Dana K White
How to Start Decluttering Even When You're Overwhelmed
This is my specialty, y'all! I'm an expert at breaking through the paralyzing feeling of being overwhelmed because I have to do it regularly.
aslobcomesclean.com/book
do you ever look around your house and think I have got to get stuff out of here I've got a declutter but then when you actually try to get started decluttering you just completely freeze like you just can't do it you're just stuck that's what we're talking about today we're talking about how to get started decluttering I'm Dana K white author of decluttering at the speed of life and this is what I talk about like this is my thing because that was me like I used to be so completely overwhelmed in my home that I would try to get started and I would just think I don't I don't I don't even know I don't even know what to do how to get started any of that okay so that's what we're going to talk about I'm going to share with you both the big mindset shift that you need it sounds like a mindset shift should be easy um I know it's not so okay going into it but it I'm going to explain what that mindset shift needs to be and then I'm going to explain the Practical of actually what to do to get started in a way that will help you actually make progress and really be able to really see decluttering difference in your house okay I really think that so many times the reason why we feel Frozen and stuck is that we know what it is we want like we have the vision in our mind of what it is that we're wishing our house was but then we look around at what we're actually dealing with and we think uh I can't even imagine getting from right here where I am to right here where I want to end up and so then there becomes this moment of paralysis so what do you do when you feel that moment of fear Panic inability to do anything you just feel Frozen what do you do in that moment well the mindset shift is that you need to redefine your goal the mindset shift that you need to make is you need to redefine your goal you need to acknowledge that your goal here is to declutter your goal here is not to get organized that's the daunting part that's decision making you just need to declutter get stuff out of the house because that has to be done anyway before you can actually organize ask any organizing expert and they will tell you you got to get rid of stuff first so let's take organizing out of the equation and say I am just going to declutter that's all I'm not going to worry about problem solving I'm just going to get stuff out and know that for me when I made that mindset shift and I started getting stuff out of my house I achieved what I'd always thought I had to organize in order to achieve I was able to function in my house I was able to see what I had know what I had get to what I had all that kind of stuff just by getting the excess out so acknowledge that when you're feeling overwhelmed and stuck it's possible that you're thinking about that end goal of being organized refocus in on the right now goal which is to get stuff out to declutter along with that we're not here to rearrange stuff we're not here to stuff shift I want you to really focus in on what can I actually remove from my house so that there's less for me to deal with the less there is to deal with the less overwhelmed I'm going to feel so now let's get into the Practical what do you actually do like how do you actually get started because it's really well and good to talk about mindset shifts but what do I actually do to create that change in my house if you already know me you know what I'm going to say right grab a black trash bag I like for it to be a black trash bag because then I can't see what I just put inside of it and second guess it uh I really do mean a trash bag because the very first step in decluttering is getting the trash out of there remember that every item that leaves this space is going to make the space less visually overwhelming that feeling of being overwhelmed that you have that is contributed to you being stuck that you just don't know what to do every item Less in this space makes you feel less overwhelmed and more able to really make progress okay and more able to really tackle this area so grab a black trash bag a recycling bin if you already have one that's already established and start throwing away trash actual trash even if you're convinced that there is no way that there's trash in here start looking for trash because what that does is it gives you something to do something very specific instead of this big idea of what you want this space to be someday you are focused in on is there any Trash here is there anything here that is not a difficult decision that's not not overwhelming to me that's not anything other than me just going oh my I can't believe there's trash in here okay look for that and get rid of it so it gets you moving that is huge in this whole process but also it helps your brain start to adjust to what's actually here so you start not only looking at the pile or the closet and instead you're looking at individual items assessing is that trash or not okay and and as you do that your brain starts to adjust to what's actually here as opposed to thinking of it as a pile that probably has some big decisions I'm going to have to make in it so I'd rather just not deal with it instead you're saying no just what in this space individual items are trash and then you're seeing what else you're going to have to deal with which is going to make it easier as you keep going make sense so with every item that leaves that space as trash with zero emotions zero angst zero decision making making every item that leaves it there's a little bit less in there you start to Define what it is that you're dealing with so that as you move through the rest of the steps in the decluttering process which decluttering the speed of life my book has those in there in great detail uh organizing for the rest of us has it in succinct little with pictures thing I also have a video right here where you can go watch me work through those steps but for right now we're talking about that getting started and the power of getting started started with this step of looking for trash okay and I do want to say that I completely understand that there are some of you watching who may think I can't identify trash I look and nothing looks like trash to me even though I know there's probably trash I look and I can't here's what I'm going to tell you there's still hope for you if that's you and you are so completely stuck that you can't see the trash you can't see what's easy you can't see what obviously needs to be donated it's okay to skip ahead and just ask the decluttering questions ask the first decluttering question about every item that you pick up if I needed this item where would I look for it first if it's trash asking yourself that question very well make you realize oh this gum wrapper I would never go looking for oh that's trash so it's okay if you need to ask yourself those questions ideally you'll get to the point where you gain some momentum and you can start to identify trash sooner but if you can't ask the questions and that is a way for you to identify trash okay but if that's not you I say just start with getting the trash out the main thing I want you to remember is that when you start with the trash there is no downside there's no risk there's only success when you feel overwhelmed it's very likely because you have felt like you've failed when you've decluttered before every trash that leaves makes this space a little bit better this space being a little bit better is a little bit of success and that is going to really change how you see your house and remember putting trash in a trash bag means that you're done with that trash the only thing that has to be done is take out the trash on trash day that's it if you are putting things into the trash bag this space is only getting better my whole decluttering process is I call it the No Mess method okay it is no mess meaning you're never going to make piles you're never going to pull everything out of a space you're only ever going to make a space better by getting rid of trash as the first thing when you are completely overwhelmed by the thought of decluttering you can know that you're never going to put yourself in a worse situation you are never going to get started throwing away trash and then think oh my word what have I done now I've got this this and this responsibility I have to step away and I never should have even started that can't happen when you are just throwing away trash make sense okay I hope this was helpful if you would like a printable of my five-step decluttering process you can go to as slab cemc.com 5 FIV and sign up for my newsletter and then you can get a copy of a printable version of my 5 steps or check out my books this is a great time of year to listen to them on audio and get all that in your mind get all that in your head and work as you listen I love hearing from people who love to uh work as they listen and they tell me that they listen to them over and over sorry that's a lot of my voice sorry anyway I will talk to you later happy to cluttering bye for
#Start #Decluttering #Youre #Overwhelmed
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I joined Take Your House Back last April and it has been an amazing help for me. Although the course itself has been incredibly helpful in establishing habits and routines that make my life so much easier and satisfying, it’s Dana’s No Mess Method that has made the biggest impact for me. I used to get so overwhelmed every time I tried to organize anything, not realizing that I had to declutter FIRST. I would just end up with piles that inevitably had to be shoved back together to “take care of later.” Then it would start all over again with no progress and feeling worse than ever. Now I declutter one item at a time and deal with it, whether it goes where it belongs, to trash, or a donation bag.
What a game changer! Progress is real now, and even though I am a ladybug, sometimes I leave a cupboard door open just so I can walk by and enjoy the tidy space.
The course is worth every penny. I had watched videos from Dana, Dawn and Cas for several months before I bought the course, but it’s the structure that made all the difference for me. I can go back and read, listen to, and watch whatever I want whenever I want. It’s a very well-designed course, and new information is added on a regular basis through videos, audios and blogs. It’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made!
❤ i feel like this…I'm laying in bed on vacation…been telling my family, I am hyped to declutter….but i forgot how to to do because the last time I had a huge declutter was summer 2025….it's been almost 6 months….time to watch this again ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I’m so glad I came across this video. Thank you for sharing this
Your video didnt help at all..my things aren't trash
I have many books and all are like brand new, I am very careful turning pages. I have historical books, gardening, Art. I've donated 5 trash bag full. When library have there sales, you can donate 1 box or 1 bag. I've recently discovered that and donated. I gave Readers Digest series on the West, books about American indians, Egypt history. I have paperbacks, cozy mysteries, etc. I've tried to sell at indoor yard sell for a dollar and sold 4. Recently did another and put 50 cents and people said, lovely books but they go to library and get books and want to accumulate or spend money on a book. I've got to downsize and will take to discovery yellow bins where they say, paper, cardboard, glass, cans recyling.
I got rid of 37 and a half coffee cups don't know what happened to the other half of it lol 25 t shirts 7 pants 13 pots and pans. and basically everything in the den. 45 non read books.
I love your audio books! You made me feel so seen! When you said a can of black beans I whipped around thinking you were actually in my living room 😅
I was a perfectionist in my homemaking and I had no defense. I was hypovigiilant. They took me away. They took me away. They didn't have souls.
It took two years to be released. Unless you have had that experience, then you don't know what patience I had to endure while my health and happiness was slowly being damaged. I had to live a superficial life to get by. A superficial life just smiling the indignant treatment of being HUMAN CATTLE BECAUSE I WAS A HOMEMAKER! I was just taking care of my mom and I did a great job until they took her and out her through NURSING HOME NEGLECT! THAT'S THE PENINSULA OF GODFORSAKEN FLORIDA!
They put my mother in a different county of the state,she died without me in a hospital the same week someone rescued me in a hearing, my neighbors took power of attorney over my Godfather's life. I was not invited to his funeral by those neighbors. And, someone ended up with thousands of dollars he had in the bank.
Not enough people get together to stop being legally kidnapped for being a homemaker. It's a huge web of money making soulless individuals.
You go to school all of your life, but when you become a homemaker in Miami, you are the a sitting duck to be dragged into to legal horrors. It leads to depression, forgetfulness and risk of homelessness from the trauma. You smile patiently for your hearing and then shocked at what they say about you Abandoned while everyone else that was in your life get along with their own! Then, they want to come back to hour house and enjoy your cooking or hugs or whatever they get from the sanctity of your celestial abode and warmth. Great, right? It's a horror,!
Clutter is not bad, but once you can't find what you need or want or there's a art interpretation that is making your mood unwanted, yes, you feel overwhelmed by the decoration. You also need space to clean and mend, so it is a big job and only homemakers experience how exploited we feel not by others, but by being forced by our own home to become workaholics.
In Florida, back in 2018, they accused me of self-neglect and it was such a ridiculous twist of lies.
On the report, it said that I had too many towels and too much food. It still annoys me how the current laws in Florida are so evil when it comes to your private freedom.
Two years, they bumed me around like if I were homeless! Thousands of people in Miami were going through that. It's like incarceration. They baker acted me like three or four times because they got away with it and filled their pockets. The put in three smoke filled adult living facilities where I was scratched, slapped and had items stolen all my the same inmates.
It was unfair and horrible! It's not self-neglect, it's being treated like human cattle because there's always some prejudice idiot that thinks a person should be kept away, cared for or put away.
That's not how you take care of a person. That's how you enslave a person. They got away with it and they probably still do with people.
DO SOMETHING! IT'S NURSING HOME EVILS AND I WAS JUST 29 YEARS OLD!
This is a great video. Usually, trash is anything you feel like making arts and crafts with, collectables, and clothing you haven't worn in a week. IT'S TREASURE! It's not really trash, but you either are focused on space or focused on storage. It's more of a ratio. That's where you have to figure out what you'll do with your treasures.
The two extremes are:
Plain Simple Hotel vs. Rich Historical Museum
I lifted my bed to the side and now I have to unscrew the bolts. Otherwise, I can't take the bed out of the room, to pull out the base board from the ground. I have to be on the floor for all of that. I'll feel proud when I do that stuff, but then I get bullied saying, You're crazy, you aren't capable to do that or you waste your time, you should be doing something else and get someone else to do it. It's really horrible and evil by others to do.
When getting rid of stuff, I found piles of things that have "family historical value" like leftover invitations to grandparents 25th / 50th anniversary parties & party favors from those celebrations. On 1 hand, it would be easy to throw them out (I use the method of "has anyone touched/used/ looked at this in the past 6 months? No? Trash…) but family memorabilia … seems to not fall in that category.
Help, please. What do we do with this stuff?
Thanks for this video.. I feel so overwhelmed and watched your video and was thankful you lead me to the common sense advice that I needed to hear.. So many failures in my life.. So appreciated your encouraging common sense advice words.. I froze for months.. Hugs to you! Dana🤗
This frozen you speak of is totally me!!!!!😢 but I’m too frozen to get rid of anything.
I love the idea of looking for trash
I usually declutter then get caught up in organizing and moving things around
Then the room is amess
You’re speaking to my soul. I have a mother in law that is a hoarder and has always pushed items on us that she shopped at goodwill for. Constantly. And my husband, learning from her finds it hard to toss stuff. I’m opposite of a hoarder to a fault. I will throw stuff out that I possibly need later but idgaf. My husband wants to donate cords and put things in piles to “fix” or “donate”. I’m so tired of dealing with that so I’m on a rampage and I love this video. The more you keep it real the better. And speaking from experience, if you are ever left in charge of getting rid of somebody’s belongings in a house after they are gone… it’s so fkng traumatic. I never want to put anyone thru that when I’m gone so I’m working on things now. I crave to be a minimalist.
I just found your channel and pray you can help me. I’m drowning in “stuff” especially since our son passed 7 years ago. We moved at that time and I’ve filled this house up. I’ve tried selling but it’s moving like a snail. I’ve stopped cleaning my house the past month because I’m overwhelmed. This is not who I’ve been. I need “me” back that cleaned, was not a clutter bug! Help
This is the video I have been looking for for a month!! Just to the point for my piles that are rooms!
why am i making tea in the middle of the start of decluttering?
yup completely freeze up.
My tip is to fill a small bag of trash and put in the bin every morning before you leave the house. You should see how fast I go on bin day… no time to overthink when the garbage truck is on the way. Also when filling a bag for donation, drop it off immediately. Don’t leave it sitting around as you will end up overthinking and keep it 😂
if you like your clutter this doesn’t work it’s not trash