by kathilipp | Jan 19, 2015 | Clutter Free, Guest Blog, Uncategorized |
When Facing Your Clutter Feels Too Overwhelming by Cheri Gregory
- “You over-react to everything.”
I’ve heard these accusations all my life. I’ve also been labeled
For four-and-a-half decades, I thought there was something very wrong with me.
That I was defective.
Beyond repair.
Then, I read Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking and learned that I’m not defective, just different.
I’m an HSP: .
HSPs and Clutter
According to “16 Habits of Highly Sensitive People,” an HSP is likely to
- be overwhelmed by strong sensory input. (i.e. visual, auditory, etc.)
- be bothered by intense stimuli, like loud noises or chaotic scenes.
- feel more deeply.
- be more emotionally reactive.
- take longer to make decisions.
- become more upset if she makes a “bad” or “wrong” decision.
- take criticism more personally and experience its effects more strongly.
De-cluttering can trigger every one of these, causing me to over-react, shut down, or both. (Sometimes simultaneously!)
I’ve learned that in order to stay out of the “Overwhelmed Zone” while de-cluttering, I need two things: awareness and an HSP-specific plan.
Awareness
In Clutter Free, Kathi says,
Owning is not bad. But we must understand that there is a price to be paid for everything we own. Owning too much chips away at our freedom.
HSPs can pay a higher-than-average price for owning to much stuff, and the de-cluttering process can be especially stressful.
For years, I felt blind-sided by my own reactions to the de-cluttering process, even though they happened every time I tried. When I started to accept and even predict them, they became far more manageable.
Every time I de-clutter, I have three main reactions:
- The visual chaos becomes over-stimulating. Suddenly.
- Sorting through my stuff evokes emotions. BIG emotions.
- Deciding what to keep and what to toss takes time. Lots of time.
An HSP-Specific Plan
When I de-clutter, I give myself these permissions and reminders:
- DO start small. Set a timer and do what you can in a short time span. Then take a break.
Don’t force yourself to keep going–that break is vital. (And whatever you do, don’t haul everything out of a closet and spread it out all over the room to “force” yourself to deal with it all!)
- DO acknowledge your feelings. De-cluttering is a loss process. Every item has a story; much of your stuff holds memories. Honor your heart even as you let go.
Don’t get stuck in guilt or shame. You don’t have to keep gifts to “prove” that you love the giver. You don’t have to hang on to old purchases to “punish” yourself for spending so much money.
- DO develop criteria ahead of time. This prevents analysis paralysis. For example, deciding “If I haven’t worn it in ___ months, out it goes!” puts you in an objective frame of mind.
Don’t force yourself to make big decisions on the spot. It’s okay to say, “I’m not ready” about an area or an item. It’s okay to move on for now and come back.
Finding What Works for You
Every HSP is unique. Make your own lists so you can become aware of what happens for you…and what works for you.
Be sure to check back next Monday, when several special guests will share their HSP Clutter Free stories and tips!
Wonder if you, too, might be an HSP? Subscribe to Cheri’s blog and receive your FREE “HSP–Who, Me?” PDF.
Are you ready to be Clutter Free? Start the 21-Day Clutter Free challenge! Sign up now!
by kathilipp | Jan 15, 2015 | Clutter Free, Guest Blog |
A year ago we moved into a wonderful home after living in a tiny apartment for three and a half years. I had visions of making this place a home, but we ended up dumping boxes on the floor and leaving them there. When people came to visit, I picked up all the stuff around the common living areas, stuffed it into grocery bags, and hid the bags next to the boxes in my master bedroom making sure to keep the door closed. 
It isn’t fun to sleep surrounded by chaos, but any time I would set out to clean things up, I was so overwhelmed not knowing where to start or what to do with all of the things in the piles on the floor. I’d end up literally feeling exhausted and take a nap. The chaos was like kryptonite defeating my best plans.
Reading Kathi Lipp’s Clutter Free gave me the information I needed to not only deal with the physical aspect of the chaos but also understand the mental and spiritual aspects of WHY I make the choice to hold on to things or continue to believe that purchasing more stuff will make me happy. The first part of the book had such great insight that explained exactly what is flawed with my thinking about stuff. 
It’s tempting to skip this information and just get to the “how to” part of the book, but understanding the WHY was the permanent change in the way I think about everything in my house that I needed. Even though I focused on decluttering my master bedroom first, I found myself questioning the value of items I came across in every room and closet throughout the house. 
Now, I can’t help but declutter as I go about my daily routine and come across items asking myself, “Do I currently use it? Do I really love it? Would I buy it again?” Heck, I even watched my husband throw away a piece of equipment when he finally admitted that it wasn’t worth keeping around because when he did try to use it, it only worked half of the time.
I spend my time blogging and speaking to women about identifying their priorities and arranging their lives to reflect those priorities. Whether it’s Christmas, your New Year’s goals, or how you want to raise your children, when you identify what means the most to you, you realize what DOESN’T and you can get rid of those things. Kathi hit it on the head when she wrote:
At some point, we need to end some things so we can hold on to the things that are most important to us. And when we define the things that are truly important to us, we can start recognizing the things that are not important to us and eliminate those things from our life.
Once I got that concept regarding my stuff, the chaos no longer had control over me. I had the power to look at sections of my house and attack them with the game plan Kathi explains so simply.
This book isn’t about micromanaging the possessions we have, it’s about not letting the emotional aspect of the possessions run our lives. Because of understanding the “why” and learning the “how to” that is in Clutter Free, I know what to keep and what to give away. It’s freeing and now when I go to bed, instead of being surrounded by boxes, bags, and stress, I’m surrounded by peace, comfort, and beauty.
You can find out more about Luna at her website!
Are you ready to be Clutter Free? Start the 21-Day Clutter Free challenge! Sign up now!
by kathilipp | Jan 14, 2015 | Clutter Free, Guest Blog |
Our post today contains Mary Lou Caskey’s testimonial about Clutter Free.
“Kathi, thank you so much for your book, Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space.
You shine in so many areas, including encouraging others with God’s Grace, making changes from the inside-out and making things FUN!
I appreciate how the book is written from someone who understands the struggle! The book is filled with GOLDEN NUGGETS that honestly relate to so many areas of life, not just clutter!
Your teaching and tips resonate with me and have made a difference in my life. For example, in just one 15 minute project alone, I received peace, clarity, freedom, hope and so much more.
I had stacks of “ideas” that were costing me time and mental energy to go through each time I needed to find an idea! You will see from the photos that I now have a “clean slate” to work with. Thank you!”
Here is Mary Lou’s before picture of her desk:
Here is picture of Mary Lou’s desk after she spent a little bit of time decluttering:
If you want to read more about Mary Lou’s experience with Clutter Free, visit her blog!
Mary Lou Caskey trains Christian coaches and communicators to influence hearts through the power of story. If you want to become a transformative story-teller, click here to connect with Mary Lou and get her free quiz, “Is It the Best Time to Share a Personal Story?”
Are you ready to be Clutter Free? Start the 21-Day Clutter Free challenge! Sign up now!
by kathilipp | Jan 13, 2015 | Clutter Free, Clutter Free Podcast, Podcast |
We hold to our mantra: Clutter Free in 2015!
In the past few weeks, everyone has jumped on the clutter free bandwagon (no, really, there are more than 5,000 women signed up for the 21 day Clutter Free challenge). We are so excited about this, because we know how crippling clutter can be. But, as we’ve begun to declutter, many questions have come up:
– What sort of system works to start decluttering?
– How do you go about giving away and selling your items?
– How do you decide which items to get rid of?
Listen in as Kathi answers those questions and more and get started to be clutter free in 2015!
ALSO, I want to personally invite you to become a So Here’s the Thing Insider. Those in the Insider’s Club will get exclusives including:
- Podcast at least one day before it’s available to the public
- Freebies from our guests that only Insiders will get
- Opportunities to suggest topics and guests for future podcast episodes
- Exclusive discounts and offers
- Exciting Insider look at the conversation between me and my guests during the “after show“!
To become an insider, simply sign up here!
Purchase Clutter Free – Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space now!
Erin MacPherson lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Cameron, her sons Joey and Will and her daughter Kate. She is the author of “The Christian Mama’s Guide Series“, a staff writer for Dun & Bradstreet and a freelancer for publications like Thriving Family Magazine, MOPS MomSense, FamilyLife Magazine, Daily Guideposts and BEMag. She blogs about her life, her kids and her faith at ChristianMamasGuide.com.
by kathilipp | Jan 12, 2015 | Clutter Free, Guest Blog, Me |
I hate her.
As I stare at the boxes of belongings going to the Goodwill, I hate the woman who bought all this stuff in the first place.
My past self.
What were you thinking?!? I demand.
This, of course, is the heart of the problem.
I wasn’t thinking when I bought all this stuff.
I was longing.
Longing to be.
I felt an endless ache for be-longing.
So I bought easily into the lie: You can buy in order to become!
Through the years, I’ve purchased dozens (perhaps hundreds!) of versions of myself.
My boxes of belongings are like the Barbie isle at Toys R Us:
The piles of card stock, drawers of punches, and boxes of photo albums still in shrinkwrap?
Scrapping Cheri.
The mandoline with fifteen attachments, the ice cream cookie sandwich maker, and that 20-year-old stack of brand-new cookbooks?
Cooking Cheri.
Yoga mat, Denise Austin DVDs, and NIB cross-training shoes?
Fit-n-Fabulous Cheri.
You won’t find evidence of Awful Evil Cheri in any of these boxes.
No, the problem is far more subtle.
The problem is that I’ve bought so many versions of myself, I haven’t been able to find my self.
My one self.
The woman God created me to be.
I’ve tried on so many different lives that I’ve failed to live my own.
Trapped by Belongings
I tried to satisfy my be-longings with belongings.
But my excess belongings ended up owning me.
My excess belongings have taken
My excess belongings have stolen everything I need to discover who I truly am.
Free to Be
But here’s the good news:
As I surrender excess external belongings, internal transformation is occurring.
I’m noticing two things in particular:
1) I’m admitting who I am not.
I’m not a scrapper or gourmet cook or athlete.
Or any of the other versions of me represented by the stuff in my boxes of belongings.
I didn’t really long to be any of them
My longing went far deeper.
I longed to belong.
2) I’m finding space to be me.
I’m finding where I belong.
And to Whom I belong.
“Quite simply, every piece of clutter I give away gets me closer to the life I’m designed to live. One of peace. One of freedom.” (Pg. 35)
The more clutter you release, the better you can hear God’s call on your heart.
You’ll find that he’s not a cruel circus master, demanding that you live dozens (or hundreds!) of lives.
He’s a loving, rescuing shepherd.
Who will lead you into a spacious place.
Where you belong. With Him.
And where you can live your one life well.
Are you ready to be Clutter Free? Start the 21-Day Clutter Free challenge! Sign up now!
by kathilipp | Jan 7, 2015 | Clutter Free, Guest Blog, The Get Organized Project |
Are you ready to be Clutter Free? Start the 21-Day Clutter Free challenge! Sign up now!
I was thrilled to join Kathi’s launch team for Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps to Simplifying Your Space. I frequently blog about cleaning and organizing. (My blog is even named This Simple Home. Unfortunately, simple living is more of a goal than our current status.) I have a much deeper problem of STUFF. With a home overwhelmed with stuff, cleaning and organizing are futile. Kathi doesn’t just challenge and motivate us to remove the clutter from our home, she asks us to examine ourselves to get the heart of the matter of why we bring more into our homes so it can stop.
I’ve read a number of articles and books about cleaning and organizing, but Clutter Free is the first to focus upon my problem of clutter. In addition to the typical, “Do I use it? Do I love it?” questions, Kathi has added an all-important question to ask myself: “Would I buy it again?” Whether I am going through my kitchen gadgets, my children’s clothing, or my office supplies this question is key for me.
In about twenty minutes, I cleaned out my kitchen gadget drawer. Using Kathi’s three-box and two-bag system, I found 18 items to donate, 14 to trash, and 20 which needed a new home. That’s 52 items which didn’t deserve to be in one drawer!
Next, I took my boxes and bags to the basement. The whole
basement is a problem area (linked to additional photos of my reality). As Kathi suggested, I chose a smaller area to work and filled my boxes and bags.
That’s right. The cheap, white piece of furniture is missing a drawer front. Don’t worry…it’s empty. Just sitting there taking up space in the basement. It makes perfect sense, right?Yet, before long, I made some excellent progress.
This is the new area. As I work to clean the entire basement, I’m sure this desk will be a bit of a work space. After that, we’ll reevaluate its usefulness. I set the crate of children’s books in that convenient spot so I can fill it with even more book to remove from our home. The shelf has the craft items on it. This past summer we set up the shelf and purchased the plastic shoeboxes. Before that, all of that shelved items were on, under, and around the desk area. Though I haven’t labeled the plastic boxes yet, I can now find what I need.
My husband typically holds onto even more stuff than me. He may not be as enthusiastic as me, but he has surprised me at just how much he is helping by saying we can donate items we’ve been holding onto for far too long…just in case we need them. (Obviously, I related well to the chapter titled “Just in Case.”) I think we both needed Kathi’s 2,000 item clutter challenge.
Within about a week’s time, I have collected 200 items to remove from my home. (I’m keeping track on a
2,000 item printable I created. I even made a separate one for my children.) It’s invigorating. Thank you, Kathi, for writing
Clutter Free. It has truly inspired me. I can’t wait to pass it on (to keep my clutter minimal) to another who is ready to make some big changes in her life.
Annette
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An HSP-Specific Plan 
