it would be if they all turned into live animals and ran into the woods, like the rabbit does in the book!
I saw the sweet thing once & if you are creative it might help with letting go of toys. A dad did a watercolor collection of his kids toys and it was just stunning. You could feel the emotion and it might be a good way to say goodbye. Maybe you could add some speech bubbles of what they used to say. It seems like a lovely kind of book to leaf through when you are older & want to remember. ❤️
I love your personality. I feel like you're my spirit animal. Thank you for all your tips. I no longer feel like something is wrong with me because of my clutter and you're helping me to clear it up.
I am so glad I found your tutorials! When you say people aren’t lazy they just haven’t found the right organizing style I finally found what I’d been looking for! I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult as well. I got on medication and it helps somewhat, but I still have trouble focusing and not letting my thoughts control my time. I’m a visual person but I’m not sure which bug I am. I go through periods where I organize and then 6 to 8 months later I re-organize a completely different way. You and your tutorials have helped me so much! Keep it up!
I think I probably have a combination of these. I found this channel recently and I love your approach to understanding clutter and tackling it. I was diagnosed with inactive ADD and organization has been a life struggle. My mother and siblings are very organized… when I try to explain myself I feel they look at me like I’m just full of excuses and lazy. I so want to conquer this part of myself to then hopefully help others. 🤞
I've been there. I have inattentive type ADHD, and trying to explain your habits and behaviors to someone who doesn't have it is almost like talking to a brick wall. Eventually I had to accept that there are some things about me and my ADHD that they'll never understand, and what really matters is if they at least try and accept me as I am without judgment. I hope you can do the same with your family. And by "conquering," I hope you mean conquering those negative feelings, not your ADD. No matter what they think, you are not lazy, and it's not your fault if they think your explanations are excuses. Tbh, you really don't owe anyone any explanations. Don't let anyone convince you there's something "wrong" with you just because you function differently from them. I hope I'm making sense here. I think it's great that you want to help others as well! Sending hugs and encouragement your way! 🤗💖
Thank you Cas for helping me see that I was hanging onto some "crafting" things. I have had some fabric, and some kits that no longer gave me joy. I am so glad to no longer have these lurking around and reminding of how much they cost and all the other things that go with along with that. I feel so relieved. :) Yay!!
I love digging into the psychology of why we have clutter! So interesting and enlightening! One issue in our family that drives me crazy is putting dirty dishes in the sink instead of the dishwasher which is right next to it. I guess that extra step of opening the dishwasher door is just too much for some. 🙄
Opening the door, pulling the rack(s) out, figuring out where the dish needs to go, and sometimes even having to figure out first how to rearrange, then doing the actually rearranging of, (and sometimes multiple times) things that are already in there in order for said dish to fit - there are a lot more steps that can get in the way of putting something in the dishwasher, more than just opening the door. And that's coming from someone who's about 15/16 cricket (with 3/64 ladybug and 1/64 butterfly) - the steps of putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher actually overwhelms me more than the things being left in the sink (one of the main reasons I hate cooking with a passion - too many dirty dishes), because if there are so many (or certain ones) that I can't hand wash all of them in the space of 1 minute (after most of my meals, I'm washing only one dish, and maybe one piece of silverware, because that's all I used for the meal - I live alone, so no mountain of dishes from other people), then I tend to let them sit until I have enough of the right kind of motivation to actually do them.
This is why our dishwasher stays open most of the time, even though it gets in the way 😂if it's closed it seemingly doesn't exist at all! (bonus, we clean it more often, since we can smell it more often... which makes it run a little better, since we're taking out some of the buildup from our still-hard-despite-running-through-a-softener water)
i am guilty of this not that im lazy but i just could not put unrinsed dishes or pots n pans in the dishwasher and it drying and caking in until it gets full and run. i always think that the dishwasher will not clean it very well. what's your process? i truly wanna know. i need to change my mindset.
@@SnowySpiritRuby I always have a dishpan with soapy water in it,since nothing gets hard and crusty,you’d be amazed at how many dishes you can quickly wash in just the three or four minutes that it takes to heat up something in the microwave or especially while actually cooking a meal. I do this before every meal so that after we’re done,there’s only two plates,forks,glasses and the cooking pots.( which soak in water while we eat)🙌🏻
Oh my gosh, homeless clutter for sure is the worst. I still struggle with making actual decisions of where to put things and am feeling very stuck. Guilty clutter is my next worse, then lazy clutter. Homeless and guilty clutter lead to Lazy clutter!! Thanks for another great video Cas!
I struggle most with Guilty Clutter and Identity Clutter. You are such an inspiration to really dig deep! Guilty Clutter for me is just a reminder that I wasted money on something that I haven't used and will never use and Identity Clutter, for me, is sentimental items from my grandparents (I identify as their first born granddaughter 😞
It's so hard!! I have needlepoints etc from my Grandma. They just don't fit what I envision my decor to be so I'm stuck in the '80's because I don't know how to part with them.
@@emptynestgardens9057 I agree! I have an oval mirror and expresso cups that I don't use, but I don't want to part with because they belonged to my grandma who is no longer here.
I just realised in the last few days, how much all my sewing stuff is tied with my identity. I don’t sew much any more but have had so much trouble decluttering it. I gradually worked through the books and donated about 100 boxes to Rotary. Thank you Cas. I soak up your videos. Mary (Australia) ❤❤
Thank you Cas!! So much truth in all the types of clutter! My identity clutter is holding on to items that remind me that I kicked butt at college and worked my way up pretty high in my career prior to leaving to do what I ultimately love and always wanted to do which is be a stay at home mom. Being home with my kids is what I always dreamed to be but I hold onto things that remind me of my successful career days too, just to make sure I don't loose sight of that now that I'm not using those skills/talents in this season. I think the worst is all the college papers I want to scan into my computer before tossing them out.
Hi Rachel - for what it is worth, I’m almost 30 years out of the doctoral degree program I completed for my career. I no longer practice in the profession. I not only don’t have the papers I published, my theses and dissertation, I have un framed the diplomas and put them in tubes. Donated the frames. Are you going to re-read those college papers? I would strongly encourage you to embrace the life you live today, focus on the children you are rearing, as there is nothing more important.
every time i watch one of your videos, I have this overwhelming urge to pull EVERYTHING out of my cabinets and cubbies and purge! lol Two things that I've learned from you, other than purging unnecessary items, are ONLY HANDLE IT ONCE and IF IT IS ONLY GOING TO TAKE YOU A MINUTE TO DO IT, JUST DO IT NOW. Sounds logical but so many times I toss mail or paperwork to the side to do later and then later takes FOREVER. 😂
Thank you SO MUCH for this. I have so much guilty clutter. When my mom passed away, my brother convinced me to take home so many things that I didn't want and had no real meaning to me, but they are "family heirlooms". He's since passed away and I have no children, and he was really the last family member I've spoken to in years. All those photos of people I never met and don't know the stories of, that first dollar from my great-great grandma's flower shop in its broken frame, that newspaper from 9/11, GOTTA GO! Additionally, fantasy clutter is a thing here too - "oh, I'm sure I'll use this for crafting later when I start this other big new craft I've taken no steps towards!" is a big one. I think you finally tipped the scales on me finding a new home for the two massive bins of fabric scraps.
WoW Cas. This video was like calling to me. I am in the process of decluttering to just the essentials. But mentally breaking down cause my mum is a hoarder who got notice to leave her rent flat and the days have come to move out but she has soooooooo much stuff. Understanding all these clutter types makes me realise how much she is struggling. Please make your next videos on how we can resolves these clutter types.
As of now I’m struggling with guilty clutter in the form of children’s toys and baby clothes. These items do have a home and are organized. Decluttering baby clothes in on my to do list. I will say I’m very proud of myself in other areas of my decluttering and organizing journey. I actually have empty bins now. 😂
Decluttering baby clothes was hard, but I just took the clothes out and asked my kids to help me sort them,it went quicker than I thought it would have. My son said he didn't want any of it, and my daughter pulled some items, the rest got donated. With a new grandchild I have found that the kids wanted new items instead and not hand me downs. Fine by me. I let it go. No regrets
Unless it's an heirloom that should be professionally preserved, my experience is clothing/blankets don't store well. Stains reappear or they discolor.
I love my sourdough starter, you can put it in the fridge and as long as it doesn't grow anything pink your fine. Mine separates and the water looks dark which is fine. The important thing is finding recipes you will make with it. Whispering willow farm has a lot of good recipes, she even has a cracker she makes with her starter!!!
WoW, watching for inspiration this morning and because I love organizing- sure didn’t expect to be literally crying tears but you helped me so much when you described identity clutter!! Still crying as I type this because that is exactly my issue- I want to hold on to all these things even tho I’m passed those times in my life. I was a day care teacher til I had my own kids, then went back into the classroom for about 4 years but even tho I’ve been home now for five years and homeschooled my kids through middle school I can’t seem to bring myself to go through let alone get rid of my teaching materials and kids toys. I say I’m saving it for my grandkids and if I teach again some day but you’re so right- I’m really saving it because it is a part of me that I don’t want to let go of😭
I got the biggest smile on my face when you said Sourdough!! I found my love for it after watching Lisa! I've always made it like she does but just tried a bread machine (that has a sourdough option) and it came out perfect! I just halved her recipe and added a little oil on the pan. I only bake bread about twice a month so I keep the starter in a jar in the fridge and feed it a bit the night before making bread, leaving in a warm place. I've totally forgotten about it for months in the fridge, unfed. It was fine. Just dump the liquid and feed it equal amounts of water/flour.
Thanks so much for this. My house is totally decluttered except for identity clutter. Example: work newsletters, my husband’s fishing equipment that he enjoyed at one time, hundreds of cards that make me feel worthy.
Faye Lehn: I too have “hundreds of cards that make me feel worthy” 🤭especially thank you cards.( boy am I nice!😅😂🤣) I bought one of those pretty cardboard trunks at Michael’s and periodically go through them to feel better and have a little visit with old friends.🥰
Hi Cass, Mine is paper clutter and memory clutter. I loss my Mom and Sister and getting rid of the personal stuff is so hard. I’m working on it. I’m normally a very organized person but I struggle with these to things. Thanks for the talk! I don’t make sourdough bread but I do love it! Lol.
I understand this...I had batches of cards from loved ones. During quarantine I went through and read them all and kept only the most important to me. It was liberating
Identity Clutter. Was a homeschool Mom. My children are 46 and 32. What started me was the 5 minutes 5 things in September. But I realized I have kept everything! It’s getting boxed up, my children can come get them or they are going. Thank you!❤
Great video! Very helpful. Done so peaceful and encouraging. Could not take my eyes off the video. Rewatching again a few more times. I do the same thing with alarms for everything!!! I struggle with mail, receipts and trying to find my decorating style without overdoing. I always put things back in their place. But still figuring it out. Thank you Cass!
ALL the types of clutter are a challenge for me! LOL I appreciate the montage at 12:50 that reinforces what I tell myself about tidying being an exercise 2-for-1. ; - ) Being reminded of these categories also reminded me that I've had success before taking photos of Identity and "Guilt" items so I can release the actual objects while keeping the reminder of good feelings. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts. : - ) Thanks, Cas!
@jessica hoffman-graham I may be crazy 🤪. We also have a working farm. I feel like all I do is cook and clean. Thanks to quite a few videos here on TH-cam I am finding a way to keep it manageable. We can do this ♥️
@@AcreWood-ns5gt a working farm 😍 I've always dreamed of living on a farm BUT I don't want to be outside of town 🤣. Do you home school or are the kids in public school? Before Cass I had a four bedroom house that you could only use one bedroom completely because I had stuffed the rest of it full of all the fantasy and guilt clutter. The clutterbug page has saved my life ‼️
@jessica hoffman-graham I do not home school we have 4 generations here my parents live 1 mile away all my adult kids, and Grands. They are all building houses here on the land we work together to keep everything running. But they all work away from home also. We lived in the city till January 2020. I ❤️ the farm life but miss some things about city life.
Inside my home I struggle with identity clutter, and in my garage I struggle with fantasy ,guilty, also homeless clutter. I was able to identify what these clutter types are because of this super helpful video made by the one and only Cas-the-Clutterbug-Pro-Organizer. Gamechanger video!!!! This is why I love this channel!
I struggle with fantasy/identity clutter…I have an entire room set up as a craft room. I’ve decluttered my home three times -and think I’m a minimalist until I get to my creative space (I have narrowed my hobbies to three categories-scrapbooking, card making, & jewelry). I haven’t scrapbooked one page in over a year…I think I need therapy😊
I also follow the Minimal Mom and she suggests picking one hobby to focus on and let the other ones go. That allows you to make real progress and to hone your skills as you deep dive into one interest. I let go of my cross stitching and really focus on quilting. I also only keep quilting supplies for what I actually sew (scrap quilts and charity quilts) rather than appliqué, paper piecing or art quilts. It is hard to let go of supplies you spent money on but that money is gone and keeping the stuff won’t bring it back. You can try selling your craft supplies but it is usually for pennies and not worth it. Decluttering is like finding out who you really are.
@@lindabourcet1349 I follow Dawn too! It’s funny because card making and scrapbooking go hand in hand because you use the same supplies…but I think my adult children would rather have electronic albums or sourced albums that are the same size and neutral color from Shutterfly…they don’t need to embellishments and journaling
Cas, your videos are so helpful! Knowing what kinds of clutter I struggle with (homeless, mostly) will help me be more thoughtful in creating homes for everything. I never considered a temporary homeless area - love this!!
Yes to all the types of clutter! My mom used to do hook rugs. When she died, my sister decided I needed the hook rug of a church. (I’m a pastor’s wife.) I really didn’t want it! My sister came back with, “Well, she won’t be making anymore!” 🙄 As for identity clutter, getting rid of my kids’ stuff felt like I was getting rid of a part of my kids, not myself. Anyway, I feel like you know me! 😂
Cas, you literally just changed my life! I have struggled with all types of clutter but with a bunch of little kids and limited time to deal with it all I just didn't know where to start. As soon as I deal with something, a million more things take its place. Breaking it down like this makes it so much easier. I have already started working on getting rid of all "Fantasy" and "Guilty" clutter. Then will move to culling down "Identity" clutter to what I really need/will use rather than just keeping things because of "who I am." Then I will have the space to house all of the "Homeless" clutter and after that I will have the mental capacity to work on all of the "Lazy" clutter! Like I said, this realisation is life changing! Thank you!!! xxx
I FEEL that identity clutter in my blue frog collection. I started collecting when I was 11 and EVERYONE sees a "blue frog" ANYTHING as a perfect gift for me. I am 59 now. This past year I picked 4-5 blue frogs that I truly love and GAVE THE REST AWAY. Such freedom!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That’s a great idea!!
So impressive! Well done! (+ definitely freeing :D )
I did the same thing with my elephant collection. I kept less than 10. It wasn’t fun or visually pleasing anymore, they became a responsibility, chore & visual clutter. Congrats to us☺️
This is why I would not start a collection of anything.
Wow. That's incredible. Congratulations!!!
"We're people-pleasing our junk." Wow - that really struck a chord with me. Thanks - I needed to hear that. 🥺
SAME!! Such a good line. Now, let's see if we can do the hard work to let it go 😬 I feel like I need to journal this out, then take a hard run 🏃♀️, first. I don't know how else to detangle my people-pleasing ways from those items. Some of them are huge pieces of furniture that will feel so good when it is gone!
Same!
I struggle with all of the types of clutter. It occurred to me watching this video that old photographs of people who've passed away, even their photo albums full of people I never knew is guilty clutter. It feels almost disrespectful to get rid of photographs of memories that meant so much to them. I have to remind myself as I go through them that a functional space is important and I'm not hurting my mom by throwing away valentines she got as a child.
We had old chests full of pictures that had been handed down through multiple generations and none of us knew who these people were! We ended up donating the items to the local historical society.
@@emdewitt Great idea! Thanks!
I know exactly how you feel.. I struggle with sentimental clutter.. my mom passed away in May of 2021. She was my best friend and I struggle as I go through pictures and cards and everything else. It does feel disrespectful I am slowly chipping away at it but it's so hard..
Yep, I get this one in a big way. It's as though we're throwing away the identity of our Mom, or whomever, by tossing their photos, and in many instances our moms are/were so important to us that it kind of feels wrong. That's my take on it anyway.
@@elizabethhannah6836 My Mom is in a nursing home now, and I still can't get rid of the clothes she wore here at home. I just can't. It feels so disloyal, and I just feel like I'd be letting her down.
She was also the photographer in the family, so I've inherited the family photos.
Most of the albums are filled with our immediate family, but there are others filled with people I don't know...I guess the historical society is a good option 😟
Identity clutter gets me. I have held on to college biology notebooks for the last 25 years just because they look so nice and neat. No one else will ever care about this, but I feel so proud of myself for how much effort I put into my studies and how meticulous I was with my work.
I struggle with "Homeless" clutter. I now have a name for it and now know how to fix it. Thank you.
When I heard you talk about identity clutter previously a HUGE light bulb went off! My craft room was bursting at the seams with everything I thought I needed to keep. So much so that I couldn't use ANYTHING in the room since there was no space anywhere to try and do any crafts at all. I got rid of so much stuff and now I can actually craft! It's funny that my craft identity clutter kept me from crafting, but letting it go lets me actually be a crafter again. Thank you!!!
I can totally relate!! Working on decluttering my craft room once again.
So true! I am a quilter and make a lot of scrap quilts but too many scraps of fabric keep me from making quilts. Also so many of my quilter friends give me fabric because they want to declutter. I have learned to say ‘thank you’ as I know they need to declutter and then I in turn give away what I know I don’t need. It is hard when you see usefulness in every scrap but I also have to keep my space tidy and organized so I can continue to make (and give away) quilts. Learn your limit, play within it.
@@lindabourcet1349 OMG!! Please don't get me started on fabric. I have a fabric addiction. It doesn't help that I have the most amazing discount fabric store in my area that I cannot resist. I can spend hours in the fabric store dreaming up all kinds of tablescapes I will design with different fabrics. I love making tablecloths, napkins and anything to do with tablescape/entertaining. I will be decluttering my fabric stash and my dishes that I have collected over the past 20 years.
I can so relate. I enjoy crafts and have a semblance of a craft room but can’t use it because it is soooo full.
Same. I have spent a few years having decluttering sales (with people coming to my home and selling via FB), donating and moving to trash. Peeling back many layers of craft stash. I am ready again for more to go (my smaller cube system is full and I recognise that I do very little crafting now). When we downsize to a smaller home, I want it all to fit in a compact storage unit and only have 1 table (instead of 4!)
Inheriting other people's clutter is hard. I lost my mom earlier this year, and am still going thru her things. I had to realize I have to let a lot of things go, and then it actually makes the things I keep more meaningful.
I had to do a house clean out of my Aunt’s last year as her Executrix. She had nice things. Well cared for things. And 95% of it was junk. The furniture has been covered for decades. It has helped me be better about getting rid of stuff. You are right that the things you do keep are more meaningful. I was fortunate that I wasn’t that emotionally close to my aunt, but it was still hard facing that so much stuff really had little value outside of what it was to her. My sympathy for the loss of you mom.
Julie, I’m going through the same thing. I lost my mom and sister a couple of years ago. 6 months apart and I’m still going through all of their stuff. I’ve got rid of a lot but the personal stuff is the hardest. Prayers to you.🙏🏻 we will get through it all sooner or later. God Bless. Sorry for your loss.
I’m sorry for your loss. ❤️
I've been dealing with my inherited things for 10 plus years. A lot is gone but the rest is the most difficult items. It has been a long process for me.
I lost my mom in 2021 and did the same thing.
I think Identity Clutter is some of the hardest things to part with. It’s like giving up on a piece of your life, hopes and dreams.
It has taken me a while to get past that.
Me too.
same here
Me too. Something that's really helped me is taking a photo of the item(s) so I still have a reminder of the good feelings without having to keep the actual object. Also keeping one item that stands in for a bunch of other ones, or even just a fabric swatch or a single page from a book (books are a renewable resource). Honoring the identity by framing/displaying one or a few representative objects also feels really good. ❤
Do certain bug types tend to struggle with a specific type of clutter?
@@lindafayuant8208 Excellent question. I hope Cas answers.
"Fantasy clutter" - now there are two words I never expected to see paired together and making perfect sense
The piece about identity clutter really hits close to home, especially with the still images of the pokemon cards and action figures. My identity as someone who plays Pokemon is genuinely very important to me, because I believe Pokemon led me to my perfect career and my perfect partner and a lot of joy that I wouldn't have had without it. But that doesn't mean I have to keep every long broken burger king toy or plush. And I shouldn't keep my older games collecting dust in a box. If they're that important to me, they should be treated as the special keepsakes they are and not like clutter. I know I'm not your usual demographic, but your channel does a lot to inspire me to make my home comfort and to be myself ❤
Same.. I have way too many Pokemon (Bulk) cards
Nobody will buy them and I can't bring myself to throw them into the trash because after all, I spent a lot of money on them
Identity clutter was the hardest for me to give up. I have had many hobbies, been a single working mom, homestead gardener, made all mine and my kids clothes. As I look back, I don’t know how I did it all. Life moved on, kids grew up, then I wanted to downsize to an apartment. I realized I was stuck when I packed up all my fabric to donate, and could not do it. It sat on a table for a whole year until one of my friends came, took it to the car and we took it to a place that made quilts! That was only one of my multiple identities, my life long ambition was to be an artist. I painted in oils, acrylics, watercolor, mixed media, all had their own stuff. It was difficult to narrow down my “when I grow up” identifications. In the mean time I started sewing and quilting again and the fabric stash grew. My creativity identity was taking over. Your channel as well as Dana and Dawn made me realize the chaos of my supplies in my small space was stifling any creativity I might have. It was hard, but I did it. I decided what I wanted to do, what would fit in my space, I think I am a ladybug, I want to have a home for my stuff when I’m not using it and not see it. I want my surfaces to be clear, minimal-ish and neat. I have accomplished a lot. It took a lot of time and many trips to donation sites. I don’t think I will ever be ‘done’ it takes maintenance. Thanks to you and your collaborations, I am so much better. I draw every day, my sketch book and pens fit in my purse! I paint in watercolor and all my stuff fits in one cube! My identity is identified! I’m living my dream, I am an artist. Thank you for helping me finally peel off the layers of my onion. I’m 75, lived a full happy life, raised kids for 50 years, empty nested finally living my dream. Thanks to minimizing and organizing. You are my hero.
Glad I can help!
❤️
Linda, you inspire me! I’m 51, STILL raising kids, have more hobbies than I can count and am terrified that I’ll never be able to truly enjoy any of them. I keep thinking that by the time my last two are out of the house (10-yr old twins), I’ll be too old (and quite frankly, TIRED) to do anything that I want to do now but don’t have time for. I love hearing that you’re in your 70s and living the dream!!
Thank you for sharint Linda, this is most impactful.
Look for a Dream Box.
An amazing idea.
There is even a D I Y Dream Box.
I would like a Dream Box for the
kitchen for baking.
Super interesting video! It made me realize I have trouble with my identity clutter. I was a globe-trotter for many many years and worked for an adventure travel agency.
It's so hard to explain but it's like I need to hang on to those things so that I can still be in this globe-trotter mindset if that makes sense!? It's actually the first time I talk about this and I feel a certain vulnerabily but at the same time I find it freeing...🌍🌟 P.S. I almost didn't post this comment but I decided it feels good to recognize it!💛
It makes complete sense to me ❤❤❤! Maybe you could integrate it more into your life again, or if not, find something that is equally fulfilling to you, so you might feel it is alright to let go of part of the stuff - though I don't think we necessarily need to let go of these things - if we love it enough that we still hold a big place in our hearts and homes for it, that might be completely fine ❤❤❤ The question is if it makes us feel good or sad - if sad, it might be time to look for what it gave you in your current life
I used to work for an airline. I decided to turn our son's old room into a guestroom with a travel theme, with posters and maps etc. I love it.
I've got to say that having adventure travel identity clutter is at least pretty cool sounding clutter, lol. Sounds like you miss your globe-trotting days, or possibly find the memory of them to be more appealing than whatever is going on now. I don't know if this is "Clutterbug Sanctioned" but what if you chose 3 things that you especially like that can be decor, then put the rest of it in a container that's out of sight. In a month or so take some time to access how you feel about that stuff, who knows what might happen.
Signed,
Woman who kept her "work" clothes for 20 years after becoming an at home Mom 💼👠
same here
Do you have souvenirs that you could group together and take photos of and then have blown up nice and big to hang on your walls? You could make them poster-size and hang two or three for a while and then switch them out. You could then donate the souvenirs and still have the memories.
So many people inspire me, but there’s something about the way you inspire me that’s different. Thanks for being an inspiration to me.
Yep! She truly has a gift.
Agree.
I just got rid of about 14 garbage bags of fantasy clutter. Whew! I'm a seamstress and I run a small business, but I had way too much fabric and I kept way too many scraps. Some bags went to our local thrift shop, and some went to a charity quilting group. My room can breathe now, and so can I!! Thank you for helping me to get inspired to do it!
That wonderful feeling of being able to breathe again is my "why" I want so badly to shed clutter.
My biggest struggle is fantasy clutter. In my mind I have all these great ideas and I buy all the things required but I run out of energy when it comes time to actually do it. Between working full time night shift, being a single parent, and dealing with Multiple Sclerosis I just can’t keep up.
I'm on my own with kids and I have MS, working too, turning off my phone has really helped, screentime can take up too much time!
I think it’s ok to organize projects and pack them away for another season of my life. I bought some huge ziplock bags and a couple of boxes, separated the projects neatly into the bags, put them into the boxes, labelled them & tucked them out of the way. I know where to find them when life lightens up - perhaps years later. If not, or if I lose interest they’ll be easy to donate. Meanwhile they aren’t clutter & my mind is free of them. 💗
For those of us with a chronic illness, fantasy clutter may be our way of opting, trying to be “other” than not healthy. It is our hope, our dream, our “healthy” self. I realized that having it hanging around in my face makes me feel the guilt that “I can’t do it ” but having my painting supplies neatly sorted and stored in a plastic bin on wheels under my bed gives me a great sense of calm as well as hope for when “I feel better, have the time and can be my true, creative self”.
Oh boy, the identity clutter…that really hit home. I wasn’t aware of this psychological phenomena. I was an old mom at 40 and went through so much to be able to adopt my child and wow, just wow..I have held on to so much of her childhood and I have to declutter and downsize. My now nearly 30 year old doesn’t know why I have her childhood stuff because she’s not interested in seeing or having it. She lives in the now and I’m holding onto those past precious, precious moments of motherhood. Gees, that makes me want to cry. Ok..I can do this. Awareness is really powerful, thank you so much for telling us about these emotions tucked away in our subconscious.
I struggle with that, but to be fair my craft room is an absolute mess that I can't walk into so I have no ROOM to make it. I'm in the process of a very HEAVY handed declutter in there this week (it also doubles as a homeschool dumping ground of projects we may or may never do and my kids craft supplies). Heck, I haven't used my laptop in months because I can't access the desk. First corner I just finished clearing and I already have a full trash bag and a full donation bag. I'm keeping a few fantasy projects properly stored in a single cabinet and am giving myself 1 year to touch them or they're going too. Honestly I'm being very brutal in this decluttering, if it has no plan for it, it goes.
Added bonus, is I have a huge selection of scrapbooking stuff that I just haven't touched in years, but my mom scrapbooks and she's visiting next month, I told her she may be going home with an extra suitcase as she's free to "shop" in my room 😂
I was all "she's not going to identify MY type of clutter. It's just pur-dee-laziness clutter." And dang it! You called me out on it!
Hey Cas! Sourdough starter is the kind of “pet” you only have to feed when you want to build it up for bread baking. It can be kept in the fridge when you want it to be “dormant…” then you can revive it by feeding it!😊
But the best pet is a home brew. Care and feeding for a few weeks, and then you have a party.
Yup! That’s what I do too😂
Yup … it’s super easy … just don’t forget to put it back in the fridge when you leave town 😅
My mom and I have revived sourdough starter that has been in the fridge for a year without a feeding. It just took a couple of days of monitoring on the counter for it to bubble back to life. Keep it cold, in the dark, and in a sealed container when storing and you should be just fine.
@@fionagray9687 😂😂😂😂
Something that's helped me let go of Identity clutter (and positive forms of "Guilt" clutter such as a thoughtful but not-quite-right gift) is taking a photo so I still have the positive reminder without having to keep the object. Also keeping one item that stands for a bunch of other ones (e.g. a single inherited cup, one drawing), or even a swatch of cloth or one page from a book (books are a renewable resource). Honoring the identity by framing/displaying key objects also helps.
Dear Cass
I had an unexpected visitor today. He called less than 5 minutes before he arrived, and those 5 minutes were enough were enough for me to put away my "lazy clutter"!!!
Thanks to you who taught me some method. I watch you adventures for a few years now. I'm so proud of my very acceptable home now. Thank you for all that and for your funny stories. 😁
I’m so proud of you!!!
👏🏼
I’m proud of both of us!! 👏🏼 👏🏼
I’m proud of ALL OF US!! 👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼
All of these clutters resonated with me! Thank you so much! This is a big help!
The guilty clutter for sure. My apartment was looking so nice for awhile. But after my parents both passed the last couple years, it is hard to part with some of their belongings. Especially ones that I grew up with. I also think there is a depression clutter. That is one of the hardest things to get through.
The thing that helps me is deciding what would be special enough to pass down to my kids and have enough of a memory/story behind it so they could one day pass that down to their children. What’s the point of keeping something if you are the only thing with that connection to the item? You will have to decide what is special enough to pass down and still be special enough that your kid would feel that was special too. You can let go of things and keep the memories. If you are scared of forgetting take a photo and print it out with the story written on the back. Good luck.
@@ashleypate1349 great thought. I feel I should write a note about the few items I decide to keep so whoever handles it will know why it was special enough to keep.
I read a book that one grandfather made about his 100 year old journey to his family, it had pictures of his family as well. It was so nice to read, this is the type of item or book that can be passed down to the next generation. It was self published, it was pretty nice!
My mom had to move out of her home to go into hospice care, yep, it is hard to decide what to save. I started with quite a lot of stuff at the beginning because I was in a hurry and couldn't decide on the spot and feared I would regret it. As time passed I realized what I really valued and donated the rest. Many of the items were easy to decide, they stank of mould, I took pictures and threw them away.
I just wanted to say, its okay to let go of this stuff slowly. Sometimes when we lose important people we want to hang onto their memories so tightly. Its okay to wait until you are ready and move slowly through letting things go.
For me it was books. I had ALL the books. Novels, old textbooks, books I bought (some I read, some I didn't) for teaching the material. SO MANY books. I have realized they were both guilty clutter AND identity clutter. In the last few months I have cleared out literally hundreds of books. I've kept some, but most have been donated. I can actually hang art on some of my walls now, because they aren't all covered up with bookshelves. It felt--and still feels--FANTASTIC!
Congratulations ❤️ that's great
For anyone who struggles with guilty/sentimental clutter, if those things are in regard to lost loved ones ask yourself--would they want me to be miserable with all this stuff or keep a couple of meaningful things and be happier? (I could hear my parents telling me, "that meant something to me not you silly, get rid of it!" 😁💕) (I will say if it's a recent loss, there's nothing wrong with giving it some time, I know it's too painful initially.) This was a helpful tip for me, just wanted to share. 💕💕
I totally agree with you, Angie. I was able to get rid of some things I was keeping because my mother liked them, but they were not anything I was interested in at all. The one place I'm really struggling is with a smallish box that contains her writing supplies, her desk stuff, and her journals.
I really don't need or want any of these things, because there is nothing special, fancy, or expensive about any of the desk items or writing implements, and her handwritten journals are impossible to read - both because she had horrible handwriting 😂 and because she wrote partially in actual shorthand which she learned in the thirties when she was a secretary. 🙂
My mom died in 2007, and I have tried to confront that box at least a dozen times over the intervening years, but I always just close it up and put it back away. In a weird way, getting rid of the things in that box are like getting rid of her. When I say that to myself, it sounds so stupid, but it is what it is. (Clearly, the way Cass framed it, it's identity clutter. Oddly, though, it's somebody else's identity! 😬🤪😁)
I told my husband yesterday that in this round of decluttering, I am starting to feel like I'm going to just take that entire box - without opening it again - and just throw it out.
I have a lifetime of precious, wonderful memories of my kind, funny, Godly, resourceful, generous mother. I don't need anything contained in that box to still have all of those priceless, treasured memories of her. 😢😍❤️❤️❤️🙌
@@homeandgardendiy6363 Awww, I completely understand sweetie! I know 2007 seems like a long time ago but with matters of the heart there's no timetable. I know you will do what you need to when you're ready and don't beat yourself up, I totally get that! Yes those sweet memories don't need tangible things they live in our hearts & mind's eye, but I completely understand when you say it feels like getting rid of her, I can relate. Maybe keep a small portion? Babysteps until you're ready for it all to be gone? You'll get there. Love, hugs & God Bless you 💕💕
Thank you so much for sharing ❤
@@Famous423 I'm so glad you decided to put a comment here! I had forgotten to respond to Angie's nice comment. Thank you so much for reminding me! God bless you. ❤️
@@angieburnett4341 I'm so thankful for Famous423's comment just now because she reminded me to respond to your very nice comment. 😍 In my defense, I forgot because I'm busy decluttering! 😁🤷♀️😁 Yes, I will just keep taking it step-by-step and see how it goes. You said you understand, so I know there's a level of grief there for you still, too. I'm glad you can hear your parents' voices in your head still guiding and leading even though you don't physically have them here anymore. May the Lord bless and comfort you as well. 🕊️❤️
I resonate with ALL of the different clutters. My mom had clutter challenges too. I'm now living in the house she lived in. She passed away a little over a year ago. I'm finally launching the big de-clutter and organizing programme. So happy I found you!
Good Luck!!! I’m in the same boat almost. My grandmother passed away and I have all of her stuff packed in my great room but need to declutter my house and then incorporate her art and furniture into my house. It’s been 3 months and it’s still all packed in the great room. 🥺 I love this channel for inspiration.
I can relate so much! Same with me & my mom & how I grew up... 😞
@@heftyhefty_ I haven't got very far with the project! Ouch!!
Oh my GOODNESS! You speak my language! Identity or fantasy clutter are my biggest areas of accumulated stuff! We have many bins full of books that don't fit anywhere in our new house, but I cannot for the life of me throw out almost any!!!! I don't read them, but I would like to be known for "having resources and being knowledgeable" because I skim through them and like to share what I learned! Same thing with CLOTHES!!! Especially kids clothes... bins upon bins of stuff in the garage. So embarrassing! I pride myself on buying bargain deals from well-known brands. I love scoring a good deal from Old Navy or from children's brands. Because everything was soooo expensive and I purchased it at such a great deal, I can't donate them. Every piece of clothing has to be allocated to my friends' kids and it's SOOO hard to sort through piles to pick things for someone else's kid! We can't even organize our own clothes around here! Anyway, I'm now officially a storing Wearhouse for other people's kid's clothes! That's SAD! Fantasy clutter includes multiple pieces of makeup as I love to imagine trying new looks, and beauty product that I never use, but pride myself on knowing about and giving recommendations to others... and probably kid's pictures ON MY PHONE! Even though they are backed up online, I cannot bear erasing them on my phone. It feels like I'm failing them somehow... so, my phone is always overused and doesn't have any space for new photos or videos.
I cried when you started talking about fantasy clutter. I have not touched those things yet on my decluttering journey.
Love your "pick up basket" as you move from room to room, dropping things off in their real homes as you go along
So true! Homeless clutter is a real thing! Strategies to help with that would be super helpful! Thank you, Cas!
Find or make a home for it close to where you naturally put it down so it's just as easy to put away :) Baskets, cabinets, drawers, trinket trays, etc. Clutter doesn't look like clutter when effectively corralled!
Yep, Cas did a video about "valuable real estate" a while back now... Basically prioritising storage space for what you use in that exact space, and either decluttering or re-homing elsewhere in your home the stuff you don't actually use there... For example, I remember her moving the placemats from her kitchen island drawers to make a homework station there instead.
Agree with being self aware for sure. Between lots of therapy visits and even more books and TH-cam videos I figured out a lot about myself. Figuring out what bug I am helped sooooo much in the beginning lol
I'd also say that life situation plays a huge roll too. I took care of my disabled Dad for 20 years while having my own chronic health issues. I'm also a hoarder. My biggest clutter issue is fantasy self clutter, which I had heard about a few years ago, my journey started im 2017 to seriously get my house a functional home. Now, since I was pretty much only a caregiver 24/7 for the last 6 years, all of my stuff is fantasy self. Moved to a new house in 2014 and never actually moved in. Never painted anything, never decorated. I rarely if ever went out other than to run errands, saw friends once every few months. No time to be artistic, for hobbies, just surviving everyday till my Dad passed January last year. Mom was in rehab from RSV that almost killed her when he passed. The er doctor almost sent me on a grippy sock vacation when all of this was going on because I was not physically or mentally able to take care of Dad by myself. It took all my Mom and I had.
My friends have started to come over and help declutter and clean up this month!! But since I'm way more self aware now, yet still have hoarder tendencies, I'm struggling with my fantasy clutter. I have all of this stuff I really like and haven't had a chance to, idk how to put it, experience yet. Everything is just piled.
So my friends are getting the trash out, I don't have as much trouble letting go now. They separated everything into like piles. I'm sorting and purging out those piles and taking the stuff to the room it's going to live in. I'm going to do everyroom like this, then I'm going to pretend I'm moving in. Deep clean each room, make repairs, paint then unpack and organize. I've curbed my spending to stuff that I have an immediate need or use for.
I'd say I've had trouble with lazy clutter in the past, the bug system helped me figure that out years ago, butterfly always lol. But due to my situation and chronic illness, I wasn't being lazy it was more self preservation.
Also a big one to remember is you are worth it. I am neuro spicy, possibly autistic, ADHD, have chronic depression and anxiety. I was very isolated due to the clutter and my Dad for years upon years. Neglected myself like a typical caregiver. I truly believed that I was not worthy of being comfortable, took care and living in a "nice" space.
Idk, just thought I'd share my clutter journey and maybe help someone.
It's very hard to do you 💔 when you're a caregiver. But you sound like you're on the right path, happy trails 💕💕💕.
Thank you for sharing!
Give yourself some grace. You gave a lot. Now is the time for a new chapter in your life. Your friends sound terrific - they stuck around and they are helping you. Sounds like you have a good system. Build your decluttering muscles dealing with the easy stuff. I like the idea of painting etc as you go. Hugs from Australia.
That sounds so difficult! But I'm so glad you are feeling like you see a path forward and that you have a support system. All the best! Enjoy your "new" house!
Homeless Clutter and creating space for mail and returning items is an area I want to focus on. Thank you for the strategies to do so.
Oh, my! I listen to you and many others to get my house in order. This is one of the best, if not best explanations of clutter. I suffer from all these, but the one I especially find difficult is the identity clutter. I have lots of hobbies, and I’m a retired teacher. I’m slowly getting my house decluttered, and feeling more peaceful everyday. (It’s really just a few rooms! Most people would think I’ve got it together!) Thank you also for sharing all your struggles!
Me too! Don't look in my office, basement or garage!! 😂
I didn't know identity clutter was a thing but it makes sense. I have such a hard time getting rid of anything I think I can use in a craft. I'll even pile things that I plan to give to Goodwill and I second-guess that as well.
This is WONDERFUL, Cas. I've tried, without success, to explain this to my spouse and a close friend. This and "decision fatigue". They just stare at me and offer zero comfort. I feel so very alone.
Yes it is hard when your significant people just don't get it because they are naturally organised.
That must be so difficult :( but perhaps these categories will you give you a more specific way to explain it -- or we on YT can be your people + understand you + hopefully offer some comfort too
Wow! Did this video ever hit home! I LOVE the distinction between guilty clutter, identity clutter, and fantasy clutter. SO helpful! Love it! I've been hanging onto memorabilia and my racing bicycle ( !) from when I did triathlons 30 years ago! I was so proud of being of triathlete I feel like getting rid of that stuff loses part of my identity. Now I hope I have the courage to get rid of most of it and keep just a few reminders. Thanks!
One tip I learned & need to do myself 😆 is to just take a photo of something like kids drawings then throw out the the item & you'll still have a reminder of it if needed 👍
Homeless clutter is my biggest struggle! Thank you for identifying this for me. Now that I understand what it is, it will be so much easier to deal with it. Thank you for your encouraging, insightful and humorous videos.
You described fantasy clutter very well. Even when I decide to let some things go, I struggle to do it perfect. To not feel any guilt of polluting the Earth, or wasting stuff that someone might just use very happily.
My husband did sour dough for a long time. He was so obsessed with it that the kids and I started referring the starter as Bubbles. He got so excited to see it grow, so I laughed when you said it was your new pet. It was definitely his pet for a year or two.
I struggle with fantasy clutter and homeless clutter. I also have two hoarders for children and a husband that just drops things wherever he is.
😩 Ugh
I suffer from lazy clutter and guilt clutter. Thank you so much for all the advice and encouragement that you provide. i just found your channel last week and am already benefiting from your advice.
Oh yes 🙌🏻 thank you for “the why” we have clutter, identifying the kind of clutter and the messages it carries identifies the emotional weight it can carry. I knew I had emotional clutter, and now I can practice separating myself/ my identity from the “stuff” 💕
You're so welcome!
I didn't even know about Identity clutter! That's going to be a game changer... I'll be re-evaluating why I keep things or why I can't give something away. I love having only things that are championing and supporting the person I am today!
A couple of years ago when I was a teenager, I finally admitted to myself that I didn't need my Barbie dolls, doll house, and Barbie accessories anymore. I had been trying to scale down and separate the sentimental from the silly, but I just couldn't be objective about it. I eventually realized that when I was looking at it I wanted to keep everything and when I wasn't, it didn't really mean that much to me. The solution was to tell my Mom (who knew it needed to go) that she could get rid of all of it as long as I didn't have to look. 👀 I didn't know until now that it was identity clutter.
Thank you, Cass, for educating us.
You're so welcome!
Identity clutter all the way! I don’t reread books but the thought of parting with them is like cutting off a limb. Over the years I’ve definitely let go of many and cried every time, but in the long run it’s worthwhile. I don’t have to get rid of all of them but I know in my heart that I need to let some more go.
Thank you for this video! As someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and ADHD, a lot of times when it comes to bills or things that I really don’t want to deal with. I avoid it, and just leave it around so I don’t even have to open it. Timers really help with creating urgency especially if it is something with no real deadline.
I have the same issue! I literally have boxes full of mail I’ll probably never get to because I have mixed feelings of laziness and an abundance of guilt.
@@larawrightt You are not alone! If you have someone you trust, have them go with it with you for just a few minutes. And make sure you let them know that there can’t be any judgement (hello shame spiral!). I have also broken stacks of paper up into multiple smaller piles. Have compassion for yourself, it isn’t easy to live life with so much stress and overwhelm, think of taking care of these tasks, as taking care of yourself. Sending you lots of love and compassion. ❤️
I have the same issue
This makes me so grateful that my dad and both my grandmothers encouraged us to only keep/take things we truly would like and enjoy. They recognized we have different tastes. My one grandmother was a self recognized hoarder and she said to me once to not let myself get to that point because it’s awful to live like that. She mostly collected books but never got to fully enjoy them so now I get books, go through them, only keep ones that have value for me to keep and go back to. Otherwise, out the door it goes.
My clutter issues are sort of all over the place right now as I’m purging and getting rid of things I’ve bought myself upgrades for and trying new organization systems in some really awkward spaces I’m stuck with due to being a renter.
Loom
Keep up the good decluttering work! It’s awesome!
I can see myself struggling with each one of them. The identity clutter was the big one for me last year. During the TYHB course it was that realization of once I did it all the crafts the sewing the knitting crocheting embroidery. I was that Mom during the all-day the Clutter I got rid of so many things and donated them. The beauty of it I had to trust that if I want to do it again I can. I kept a little bit in case I want to dabble but it wasn't like I had to have my shelves exploding. The other thing was guilty clutter. I'm the oldest grandchild and so when my grandmother sold her house I felt I had to take it. She was having a hard time and she was worried who was going to have her stuff and at one time I had so much I had lost identity of my house of me because it was so much of her. Little by little I let it go but during the all-day declutter I realized I could let go and have hints of my grandma. I didn't have to hold on to everything. My grandma's been gone for 15 years and I was surprised how many things I held onto because I was fighting I would fail her if I let it go. But I will tell you I'm not failing her and I have things of her. She would be thrilled that I am happy. She's in my heart and memories. I downsize so many of Christmas ornaments that were hers. Thank you Cass for your wisdom your videos and you let us take back our lives and our homes! I wish I would have known this years ago. But I want to tell you my youngest she's in her twenties she is learning earlier and she's not holding on. My three oldest are thrilled that I let go of things and created my home to be me more
Thanks for sharing!
Getting rid of my 3 sets of grandma chins changed my life. It was the dam that broke free and started my decluttering journey. I am so thankful for the day I boxed those dishes up and donated them!
OMG “Fantasy “ clutter is so me. I never thought of it this way. And it does make me feel awful. This video was so helpful. I need to save this and listen to it often. ❤
Oh, identity clutter! I have a small filing cabinet full of papers and research from when I was in college that I can't bring myself to throw away. It is so hard to even think about going through it all because I loved college and who I was then. It is a huge part of my identity even though I graduated 25 years ago!! 😳
I found it really hard to throw out / recycle my college and university notes (hand written---from back when notes were taken that way). Those notes represented years of 'work' and years of enlightenment and knowledge gain.
But realistically, when would I ever go back and re-read them or consult them? With great clenching of teeth I got rid of the whole, high stack.
It's like being a knowledge hoarder. . . .I went thru the same thing with my real estate books.
I guess I'll throw this out there for what it's worth. My husband wrote his thesis over 40 years ago. He had three copies of it that have been in a file cabinet the entire time we've been married, almost twenty years now. Last year, he mentioned it in a class he was teaching, and one of the students came up and asked if he could have a copy to read. 😂 You just never know when that stuff might be helpful to someone! 🤷♀️😁
Same here still got my university notes from 1990, I think I will just keep one favourite folder, but declutter easier clutter first xx
At 54 trying to purge it's almost impossible with both of us having a lot of sentimental & financial guilty clutter.
I also had both of those guilts. What helped me to get started was to stand in the “space”, close my eyes, take a deep breath until I was calm. Open my eyes and start to see the space as it is. A room full stuff I haven’t touched in years, tossed here, there and everywhere!!
It's not impossible, you've got this - I feel like it's a very good age to start!!
Homeless clutter! Followed closely by lazy clutter.
@@ember1794 I think so too. Getting passed all the Country wood furniture of the '80's is one thing but when your Father built it all for you is just another level of letting it go. *Deep breaths
@@emptynestgardens9057-Try this. Your father built that for you to help you. An act of love. If the furniture is no longer helping you, he wouldn’t care if you moved it on. He loves you wants to help you (or past tense, if he has passed).
Seasonal clutter gets me. I currently have an island of totes and various items in the middle of our living space waiting to be put away. Yes, I have been cleaning around it for a month. I am waiting to purchase a shelving unit to hold the totes. Just buy the shelf Melanie!!! My husband is so patient.
Homeless clutter, especially papers. I have always hated filing. I have also realized I need a schedule because I never make time to work on these papers!
ALL of it. We are still decluttering-down to the hard stuff now so it’s a slow go. I’m much better taking things where they go in the house. It’s definitely a process!!
All of the above! This is the most insightful explanation of what is WRONG with me- at least in the clutter department. Knowledge is power. Thank you!
Nothin' wrong with you, we just all have speed bumps and hurdles on the path to figuring our lives/homes/selves out 😊💜
@@sempressfi thanks for your encouragement 💕
You so nailed it with the comments about identity clutter and books. I am clearing out over 40 years of accumulated clutter as part of moving into a beautiful new home, and in many ways the new home is a chance for a do-over, a chance to practice all of the things I’ve learned from you over the past year. But I currently have literally thousands of books, and decluttering them has been like ripping limbs from my body. I know that the peace I will experience in my new, clutter-free home will be worth it, and I’m confident that the new insights I’ve gained from your videos will help me to never be buried under decades of clutter again, but MAN is it painful in the process! Thanks for giving me the tools I need to get through this. BTW, I literally laughed out loud over your sourdough pet story. 😆
Robin Y: I too had HUNDREDS of books and was forced to downsize them when we downsized! I decided to keep reference books,sentimental and of course those that I hadn’t read yet. Getting rid of all of the ones we had read but would not read again or refer to again got it down by more than half. Funny thing,in the six years that we have been in our new home,we have rarely referred to any of our reference books so I can foresee another pass at decluttering. ( I am also in the good habit now of immediately passing along the ones I read and wouldn’t read again!🙌🏻)
Yep, you nailed it! All of those relate to me. But two things I have learned from you (and Dawn and Dana) is to just put stuff away where I'd look for it, and let go of the "good intentions " clutter. It's Definitely a process. Thanks, Cass!!
Touching on this Fantasy Clutter is something I surely can identify with. I have all these piles neatly in laundry size baskets or boxes of projects I've started and intend to finish SOMEDAY, all throughout my house. You hit the nail on the head when you said that when we look at all these unfinished projects, it makes me (us) think that we're not good enough or there’s surely something wrong with me. Why can't I even start with just one of these baskets? It's overwhelming to look at the piles and even taking that one basket off leaves a whole bunch under it and I freeze.
Identity clutter really hit me and who I used to be. This will help me declutter things I used to live that I thought I had to keep because it's pink.
Thanks! Perfect timing for this reminder. I'm a mom of a 15 and almost 18 yo and have been pondering my identity a lot these last few years and have been struggling to let go of the last of my clutter - mostly guilty, identity, and fantasy. Good luck with the sourdough!
This is a hard one! I agree. I had my kids, two girls get married in same year. That was hard. Takes a bit to learn what and who you are
@@thecreativegramgram8592 I’m married to a very non-creative man and have three kids, two with high needs. I’m naturally quite creative but feel stifled. I just feel like a maid most of the time. I daydream about living on my own and how peaceful & relaxing it would be.
Also my husband is gluten intolerant (not celiac) and he can tolerate homemade sourdough bc of the fermentation! We use organic flour and it's so much healthier and tastes better than store bought bread!!
Would you share a recipe? And how did you get the sourdough started?
Sadly all resonate with me. The biggest is probably homeless clutter. There is so much on what feels like a daily basis. Great video Cass😊
I watch several channels like this one, and your channel is the best! The information you have is different because it is not just how to but why we have it in the first place. It has been most helpful to me than anything I have seen before. Thank you!
Cas, Thank you. I won't go into a chapter of my life at present other than my husband is 78 and I'm also in my 70s. Your encouraging words are helpful motivators to keep being tidy and put things away. Life changes at different stages of life. Keeping good habits of home management is very important for all people of all ages. You never see an illness, limitations, or old age coming when you can no longer clean the house in 2 hours or declutter your home quickly..
My challenge is staying motivated and as you said having places to put things away as easily as to leave out.
Thank you!
I’m mostly deluged with homeless clutter! I’d be interested to know how to keep on top of things if you’re physically unable to do a lot (in my case, a chronic illness).
I'm an equal opportunity clutter girl, but I agree with you- I'd love some ideas on how to make things easier if you have a chronic, or debilitating illness.
I’m helping an elderly friend with this. She gets a ton of mail everyday so I got her a rolling shelf to put next to her recliner. The top shelf has a basket marked “Important” for bills,taxes,etc. and another basket with stamps,envelopes,pens and scissors.The second shelf has two baskets that say “File” and the other says “Time Will Tell” for catalogs,things to read etc. ( so all of her papers land in one of those three baskets,not all over the house) I told her that she needs to go through the “Important” basket every week and take care of things, (but if she needs something,at least she only has to look in that one place) and deal with the other two baskets when they get full. The bottom shelf has two cans that say “Trash” and “Shred”. And yes,it has been working.🙌🏻
I’ve decluttered so much, but I still have too many craft supplies. At least they all have a home. I’m most proud of creating a mail processing station right in our landing zone! It’s amazing how much goes right into the recycling bin. I keep my Sunday box right on top. Underneath I have 3 bins, one for recycling, one for shredding, and one for trash. I’m so amazed. Paper used to take over the whole house, and I constantly lost things, important things, like the property tax bill!
Lady Sara: 👏🙌🏻👍
Identity clutter: story of my life as a teacher! I have switched grades every year for 12 years SO MUCH STUFF!
The hardest ones for me is Homeless clutter and lazy clutter. I have piles of paperwork which is mail and shredding. The lazy clutter is definitely the laundry. Thank you so much for doing this video. I will definitely have to start setting alarms for me.
Wow Cas, this video took me to church! I needed to hear this. I realized I’m a fantasy clutter and identity clutter person. Now I can look at my stuff differently. Thank you ❤
I am a natural clutter collector I can see my fitting into all of the options. Currently I am doing the guilt clutter. I am cleaning out after my father/stepmother/sister deaths. It is wonderful that you give me permission to throw away or donate stuff. Some of the things I like and there is just too much of it. Looking ahead I will really have a though time when my mother passes. She has so many heirlooms from the family. I feel like I will need to open a museum. Love your videos and all the great advice.
Identity clutter is definitely my problem. Basically all of the examples you gave are me-- former stay-at-home mom, book lover, crafter, and collector. Of everything, I find toys to be the hardest to get rid of. My husband and I even made our daughters' (rather huge) dollhouses ourselves. What complicates matters further with toys is that my daughters and I have a lot of imagination, and the toys (the stuffed animals especially) all had distinctive personalities. We sewed clothes for them and made all kinds of things for them. They were quite real, in the Velveteen Rabbit sense. How much easier it would be if they all turned into live animals and ran into the woods, like the rabbit does in the book!
Lol!
I saw the sweet thing once & if you are creative it might help with letting go of toys. A dad did a watercolor collection of his kids toys and it was just stunning. You could feel the emotion and it might be a good way to say goodbye. Maybe you could add some speech bubbles of what they used to say. It seems like a lovely kind of book to leaf through when you are older & want to remember. ❤️
@@kathleencrawford1331what a beautiful idea!
I love your personality. I feel like you're my spirit animal. Thank you for all your tips. I no longer feel like something is wrong with me because of my clutter and you're helping me to clear it up.
I am so glad I found your tutorials! When you say people aren’t lazy they just haven’t found the right organizing style I finally found what I’d been looking for! I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult as well. I got on medication and it helps somewhat, but I still have trouble focusing and not letting my thoughts control my time. I’m a visual person but I’m not sure which bug I am. I go through periods where I organize and then 6 to 8 months later I re-organize a completely different way. You and your tutorials have helped me so much! Keep it up!
I think I probably have a combination of these. I found this channel recently and I love your approach to understanding clutter and tackling it. I was diagnosed with inactive ADD and organization has been a life struggle. My mother and siblings are very organized… when I try to explain myself I feel they look at me like I’m just full of excuses and lazy. I so want to conquer this part of myself to then hopefully help others. 🤞
I can so relate to you, I have ADD also and struggle with clutter.
I've been there. I have inattentive type ADHD, and trying to explain your habits and behaviors to someone who doesn't have it is almost like talking to a brick wall. Eventually I had to accept that there are some things about me and my ADHD that they'll never understand, and what really matters is if they at least try and accept me as I am without judgment. I hope you can do the same with your family. And by "conquering," I hope you mean conquering those negative feelings, not your ADD. No matter what they think, you are not lazy, and it's not your fault if they think your explanations are excuses. Tbh, you really don't owe anyone any explanations. Don't let anyone convince you there's something "wrong" with you just because you function differently from them. I hope I'm making sense here.
I think it's great that you want to help others as well! Sending hugs and encouragement your way! 🤗💖
Thank you Cas for helping me see that I was hanging onto some "crafting" things. I have had some fabric, and some kits that no longer gave me joy. I am so glad to no longer have these lurking around and reminding of how much they cost and all the other things that go with along with that. I feel so relieved. :) Yay!!
I love digging into the psychology of why we have clutter! So interesting and enlightening! One issue in our family that drives me crazy is putting dirty dishes in the sink instead of the dishwasher which is right next to it. I guess that extra step of opening the dishwasher door is just too much for some. 🙄
Opening the door, pulling the rack(s) out, figuring out where the dish needs to go, and sometimes even having to figure out first how to rearrange, then doing the actually rearranging of, (and sometimes multiple times) things that are already in there in order for said dish to fit - there are a lot more steps that can get in the way of putting something in the dishwasher, more than just opening the door. And that's coming from someone who's about 15/16 cricket (with 3/64 ladybug and 1/64 butterfly) - the steps of putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher actually overwhelms me more than the things being left in the sink (one of the main reasons I hate cooking with a passion - too many dirty dishes), because if there are so many (or certain ones) that I can't hand wash all of them in the space of 1 minute (after most of my meals, I'm washing only one dish, and maybe one piece of silverware, because that's all I used for the meal - I live alone, so no mountain of dishes from other people), then I tend to let them sit until I have enough of the right kind of motivation to actually do them.
This is why our dishwasher stays open most of the time, even though it gets in the way 😂if it's closed it seemingly doesn't exist at all! (bonus, we clean it more often, since we can smell it more often... which makes it run a little better, since we're taking out some of the buildup from our still-hard-despite-running-through-a-softener water)
i am guilty of this not that im lazy but i just could not put unrinsed dishes or pots n pans in the dishwasher and it drying and caking in until it gets full and run. i always think that the dishwasher will not clean it very well. what's your process? i truly wanna know. i need to change my mindset.
@@SnowySpiritRuby I always have a dishpan with soapy water in it,since nothing gets hard and crusty,you’d be amazed at how many dishes you can quickly wash in just the three or four minutes that it takes to heat up something in the microwave or especially while actually cooking a meal. I do this before every meal so that after we’re done,there’s only two plates,forks,glasses and the cooking pots.( which soak in water while we eat)🙌🏻
When I lived with mom no point in putting in dishwasher because she would rearrange it
Oh my gosh, homeless clutter for sure is the worst. I still struggle with making actual decisions of where to put things and am feeling very stuck. Guilty clutter is my next worse, then lazy clutter. Homeless and guilty clutter lead to Lazy clutter!! Thanks for another great video Cas!
Ok this was a life changing video! The identity clutter completely resonated with me. Thank you Cass!
I struggle most with Guilty Clutter and Identity Clutter. You are such an inspiration to really dig deep!
Guilty Clutter for me is just a reminder that I wasted money on something that I haven't used and will never use and Identity Clutter, for me, is sentimental items from my grandparents (I identify as their first born granddaughter 😞
It's so hard!! I have needlepoints etc from my Grandma. They just don't fit what I envision my decor to be so I'm stuck in the '80's because I don't know how to part with them.
@@emptynestgardens9057 I agree! I have an oval mirror and expresso cups that I don't use, but I don't want to part with because they belonged to my grandma who is no longer here.
I just realised in the last few days, how much all my sewing stuff is tied with my identity. I don’t sew much any more but have had so much trouble decluttering it.
I gradually worked through the books and donated about 100 boxes to Rotary.
Thank you Cas. I soak up your videos.
Mary (Australia) ❤❤
Thank you Cas!! So much truth in all the types of clutter! My identity clutter is holding on to items that remind me that I kicked butt at college and worked my way up pretty high in my career prior to leaving to do what I ultimately love and always wanted to do which is be a stay at home mom. Being home with my kids is what I always dreamed to be but I hold onto things that remind me of my successful career days too, just to make sure I don't loose sight of that now that I'm not using those skills/talents in this season. I think the worst is all the college papers I want to scan into my computer before tossing them out.
Hi Rachel - for what it is worth, I’m almost 30 years out of the doctoral degree program I completed for my career. I no longer practice in the profession. I not only don’t have the papers I published, my theses and dissertation, I have un framed the diplomas and put them in tubes. Donated the frames. Are you going to re-read those college papers? I would strongly encourage you to embrace the life you live today, focus on the children you are rearing, as there is nothing more important.
every time i watch one of your videos, I have this overwhelming urge to pull EVERYTHING out of my cabinets and cubbies and purge! lol Two things that I've learned from you, other than purging unnecessary items, are ONLY HANDLE IT ONCE and IF IT IS ONLY GOING TO TAKE YOU A MINUTE TO DO IT, JUST DO IT NOW. Sounds logical but so many times I toss mail or paperwork to the side to do later and then later takes FOREVER. 😂
Thank you SO MUCH for this. I have so much guilty clutter. When my mom passed away, my brother convinced me to take home so many things that I didn't want and had no real meaning to me, but they are "family heirlooms". He's since passed away and I have no children, and he was really the last family member I've spoken to in years. All those photos of people I never met and don't know the stories of, that first dollar from my great-great grandma's flower shop in its broken frame, that newspaper from 9/11, GOTTA GO! Additionally, fantasy clutter is a thing here too - "oh, I'm sure I'll use this for crafting later when I start this other big new craft I've taken no steps towards!" is a big one. I think you finally tipped the scales on me finding a new home for the two massive bins of fabric scraps.
WoW Cas. This video was like calling to me. I am in the process of decluttering to just the essentials. But mentally breaking down cause my mum is a hoarder who got notice to leave her rent flat and the days have come to move out but she has soooooooo much stuff. Understanding all these clutter types makes me realise how much she is struggling. Please make your next videos on how we can resolves these clutter types.
As of now I’m struggling with guilty clutter in the form of children’s toys and baby clothes.
These items do have a home and are organized. Decluttering baby clothes in on my to do list.
I will say I’m very proud of myself in other areas of my decluttering and organizing journey. I actually have empty bins now. 😂
Decluttering baby clothes was hard, but I just took the clothes out and asked my kids to help me sort them,it went quicker than I thought it would have. My son said he didn't want any of it, and my daughter pulled some items, the rest got donated. With a new grandchild I have found that the kids wanted new items instead and not hand me downs. Fine by me. I let it go. No regrets
Unless it's an heirloom that should be professionally preserved, my experience is clothing/blankets don't store well. Stains reappear or they discolor.
I love my sourdough starter, you can put it in the fridge and as long as it doesn't grow anything pink your fine. Mine separates and the water looks dark which is fine. The important thing is finding recipes you will make with it. Whispering willow farm has a lot of good recipes, she even has a cracker she makes with her starter!!!
WoW, watching for inspiration this morning and because I love organizing- sure didn’t expect to be literally crying tears but you helped me so much when you described identity clutter!! Still crying as I type this because that is exactly my issue- I want to hold on to all these things even tho I’m passed those times in my life. I was a day care teacher til I had my own kids, then went back into the classroom for about 4 years but even tho I’ve been home now for five years and homeschooled my kids through middle school I can’t seem to bring myself to go through let alone get rid of my teaching materials and kids toys. I say I’m saving it for my grandkids and if I teach again some day but you’re so right- I’m really saving it because it is a part of me that I don’t want to let go of😭
I got the biggest smile on my face when you said Sourdough!! I found my love for it after watching Lisa! I've always made it like she does but just tried a bread machine (that has a sourdough option) and it came out perfect! I just halved her recipe and added a little oil on the pan. I only bake bread about twice a month so I keep the starter in a jar in the fridge and feed it a bit the night before making bread, leaving in a warm place. I've totally forgotten about it for months in the fridge, unfed. It was fine. Just dump the liquid and feed it equal amounts of water/flour.
Thanks so much for this. My house is totally decluttered except for identity clutter. Example: work newsletters, my husband’s fishing equipment that he enjoyed at one time, hundreds of cards that make me feel worthy.
Faye Lehn: I too have “hundreds of cards that make me feel worthy” 🤭especially thank you cards.( boy am I nice!😅😂🤣) I bought one of those pretty cardboard trunks at Michael’s and periodically go through them to feel better and have a little visit with old friends.🥰
@@lauramitchell6725 Lol that's so funny. Whatever works. I love it. God bless you
Guilty on all counts, but thanks for addressing these issues and how to fix them. XO ❤️
Hi Cass, Mine is paper clutter and memory clutter. I loss my Mom and Sister and getting rid of the personal stuff is so hard. I’m working on it. I’m normally a very organized person but I struggle with these to things. Thanks for the talk!
I don’t make sourdough bread but I do love it! Lol.
I understand this...I had batches of cards from loved ones. During quarantine I went through and read them all and kept only the most important to me. It was liberating
@@sherielowe4256 Thank you!
I recommend taking pictures. It helped me to say good bye to certain items that I just didn't use.
Identity Clutter. Was a homeschool Mom. My children are 46 and 32. What started me was the 5 minutes 5 things in September. But I realized I have kept everything! It’s getting boxed up, my children can come get them or they are going. Thank you!❤
Great video! Very helpful. Done so peaceful and encouraging. Could not take my eyes off the video. Rewatching again a few more times. I do the same thing with alarms for everything!!! I struggle with mail, receipts and trying to find my decorating style without overdoing. I always put things back in their place. But still figuring it out. Thank you Cass!
ALL the types of clutter are a challenge for me! LOL I appreciate the montage at 12:50 that reinforces what I tell myself about tidying being an exercise 2-for-1. ; - ) Being reminded of these categories also reminded me that I've had success before taking photos of Identity and "Guilt" items so I can release the actual objects while keeping the reminder of good feelings. Sometimes it really is the thought that counts. : - ) Thanks, Cas!
I love this! Over time I’ve seen all these types whether with my immediate or extended family or friends. Those are legit!!
Thank you!!! ❤️ we are a family of 13 and I feel like you just explained my whole life! Homeless clutter is my big one
13! I'm struggling with 8 in the home!!! How do you even have time to think about decluttering with 13!
@jessica hoffman-graham I may be crazy 🤪. We also have a working farm. I feel like all I do is cook and clean. Thanks to quite a few videos here on TH-cam I am finding a way to keep it manageable. We can do this ♥️
@@AcreWood-ns5gt a working farm 😍 I've always dreamed of living on a farm BUT I don't want to be outside of town 🤣. Do you home school or are the kids in public school?
Before Cass I had a four bedroom house that you could only use one bedroom completely because I had stuffed the rest of it full of all the fantasy and guilt clutter. The clutterbug page has saved my life ‼️
@jessica hoffman-graham I do not home school we have 4 generations here my parents live 1 mile away all my adult kids, and Grands. They are all building houses here on the land we work together to keep everything running. But they all work away from home also. We lived in the city till January 2020. I ❤️ the farm life but miss some things about city life.
I thought you knew me personally and were talking about me when I watched this!!! OMG!!! EXACTLY!!! Thanks so much for this!!! 🥰🙏😁
Inside my home I struggle with identity clutter, and in my garage I struggle with fantasy ,guilty, also homeless clutter. I was able to identify what these clutter types are because of this super helpful video made by the one and only Cas-the-Clutterbug-Pro-Organizer. Gamechanger video!!!! This is why I love this channel!
I struggle with fantasy/identity clutter…I have an entire room set up as a craft room. I’ve decluttered my home three times -and think I’m a minimalist until I get to my creative space (I have narrowed my hobbies to three categories-scrapbooking, card making, & jewelry). I haven’t scrapbooked one page in over a year…I think I need therapy😊
I also follow the Minimal Mom and she suggests picking one hobby to focus on and let the other ones go. That allows you to make real progress and to hone your skills as you deep dive into one interest. I let go of my cross stitching and really focus on quilting. I also only keep quilting supplies for what I actually sew (scrap quilts and charity quilts) rather than appliqué, paper piecing or art quilts. It is hard to let go of supplies you spent money on but that money is gone and keeping the stuff won’t bring it back. You can try selling your craft supplies but it is usually for pennies and not worth it. Decluttering is like finding out who you really are.
@@lindabourcet1349 I follow Dawn too! It’s funny because card making and scrapbooking go hand in hand because you use the same supplies…but I think my adult children would rather have electronic albums or sourced albums that are the same size and neutral color from Shutterfly…they don’t need to embellishments and journaling
Cas, your videos are so helpful! Knowing what kinds of clutter I struggle with (homeless, mostly) will help me be more thoughtful in creating homes for everything. I never considered a temporary homeless area - love this!!
Yes to all the types of clutter! My mom used to do hook rugs. When she died, my sister decided I needed the hook rug of a church. (I’m a pastor’s wife.) I really didn’t want it! My sister came back with, “Well, she won’t be making anymore!” 🙄 As for identity clutter, getting rid of my kids’ stuff felt like I was getting rid of a part of my kids, not myself. Anyway, I feel like you know me! 😂
Cas, you literally just changed my life! I have struggled with all types of clutter but with a bunch of little kids and limited time to deal with it all I just didn't know where to start. As soon as I deal with something, a million more things take its place. Breaking it down like this makes it so much easier. I have already started working on getting rid of all "Fantasy" and "Guilty" clutter. Then will move to culling down "Identity" clutter to what I really need/will use rather than just keeping things because of "who I am." Then I will have the space to house all of the "Homeless" clutter and after that I will have the mental capacity to work on all of the "Lazy" clutter! Like I said, this realisation is life changing! Thank you!!! xxx
I guess I struggle with all types off clutter, thank you for helping me identify all the different ways that I can tackle it ❤️