How to Make Decluttering Easier Before You Even Start

As I write this blog, I’m mentally preparing for my upcoming surgery. Recovery is going to be hard (yes I know, I Can Do Hard Things!) so I’m preparing for that as well. I don’t have control of what my body will be feeling after the surgery, but I do have control over the environment I recover in.

With that in mind, I will be adding comforting elements to my recovery. I’ve assembled a list of movies to watch (many that I’ve seen before that I know will be comforting!) Knowing that color brings me visual comfort, I’ve styled my glassybabies in a transitional Fall palette that will subtly delight me from the background of my living room. And lastly, I’ve arranged for my closest friends (and my dad!) to come hang out in shifts the first week when doing anything is going to be really hard.

We often approach a hard thing like surgery recovery or decluttering like it’s something we just need to grit our teeth and get through, but there’s a smarter way to approach it! Let’s walk through how you can make decluttering easier before you ever sit down to do the work.

Stop Making Decluttering Feel Like Punishment

Yes, decluttering in midlife  can involve physical work, hundreds of decisions and uncomfortable emotions – boo! The first thing you can do to make decluttering easier is set your body and mind up for success. That means avoiding the following conditions:

• Decluttering when you’re hungry
• Decluttering when you’re tired
• Decluttering when you are upset (one caveat: rage decluttering can be highly effective!)

Make sure your body and mind are in a good place going in, it will really have an impact on your experience. I recommend picking your best time of day (mine is morning) to declutter, especially if you are working through the harder emotional categories like a loved one’s belongings or your grown kids’ stuff. You need your best mental energy going in, not just physical strength.

Also – decide ahead of time how long your decluttering session will be. Plan for something shorter than you think you can do. When you make the session finite, you make it manageable and you won’t dread it as much going in. If you block out an entire Saturday to declutter it feels like a sentence.

Add Something Good To Something Hard

In none of my favorite books, Atomic Habits – James Clear’s 2nd Law of Habits is ‘Make It Attractive.’ You can make decluttering easier by adding positive elements to your environment, thus making the act itself more attractive to your brain. 

How do you do this? How about popping in your ear pods and turning on a podcast or audio book? I do this when I’m working independently in a client’s home and it helps the time pass quickly. Or, if the decisions you’re making are of the tougher variety, have a comforting playlist happening in the background. Here’s one I made that you can try out!

Another bit of pleasure I like to add when I’m decluttering is a drink. Specifically, a drink that feels like a treat. Sure, you could just have your water bottle handy, but a Grande Iced Oatmilk Latte with half a pump of vanilla is SO much better!

Another idea – add a friend to the process. Not to help you do the work, necessarily – but just be there for support. This idea works best if you A) pick the right friend (no judgy ones, please) and B) keep your session on the shorter side. It can be helpful, even pleasurable to have someone there to tell your stories to. I have found that people have an easier time parting with things after they have told someone about them. It works like a release trigger of sorts. And hanging out with your friends is always fun, it really gets the dopamine flowing!

Make Today’s Decluttering Session Help Tomorrow’s

Okay you’ve taken all of my suggestions and are having a grand old time at your decluttering session. Now here’s where the magic really happens!

The marathon session that leaves you exhausted, surrounded by piles and thinking ‘what a nightmare that was!’ reinforces the resistance your brain feels the next time you go to declutter.

On the flip side, the manageable session where you went in fresh, added some positive elements and finished without burning out gives you a completely different experience. In fact, it leaves a positive imprint on your brain. So the next time (and there will be lots of next times since you are in midlife and have a lot of clutter to get through!) you will be rearing and ready to go!

Every time you prepare yourself and your environment for decluttering, you’re building mental evidence that it doesn’t have to be some awful chore that you dread. Every positive experience makes it a little easier to come back and declutter again.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Preparation sounds like such a serious word, but it’s not that deep folks! A few minutes of thinning ahead and making smart decisions before you begin makes decluttering easier. And increases the chances that you can make a habit of it.

I am not making a habit of having surgery (although I have at least one more in my future!) but I know that all the little positive elements I’ve added to my recovery will add up to less gritting of my teeth. And more positive vibes.