How do you get started decluttering when there's no room in your house to sort through your things?
This was a question I got recently in one of my workshops. The person asking the question, has a very small space, so there's not a lot of room to begin with.
They already had their own clutter and then they inherited a whole bunch of things from their relatives when they passed away.
So, now the space is overflowing with stuff.
It's hard to even move through the main living spaces, let alone trying to go into a closet and open boxes. There's just not enough room.
So, I totally get that this kind of situation is super overwhelming. Decluttering, just even thinking about decluttering is overwhelming, let alone when there's no room in the space to move around or to open up boxes.
What I recommend is to start from the center and work your way out. What's right in front of you? What's a small thing that you can work on?
If the pathways to get to and fro from your living room to your kitchen and to your bedroom, those main pathways, are blocked, then start with those. Is there something in the way? Something that got left?
This might not be the deep decluttering just yet. This might be gathering some of the recycling or working on that pile of laundry that needs to be folded or put back into the drawers. Work on whatever is right in front of you. Maybe it's clearing the coffee table or catching up on the backlog of dishes. Maybe your couch is filled with boxes or piles of things and you're having a hard time sitting on the couch.
I would start with those spaces, so you can try to create a little bit of room to move, especially in the main living space, whatever that main room is for you.
Once you carve your way through and create a little space, then you'll have a little more elbow room to take out a box and spread it out. Just do one box at a time, one small space at a time.
I hope that is helpful and helps get you started on your journey decluttering. Always remember to take kind and gentle steps towards decluttering.
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