This made me tear up! I stay on top of things like laundry, dishes, etc. My issue is that there’s so much stuff in cabinets, chests, and closets that I don’t use and need to donate, but my brain gets overwhelmed and I end up with decision fatigue. I donated an entire car load yesterday and it barely made a dent. I’m working my way through though. Thanks for sharing ❤
It's one less car load you have to deal with. 💖 One step at a time, one shelf at a time, one drawer at a time. You're making huge progress. Go easy on yourself. x
I feel you. Decision fatigue is really a problem for me too these days. One car load is a great start!! Take one step at the the time, it does help. We did maybe seven car loads and after that it was airy and beautiful. Keep your goal in mind and make yourself a beautiful little area to rest during the time, that is my suggestion. Also keep a donation bag in the hallway and put things there when you come across things you don't want or need. Best of luck!
We are with you. I use an army duffel bag for the donation bin and there was a time I could take up five loads to the bins and still not see what I have done. It is getting there though. I focus on the clutter I see (clothes that don't fit, books/mags I'll never get around too, etc.) first rather than storage bins. If I "waste" time going through bins it is not going to reduce the size of the bin if I toss a few contents out. So visual first, it will create feel good vibe then go through containers and see if that 3 containers of hobby stuff might be nocked down to just one bin for that hobby.
I'd forgotten the 'never leave the room emptyhanded' trick. I'd bet 90% of the daily clutter I deal with would disappear if I did that, she said, staring at the lunch dishes on her desk.
It does! Also fix the area, for a couple of seconds before you leave it, makes a huge difference. Like a reset. I made it a habit...Wish my husband would do the same. 😅
I love the “box it all up” method and that’s before I knew it was a thing. Back when I was new to decluttering (in fact, I really didn’t understand the concept), every room in my home was a mess! I was so sick of it that I ran to the supermarket and purchased black & white trash bags along as many boxes (from the market) as I could fit in my car. I went home and in each room I started boxing up stuff. Clothes went in the white bags, trash went in the black bags and anything left over went into the boxes. I did not take anything to its “home/rightful place” because my home was so chaotic that nothing had a home, except for any dishes/silverware that I found. I worked fast and made quick decisions. I did this in one weekend, in every room of my house. I piled the boxes in a corner of the room where I packed it, clothes went by the back door so I could sort to wash it. I also took out lots of trash. This gave me quick wins because I could see…and vacuum the floors, and it got the piles of stuff into boxes, be that as haphazard as it was. Then every night, after work, I would go through a box or two plus do at least one load of laundry. While sorting, I then made the decision to donate, trash or keep…and if it was a keep, I figured out where I wanted it’s home to be and would take it there right then. Since I was only doing a box or two every night, I did not get overwhelmed. I believe I ended up with 76 boxes and 8-9 bags of clothes. 😳😬😳 By the time I finished the entire project I had built my decluttering muscle and was able to go through my closets, dressers, and other storage areas and get them cleared out. I know I got rid of 40% or more of my stuff. A year or so after this I ended up purchasing a home and was able to declutter even more. It made the move so much easier! I sometimes think I still have too much…clothes, books, home decor so I continue to go through my stuff at least once a year and take a load to the donation center every month. I love your monthly decluttering list and focus on those items every month!
Unsubscribing from emails is the BEST thing I ever did. It took me maybe an hour 1 day to unsubscribe and delete everything from those places, and it takes me almost no time to manage my emails now.
The box method is like cleaning for a party and throwing crap into a closet ;)…instant ‘end results’. Also I like the box method because being trapped in a specific room (like the basement or garage or weird guest bedroom catchall room) feeling quarantined from your normal happy place never works, but taking the box and setting it in front of you in the living room with the tv on or on your patio catching some Vitamin D or wherever your go to place is, makes the process more bearable.
I… am slowly tackling a mental health hoard. You are doing AMAZING work! These videos have helped me find some motivation and more importantly, forgiveness for myself for letting it all pile up. I love the light hearted approach to something so big.
I've begun my annual Summer reset of our apartment: 🗑1 big bin bag, 🛍1 donations bag, and 3 bags of recycling♻️ so far (Tue&Wed)🥳 I took today off our place, to clean out and organise my friend's kitchen🧽🧼🤭 Including nice containers, and purged a bag of stuff too! She was amazed 😂 ... Will continue my annual big purge again tomorrow (and get it all out the door) while G goes to sport camp 9-3 💪😊
One tip that I got from Dana K. White is to have a donatable donate box - put your donation stuff in a container that will go with the donation. It both makes it easier to get rid of it, and also prevents you from going through the donation stuff again 'just in case'.
Focus on those declutter videos you can hear and don't need to see. I didn't feel I was missing out on anything visually because she explained everything so well.
I love how you endorse the box method! It's often counterintuitive to what others advise but it is so helpful to me! Sometimes, i just need the stuff to be gone, and then the box gives me the focus to do what needs to be done with those things. Keep preaching, sister! ❤
Yup, it can be a really great option when you just need the job done and, as you say, the box then feels a bit more manageable because the clutter is contained rather than spread everywhere.
Same here Laura, going through lots of papers, with the shred, trash, and keep, and coming back and not knowing which is what, and starting all over again, NOW, I tear the trash in half, shred, I rip into it. Now, there is no mistaking it for something else. This has worked well for me. Also, as you are tearing it 💪, you are showing that who's boss. 😆
Oh, Laura, this is exactly what I needed today! I’ve been feeling SO overwhelmed again, even though I have been slowly and steadily working at decluttering. This video literally brought tears to my eyes because it felt so helpful. Thank you again for your lovely ways of presenting these tips and helps. ❤
I'm just starting to declutter my home and it's truly daunting but I won't give up. The "never leave a room empty handed" is fantastic! I will start that now, thank you
Having the end result at the beginning sometimes is kinda brilliant. I desperately need some breathing room in my kitchen but just don't know where to start. As soon as I heard you say that I saw a way forward. Excellent! Thank you 😊👍
That last tip resonated so much with me. I have areas in a couple of rooms in my house that could benefit from me seeing the 'end result'. I'm going to give that box method a go for those two rooms. Thank you!
Great tips. Thank you. Decluttering photos from phone regularly is a new habit of mine. I've done the box method too, but might be guilty of hiding the box in a spare room for months...the good thing about that was that I could then declutter most of it easily as no-one had missed anything ❤
Thanks a lot for the tipps! I am watching video after video about decluttering and minimalism to reprogram my thinking. I'm hearing the same tipps over and over again, but your tipps and approach are different - new to me and so refreshing 😊 Thank you! ❤
@@HowToGYST Noted haha! I do have one chaotic room where I don't know what to tidy first and it's so full of distractions that it's tough so this may be a good use for that haha. :D Thank you for sharing!
So many excellent tips! I am watching and folding laundry while waiting for the rice steam to ding, so no time to declutter. lol There is no must do timeline to decluttering, but stopping the inflow is the most important. Totally disheartening to declutter a space only to find it looking the same a week or month later. The fire is still there when you see a space you decluttered last week is still free of clutter this week. Taking it out ASAP is also vital; I had 30 some books bagged up for donation but they sat for two weeks, this blocked up needed space to lay out other stuff as part of future decluttering.
I love your last tip, to box it all up. This is the first time I've heard this, and it really struck a chord with me. Been decluttering, but I'm too slow, making decisions. This will help tremendously! I need to see that end result, and it was taking me too long to get there. Thank you.
Excellent video! I’m glad that you addressed digital clutter. People let a bunch of photos, emails and files build up, and it can be just as overwhelming as physical clutter, and it’s easier to build up thanks to cheap disk and cloud space. While I keep my physical clutter at bay, I’m guilty of building up digital clutter. I’m currently in the process of packing for a move, but once I get in my new place, I’m blocking a day to clear out digital clutter.
Oh man... I hate re-sorting something that I'd already sorted. its typically when I've left it 'organised' in the spare room, but unexpectedly I've a visitor stay and everything gets bundled together again 🙈 Thankfully I'm down to my last 1-2 boxes to clear out.
I do the "box" method all the time, especially when company is coming over, but I've learned that I don't get back to the box (out-of sight, out of mind!), sometimes months, YEARS (oh that's where that went!)...but I still do it. Sometimes the items that were boxed are a delightful surprise to find them, other times..don't know what to do with it. I'm learning. Retraining my save-it brain. I'm going to go into my closet today, where I haven't been in a few years, and get rid of clothes I've held for 30+ years! VINTAGE!
Going through the box can definitely be a huge chore all on its own, but sometimes it’s necessary if clutter is starting to make your life unbearable and you really need a quick win to reclaim your space (and your sanity).
Ty for video. I like to use a basket, to put my clutter in as I go up and down stairs, then when time I put it away. Also I love to make a pretty bed. Quilts and all lol. So I layer bed quilts etc.. then fold nice and when making bed its 123 done.
Love this video! I do the donate box/bag method (idea from yourself) and when i get two bags (or more) I then drop them off at the charity shop. And i always say to anyone downstairs - "is there anything you can take upstairs?"
thankfully my building has a recycle box at the mailboxes so all those flyers and ads and 'junk mail' can go right in the box and doesn't even make it up to my apartment. 😸 helps me 'stem the flow'
I never thought of the box it up method, but I think I need that. I deal with depression/anxiety and my place has become overwhelming. I'm going to try this to see if helps get my butt in gear, then can use the wave method with it. Thank you so much!
One of my methods is "finish the task". I never set things down and get on to the next, set it down and go to the next, and then notice all these things sitting around and then decide to put everything away. I finish the task which is putting those things away before starting the next thing. If I open a cabinet, I close it. If I cook, I clean as I go, etc.... I put the scissors away when I finish cutting. Right back to their homes, never sit them down randomly.
I am very mindful that I bring into my home, that has helped me a lot with clutter. I even refuse free stuff if I am not going to use it, same for junk mail, it does not even enter my home.
I remember feeling overwhelmed. I found a book on Feng Shui. My husband grabbed a box. We played trash or treasure. We did one box a day. I then found FlyLady who taught me to start in the kitchen. No! I thought. My husband was excited to see the changes. I was too close to the situation to see the improvements. We rarely shop. My mail rarely comes in the house. I pay most of my bills online.
I used to use the “box method” when I had to clean up fast or move things all out of a room either for a move or because of needing to empty a room for new flooring. A few years ago I Marie kondoed everything and i had a “box of doom” in my closet from my childhood that i didn’t know what was in it.. when i opened it it was literally all stuff to just throw out/recycle. There was even a soda can in there from my childhood. 😂 I do still use that method.. but i don’t put obvious trash to deal with later. Everything else can be okay to box/bag to deal with later. I think it definitely helps to minimize being overwhelmed when things are contained a bit.
Great tips! Lack of a timely exit strategy is definitely my biggest obstacle. I can usually commit to boxing things up but feel like I have to wait to make sure I don’t miss anything before being able to let it go. Sometimes the stuff will sit there for months! Drives me crazy. But at least it’s an ongoing WIP.
You could create a box that's like a "holding station" for those things. Somewhere out of the way, like in a laundry area. That's for the "wait and see" stuff, and then you can have regular days where you donate, like the last day of every month. And then have a regular donation box for stuff you know you want to get rid of immediately.
@@HowToGYST thank you, that’s great food for thought. I have a not sure I want to donate “holding cell” for things separate from active donation piles, but what I don’t have is a category for “stuff I know I’m going to donate but still have uncomfortable feelings surrounding.” Those are the ones that hold me up. It had never occurred to me before now to separate those aside in their own box so I can get the unemotional stuff out immediately! Awesome :)
My girls are gone till mid September so i can tackle the attic. BUT some idiot hit my car so now I'm dealing with that. Then my mom fell so i need to keep an eye on her... things are crazy! No attic clean up for now.
I did the box metod when my kids were yunger. BUT I told my family in advanced that Saturday morning I will put all clutter in a box and put it out in the garage and Next Friday I will give it to Good will. They didn”t take it seriously in the beginning but when their stuff started to disappere they started to declutter. Before I did this it took twice the time to declutter than to clean. After maybe a month I only had to pick up my own stuff and clean. Soo Nice. If nobody misses anything of what’s in the box it can go straight to Goodwill, right? Because then we have too much stuff…
I made the decision yesterday if tags were attached and I have never used it, it’s getting donated for charity raffles in my community. No more saving something for a special purpose occasion. Use it or donate it.
It can depend on how long you’ve had it but certainly a good indication that it may be time to part with it. And wonderful to donate to a worthy cause. 💖
My mum (CoTyrone farmer's daughter) always used to tell us not to go up the stairs with our 2 arms the one length! In other words, take stuff upstairs with you and put it away, because you're going there anyway.
In our NY state home we had a staircase on which mom would place items + clothes. I remember her saying, Don't go up empty-handed. As a creative person, who is now getting into collage, I am always grabbing flyers + magazines for potential projects. I suffer from bringing stuff home. Colors and magazine 'headlines" attract me. I also photograph. In 2021 I noticed how stuff - particularly masks - was in store parking lots. I began bringing items home - to photograph. Laura, or the community, does anyone have suggestions as to how to put blinders on? It's as if I am bringing lost cats home.
It helps me to ask myself if I'm done with the previous stuff first. Instead of borrowing another book from the library, adding a new item to my cart, etc. I ask if I already have a similar thing sitting at home that I haven't yet used. The same may be helpful for you. Before you pick up another item, ask yourself if you've used the items you already have at home.
I have often dreamed of the box method on my whole dang house. 😂 Not realistic but I definitely have some spaces with a lot is miscellaneous and homeless items and I think that would combine will with that. And you could even toss obvious trash and put the stuff that has homes away in the process. I know decisions are really hard with me. So handling the known items or the easy stuff helps me but I often am ended with those odd ball things that are mentally a lot to deal with. And due to my brain exploding I am not always in the right headspace for all the decisions all at once. I can't even hear my self tho k in this house and have a lot of interruptions.
So with you that decluttering isn't done until it if off your property! I've currently got a double duvet, a sleeping bag and 3 pillows sitting in an old duvet cover awaiting disposal and it is annoying me every time I see the b****y thing! My excuse is no car so have to work out how to get that much bulk by walking or bus to the local charity shops! Trying to channel annoyance into movement - wish me luck!!
People who've never gotten to the last resort have no idea how nice it is to be able to say, "I've struck FLOOR!" If it takes boxing things up in order to be able to stand on empty floor, it is well worth it.
Wait! I have to declutter ALL THE MORE, because i started buying LOTS of cheap things i thought, and hope will improve my home. If you don't engage with Temu, good for you and stay away! As for me, i have to make space for all my new stuff. * bangs head against wall *
This made me tear up! I stay on top of things like laundry, dishes, etc. My issue is that there’s so much stuff in cabinets, chests, and closets that I don’t use and need to donate, but my brain gets overwhelmed and I end up with decision fatigue. I donated an entire car load yesterday and it barely made a dent. I’m working my way through though. Thanks for sharing ❤
It's one less car load you have to deal with. 💖 One step at a time, one shelf at a time, one drawer at a time. You're making huge progress. Go easy on yourself. x
I feel you. Decision fatigue is really a problem for me too these days. One car load is a great start!! Take one step at the the time, it does help. We did maybe seven car loads and after that it was airy and beautiful. Keep your goal in mind and make yourself a beautiful little area to rest during the time, that is my suggestion. Also keep a donation bag in the hallway and put things there when you come across things you don't want or need. Best of luck!
Yes, a beautiful place to rest is a great tip!
We are with you. I use an army duffel bag for the donation bin and there was a time I could take up five loads to the bins and still not see what I have done. It is getting there though. I focus on the clutter I see (clothes that don't fit, books/mags I'll never get around too, etc.) first rather than storage bins. If I "waste" time going through bins it is not going to reduce the size of the bin if I toss a few contents out. So visual first, it will create feel good vibe then go through containers and see if that 3 containers of hobby stuff might be nocked down to just one bin for that hobby.
I'd forgotten the 'never leave the room emptyhanded' trick. I'd bet 90% of the daily clutter I deal with would disappear if I did that, she said, staring at the lunch dishes on her desk.
It's deceptively simple and so effective!
It does! Also fix the area, for a couple of seconds before you leave it, makes a huge difference. Like a reset. I made it a habit...Wish my husband would do the same. 😅
I love the “box it all up” method and that’s before I knew it was a thing. Back when I was new to decluttering (in fact, I really didn’t understand the concept), every room in my home was a mess! I was so sick of it that I ran to the supermarket and purchased black & white trash bags along as many boxes (from the market) as I could fit in my car. I went home and in each room I started boxing up stuff. Clothes went in the white bags, trash went in the black bags and anything left over went into the boxes. I did not take anything to its “home/rightful place” because my home was so chaotic that nothing had a home, except for any dishes/silverware that I found. I worked fast and made quick decisions. I did this in one weekend, in every room of my house. I piled the boxes in a corner of the room where I packed it, clothes went by the back door so I could sort to wash it. I also took out lots of trash. This gave me quick wins because I could see…and vacuum the floors, and it got the piles of stuff into boxes, be that as haphazard as it was. Then every night, after work, I would go through a box or two plus do at least one load of laundry. While sorting, I then made the decision to donate, trash or keep…and if it was a keep, I figured out where I wanted it’s home to be and would take it there right then. Since I was only doing a box or two every night, I did not get overwhelmed. I believe I ended up with 76 boxes and 8-9 bags of clothes. 😳😬😳 By the time I finished the entire project I had built my decluttering muscle and was able to go through my closets, dressers, and other storage areas and get them cleared out. I know I got rid of 40% or more of my stuff. A year or so after this I ended up purchasing a home and was able to declutter even more. It made the move so much easier! I sometimes think I still have too much…clothes, books, home decor so I continue to go through my stuff at least once a year and take a load to the donation center every month. I love your monthly decluttering list and focus on those items every month!
Unsubscribing from emails is the BEST thing I ever did. It took me maybe an hour 1 day to unsubscribe and delete everything from those places, and it takes me almost no time to manage my emails now.
It's amazing how much time it saves!
The box method is like cleaning for a party and throwing crap into a closet ;)…instant ‘end results’. Also I like the box method because being trapped in a specific room (like the basement or garage or weird guest bedroom catchall room) feeling quarantined from your normal happy place never works, but taking the box and setting it in front of you in the living room with the tv on or on your patio catching some Vitamin D or wherever your go to place is, makes the process more bearable.
Yes, keeping a box beside the couch is helpful, especially papers, old photos, etc. Things can be processed a bit at a time during an ad break.
I agree!
I… am slowly tackling a mental health hoard. You are doing AMAZING work! These videos have helped me find some motivation and more importantly, forgiveness for myself for letting it all pile up. I love the light hearted approach to something so big.
I've begun my annual Summer reset of our apartment: 🗑1 big bin bag, 🛍1 donations bag, and 3 bags of recycling♻️ so far (Tue&Wed)🥳
I took today off our place, to clean out and organise my friend's kitchen🧽🧼🤭 Including nice containers, and purged a bag of stuff too! She was amazed 😂 ... Will continue my annual big purge again tomorrow (and get it all out the door) while G goes to sport camp 9-3 💪😊
Sounds great, Hannah! Huge progress. 👏
@@HowToGYST thank you!! 😊 Your course helped me so much 💗 I'm re-watching it for inspo to keep me going and remind me of categories to attack next 💡😘
One tip that I got from Dana K. White is to have a donatable donate box - put your donation stuff in a container that will go with the donation. It both makes it easier to get rid of it, and also prevents you from going through the donation stuff again 'just in case'.
Oh yes, all mine go in cardboard boxes. I save any I need from deliveries we get. 🙂
This is where I'm at. This was very affirming and encouraging! Thank you! ☘️
Oooo
With videos like these I’m instantly wanting to get up and declutter, but then again I want to watch the video!! Funny how it works as motivation
Save and re-watch. 😉
Focus on those declutter videos you can hear and don't need to see. I didn't feel I was missing out on anything visually because she explained everything so well.
I love how you endorse the box method! It's often counterintuitive to what others advise but it is so helpful to me! Sometimes, i just need the stuff to be gone, and then the box gives me the focus to do what needs to be done with those things. Keep preaching, sister! ❤
Yup, it can be a really great option when you just need the job done and, as you say, the box then feels a bit more manageable because the clutter is contained rather than spread everywhere.
Same here Laura, going through lots of papers, with the shred, trash, and keep, and coming back and not knowing which is what, and starting all over again, NOW, I tear the trash in half, shred, I rip into it. Now, there is no mistaking it for something else. This has worked well for me.
Also, as you are tearing it 💪, you are showing that who's boss. 😆
Great tip if you can't deal with the papers straight away!
Oh, Laura, this is exactly what I needed today! I’ve been feeling SO overwhelmed again, even though I have been slowly and steadily working at decluttering. This video literally brought tears to my eyes because it felt so helpful. Thank you again for your lovely ways of presenting these tips and helps. ❤
I hope at least one of the tips helps you feel a little more in control. 💖 And remember how much progress you’ve already made.
I'm just starting to declutter my home and it's truly daunting but I won't give up. The "never leave a room empty handed" is fantastic! I will start that now, thank you
Having the end result at the beginning sometimes is kinda brilliant. I desperately need some breathing room in my kitchen but just don't know where to start. As soon as I heard you say that I saw a way forward. Excellent! Thank you 😊👍
Best of luck! Hope it gives you the breathing space you need. 💖
That last tip resonated so much with me. I have areas in a couple of rooms in my house that could benefit from me seeing the 'end result'. I'm going to give that box method a go for those two rooms. Thank you!
Great tips. Thank you. Decluttering photos from phone regularly is a new habit of mine. I've done the box method too, but might be guilty of hiding the box in a spare room for months...the good thing about that was that I could then declutter most of it easily as no-one had missed anything ❤
Thanks a lot for the tipps! I am watching video after video about decluttering and minimalism to reprogram my thinking. I'm hearing the same tipps over and over again, but your tipps and approach are different - new to me and so refreshing 😊
Thank you! ❤
Having the end first might actually help me. Thank you.
Use with caution. 😉 But I’ve found it extremely helpful when things feel completely chaotic and it’s having a negative impact on my daily life.
@@HowToGYST Noted haha! I do have one chaotic room where I don't know what to tidy first and it's so full of distractions that it's tough so this may be a good use for that haha. :D
Thank you for sharing!
So many excellent tips! I am watching and folding laundry while waiting for the rice steam to ding, so no time to declutter. lol There is no must do timeline to decluttering, but stopping the inflow is the most important. Totally disheartening to declutter a space only to find it looking the same a week or month later. The fire is still there when you see a space you decluttered last week is still free of clutter this week. Taking it out ASAP is also vital; I had 30 some books bagged up for donation but they sat for two weeks, this blocked up needed space to lay out other stuff as part of future decluttering.
I love your last tip, to box it all up. This is the first time I've heard this, and it really struck a chord with me. Been decluttering, but I'm too slow, making decisions. This will help tremendously! I need to see that end result, and it was taking me too long to get there. Thank you.
Hope it helps give you a boost.
Wave eroding a way the massive cliff.... Beautiful image. ❤
A lifelong endeavour over here but the image often keeps me going. 🌊
Excellent video! I’m glad that you addressed digital clutter. People let a bunch of photos, emails and files build up, and it can be just as overwhelming as physical clutter, and it’s easier to build up thanks to cheap disk and cloud space. While I keep my physical clutter at bay, I’m guilty of building up digital clutter. I’m currently in the process of packing for a move, but once I get in my new place, I’m blocking a day to clear out digital clutter.
I agree with all this. Thks. It verified my methods were good.
Wuhoo!
You are so delightful.
Thank you! I need to work on seeing it through the end. I definitely have things that need to be dealt with. The reminder is helpful!
It'll make such a difference!
Oh I box the stuff but forget (accidentally on purpose) to empty them 🤦♀️🤷♀️🤭🤣 Great tips as always. Have a great week. Mary, Joes wife 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐🐕🦺
Oh man... I hate re-sorting something that I'd already sorted. its typically when I've left it 'organised' in the spare room, but unexpectedly I've a visitor stay and everything gets bundled together again 🙈 Thankfully I'm down to my last 1-2 boxes to clear out.
WUHOO! That finish line is sooo close!
I do the "box" method all the time, especially when company is coming over, but I've learned that I don't get back to the box (out-of sight, out of mind!), sometimes months, YEARS (oh that's where that went!)...but I still do it. Sometimes the items that were boxed are a delightful surprise to find them, other times..don't know what to do with it.
I'm learning. Retraining my save-it brain. I'm going to go into my closet today, where I haven't been in a few years, and get rid of clothes I've held for 30+ years! VINTAGE!
Going through the box can definitely be a huge chore all on its own, but sometimes it’s necessary if clutter is starting to make your life unbearable and you really need a quick win to reclaim your space (and your sanity).
The labyrinth door knockers though ❤️
Amazing video! So focus on the essential useful big guidelines! Merciii!
De rien! 💖
Laura, I really found this helpful. Thank you.
Cheers
💖 This makes me so happy!
Ty I will use the box method.
Hope it helps!
Ty for video. I like to use a basket, to put my clutter in as I go up and down stairs, then when time I put it away. Also I love to make a pretty bed. Quilts and all lol. So I layer bed quilts etc.. then fold nice and when making bed its 123 done.
Stair baskets can be a great option. 😁
Love this video! I do the donate box/bag method (idea from yourself) and when i get two bags (or more) I then drop them off at the charity shop. And i always say to anyone downstairs - "is there anything you can take upstairs?"
Sounds like you've got a really great system going. 😁
thankfully my building has a recycle box at the mailboxes so all those flyers and ads and 'junk mail' can go right in the box and doesn't even make it up to my apartment. 😸 helps me 'stem the flow'
Wonderful! I walk straight to the recycling as soon as I pick up our post.
That is brilliant. I’ve often thought about designing a mailbox with a built in shredder😂😂😂
Patent it immediately! 😂
Wave method! Erosion! These are words of hope. Thank you. Bless ya.
✨
I never thought of the box it up method, but I think I need that. I deal with depression/anxiety and my place has become overwhelming. I'm going to try this to see if helps get my butt in gear, then can use the wave method with it. Thank you so much!
Yesss! The box and wave methods are a powerful combo.
Hi you have come along way watching on tv pop in to send my blessings 💪🏻💕🙏🏻🤝💝and learn some new tips 😅
*nods*, good advice. Thank you. 😊👍🏻
Glad it was helpful!
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One of my methods is "finish the task". I never set things down and get on to the next, set it down and go to the next, and then notice all these things sitting around and then decide to put everything away. I finish the task which is putting those things away before starting the next thing. If I open a cabinet, I close it. If I cook, I clean as I go, etc.... I put the scissors away when I finish cutting. Right back to their homes, never sit them down randomly.
Yes! I'm a granny and I forget so I write notes lol
I have a terrible memory so I set reminders on my phone for lots of things. 😂
I think these are useful doable tips that I will use. I like the skeleton in the background. It made me smile.
Jack likes to chill out in my office. 💀😂
I am very mindful that I bring into my home, that has helped me a lot with clutter.
I even refuse free stuff if I am not going to use it, same for junk mail, it does not even enter my home.
I remember feeling overwhelmed. I found a book on Feng Shui. My husband grabbed a box. We played trash or treasure. We did one box a day. I then found FlyLady who taught me to start in the kitchen. No! I thought. My husband was excited to see the changes. I was too close to the situation to see the improvements. We rarely shop. My mail rarely comes in the house. I pay most of my bills online.
haha i see your knockers! love them! still searching for the board game.
I think it came from a book store. I know that's not very helpful but maybe try a large one near you.
i needed this
Hope it helps.
I used to use the “box method” when I had to clean up fast or move things all out of a room either for a move or because of needing to empty a room for new flooring. A few years ago I Marie kondoed everything and i had a “box of doom” in my closet from my childhood that i didn’t know what was in it.. when i opened it it was literally all stuff to just throw out/recycle. There was even a soda can in there from my childhood. 😂 I do still use that method.. but i don’t put obvious trash to deal with later. Everything else can be okay to box/bag to deal with later. I think it definitely helps to minimize being overwhelmed when things are contained a bit.
Yes, it's a great last resort to tackle an overwhelming space quickly.
Great tips! Lack of a timely exit strategy is definitely my biggest obstacle. I can usually commit to boxing things up but feel like I have to wait to make sure I don’t miss anything before being able to let it go. Sometimes the stuff will sit there for months! Drives me crazy. But at least it’s an ongoing WIP.
You could create a box that's like a "holding station" for those things. Somewhere out of the way, like in a laundry area. That's for the "wait and see" stuff, and then you can have regular days where you donate, like the last day of every month. And then have a regular donation box for stuff you know you want to get rid of immediately.
@@HowToGYST thank you, that’s great food for thought. I have a not sure I want to donate “holding cell” for things separate from active donation piles, but what I don’t have is a category for “stuff I know I’m going to donate but still have uncomfortable feelings surrounding.” Those are the ones that hold me up. It had never occurred to me before now to separate those aside in their own box so I can get the unemotional stuff out immediately! Awesome :)
Yay! Hopefully that helps you make progress. 💖
@@HowToGYST so far so good!! :D
My girls are gone till mid September so i can tackle the attic. BUT some idiot hit my car so now I'm dealing with that. Then my mom fell so i need to keep an eye on her... things are crazy! No attic clean up for now.
I did the box metod when my kids were yunger. BUT I told my family in advanced that Saturday morning I will put all clutter in a box and put it out in the garage and Next Friday I will give it to Good will. They didn”t take it seriously in the beginning but when their stuff started to disappere they started to declutter. Before I did this it took twice the time to declutter than to clean. After maybe a month I only had to pick up my own stuff and clean. Soo Nice. If nobody misses anything of what’s in the box it can go straight to Goodwill, right? Because then we have too much stuff…
It's incredible how much time and effort you can save with cleaning and tidying when you declutter first.
I made the decision yesterday if tags were attached and I have never used it, it’s getting donated for charity raffles in my community. No more saving something for a special purpose occasion. Use it or donate it.
It can depend on how long you’ve had it but certainly a good indication that it may be time to part with it. And wonderful to donate to a worthy cause. 💖
That was the effect of COVID for me. Online shopping!
My mum (CoTyrone farmer's daughter) always used to tell us not to go up the stairs with our 2 arms the one length! In other words, take stuff upstairs with you and put it away, because you're going there anyway.
Oh my gosh, I love that saying so much!
I have to giggle a bit at number 2 because I already don't leave my room in general 😂
😂 It might take a little longer in that case. 😉
@@HowToGYSTgotta force myself to make an effort 😋
In our NY state home we had a staircase on which mom would place items + clothes. I remember her saying, Don't go up empty-handed.
As a creative person, who is now getting into collage, I am always grabbing flyers + magazines for potential projects. I suffer from bringing stuff home. Colors and magazine 'headlines" attract me. I also photograph. In 2021 I noticed how stuff - particularly masks - was in store parking lots. I began bringing items home - to photograph. Laura, or the community, does anyone have suggestions as to how to put blinders on? It's as if I am bringing lost cats home.
It helps me to ask myself if I'm done with the previous stuff first. Instead of borrowing another book from the library, adding a new item to my cart, etc. I ask if I already have a similar thing sitting at home that I haven't yet used. The same may be helpful for you. Before you pick up another item, ask yourself if you've used the items you already have at home.
Yes paper I shred right away now 😂man
My main issue is paper, books and magazines.
Definitely difficult categories. I donate my books and magazines and it makes me feel better to know that someone else will get to enjoy them.
I have often dreamed of the box method on my whole dang house. 😂 Not realistic but I definitely have some spaces with a lot is miscellaneous and homeless items and I think that would combine will with that. And you could even toss obvious trash and put the stuff that has homes away in the process. I know decisions are really hard with me. So handling the known items or the easy stuff helps me but I often am ended with those odd ball things that are mentally a lot to deal with. And due to my brain exploding I am not always in the right headspace for all the decisions all at once. I can't even hear my self tho k in this house and have a lot of interruptions.
Choose a space that really hinders you on a daily basis and box up that clutter!
So with you that decluttering isn't done until it if off your property! I've currently got a double duvet, a sleeping bag and 3 pillows sitting in an old duvet cover awaiting disposal and it is annoying me every time I see the b****y thing! My excuse is no car so have to work out how to get that much bulk by walking or bus to the local charity shops! Trying to channel annoyance into movement - wish me luck!!
Maybe a local charity will collect? Or a helpful neighbour or friend will do a drop off for you? Good luck!
I wish I could take a picture of my mess! I plan on tackling it when my daughter is on vacation and my husband isn't home. I dont need the comments!
Take the picture! You don't need to show it to anyone, and it will serve as a great 'before' photo.
People who've never gotten to the last resort have no idea how nice it is to be able to say, "I've struck FLOOR!" If it takes boxing things up in order to be able to stand on empty floor, it is well worth it.
It takes years or decades to accumulate all the clutter. No need to try and get rid of it within one weekend.
Wait! I have to declutter ALL THE MORE, because i started buying LOTS of cheap things i thought, and hope will improve my home. If you don't engage with Temu, good for you and stay away! As for me, i have to make space for all my new stuff. * bangs head against wall *
You don’t have to make space for it if you don’t want to. Return or donate. 💖
Urgh! Paper clutter and filing is my arch nemesis! I also feel that people tgink that once youve decluttered thats it..but its an ongoing thing.
Still a lot to do (decoration...)
To-do lists are never-ending. But that's half the fun of life.
I noticed your microwave numbers going crazy check make sure it not a hazard ❤
It's just the way they show up on camera.
Ok😅watching again on tv pushing through I think the bottom of the summer lol😂
Yes my head been hurting g too but im taking breaks and determined to get rid of more
"Get your projects lined up"
I'm going to get a box and put....later gator!
😂 Love it!
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Work hard, spend it on a bunch of stuff that you then declutter, rinse, repeat - and we wonder why the planet is in such sad shape.
Breaking that cycle.