Easy and Effective Declutter Tips for the Overwhelmed Parent (Or Anyone Really)

How often do you find yourself running a million miles an hour, overcome by anxiety and stresses of every kind, only to be met with a house that looks like the whirlwind that is your mind and life?

Studies have shown that there is a definite connection between our mental state and the state of your home.

Now before you start beating yourself up over this fact, or roll your eyes going, “thanks I’m already well aware of that Captain Obvious but I’ve got enough to worry about besides my home”, let me reassure you that you are doing the best that you can, this is not a smackdown on what you aren’t doing and how dare you not be 100% in every area of your life.

If there are piles of laundry, stacks of paper clutter, dishes in the sink, or what have you that’s in a disarray in your home, it’s called life and your home is being lived in. It happens and it’s ok.

But let me also reassure you that there are ways to lessen that burden and make your home a place that you can feel more at peace in and take greater pride in despite the craziness that is life.

Here are some declutter tips and tricks that have helped me as an overwhelmed Mama for all you parents, or people period, to help you step in the right direction towards a home that makes you sigh with relief and not defeat. 

1. Shop your home before you shop online/at a store

So often as the seasons of nature and style change, along with our own taste and season of life we’re in, we may feel the need to shop and redecorate our home to be up to date. 

But more often than not, taking the time to be more intentional by what fills our space and to start the journey of decluttering and not overconsuming is shopping our own home.

Whether that’s by going through your own decor, rearranging not only your decor but your furniture can do a world of difference and save you money and unneeded stuff stockpiling in your home.

I did this just recently and was pleasantly surprised by what I already had at my fingertips and how with a little change and creativity I was able to recreate my home, not to mention change the pace and bring in added peace. Plus I’m sure my wallet was grateful too. 

2. Schedule a regular declutter

So often we wait for the perfect time to declutter and organize our space, when in reality, if we wait for that perfect time, it’ll never come. We will find every excuse to put it off.

Choose specifically when to declutter. Whether you do a small declutter daily and choose a specific area, room, or type of clutter to tackle, or if you decide to break it down to a few times a year, do what works best for you and do it!

If you’re having a hard time trying to choose certain points of the year that you can always use as a personal point of reference to declutter, one suggestion could be in January after the Christmas holidays; this way you can go through decor before storing it away, switch out the old for the new gifts acquired and give your home a fresh start to the new year ahead.

Another suggestion could be after school ends and summer starts or at the end of summer when school and regular routine start back up again to allow that clean slate before going on any vacations or getting back into the swing of things on a better foot than before.

3. Be grateful for what you have and care for your things 

Every second you are being bombarded with what you need for your home, your family, and yourself to be better, happier, more successful, more beautiful, and the list goes on for the next best thing that you can’t possibly live on without.

We live in a timeframe where we consume so much and throw away even more without a second thought. There’s a tear, throw it out. It doesn’t work, throw it out. There’s a new version of this item, throw out the old one.

I would like to encourage you to take a moment, pause, and observe what you do have. 

Observe the character, stories, and vibrance of what you have and how it makes your space your own.

It may not all look like something out of a magazine but that’s not so much the point as it is to create a space that you can feel at peace with and that others who may enter can find solace in too.

Take care of the items you do have by fixing them up and cleaning them as necessary, utilizing any items that need some extra TLC to become a DIY project for yourself or to be tag-teamed with a family member or friend that has those kinds of skills to make it happen, or if need be, be responsible with how you discard that item from your home by being sure not to automatically throw it away but see if it can be sold, donated, or even recycled.

4. Tidy up as you go

A habit I have taken on the last few years that has helped keep some order in my home is as I finish using something, immediately putting it away.

Not letting it sit out, be discarded somewhere else, or wait until the very end of whatever I’m doing to put the whole hull away and be too tired or overwhelmed to do so.

For example, as I’m baking, if I know I’m not going to use the flour once I’ve used it, I immediately put it away. And on and on it goes with the rest of the ingredients, utensils, and other items I may be using as I bake.

That way when the baked good goes into the oven, all I have to do is clean the surfaces and maybe put away one or two things leftover, not a whole slew of ingredients and such.

It makes the task easier and so much faster to complete, plus it’s so satisfying knowing that it’s being taken care of in the moment and not later on as a whole. 

5. Don’t set things where they don’t belong

Going along with the last tip is to not put things off to the side out of convenience at the moment but to take the time to put items away in their home so to speak.

Doing this will make it easier to keep things organized, take care of the items, and make it so they don’t disappear so easily, you’ll be reassured that you know where to find things for the next time you need them. 

6. Give every item a home

I know I just went over not setting things where they don’t belong, so why bother going over giving every single item a home? Isn’t this the same topic but with different wording? Yes, but also no!

As you declutter and organize, you’ll also come to recognize how often you use items and also the use associated with each item you come across or their overall value to you and your home’s function and environment.

It’s not enough to label and buy baskets, containers, or what have you, it’s also about making a conscious choice of where things belong.

Start by either emptying a space completely and then recognizing what is most used on a regular basis and then designating what stays in that space and what doesn’t.

This way you will more consciously place those items back and not allow anything else to set up camp in that same space if it doesn’t belong. Plus it’ll make it easier to see what items stay and what has run it’s course and needs to hit the road. 

7. Do at least a 10 minute clean up before bed

Now as the day comes to a close, what gives me peace of mind as things wind down, and when I go to bed, is going to sleep knowing that my home is in order, of some kind, so that I can be at ease and go to sleep better.

Usually, after cooking or eating dinner, I like to do a quick 10 minute clean whether that’s sweeping up my kitchen/dining area, putting dishes in the dishwasher, cleaning and clearing up counters or tables, straightening up the living room or bedroom.

I encourage you to set a timer and get done a few things that you can see needs to be taken care of.

Do not take this time to do an intense deep clean and declutter session, that’ll only make you feel unnecessary stress and will have you setting unmanageable expectations of what needs to be done in that timeframe.

Instead use that time to benefit you so that as your evening goes on, you can have an internal sigh of relief and joy knowing that your place is in order and you can fully relax from the day’s demands. 

8. Be mindful about what you bring into your home – apply the 1 in, 1 out rule

Whether you are out shopping or online shopping, strive not to impulse buy. It may feel good in the moment but doing so will only leave you filling up your home and increasing stress.

I have a list that I’ve titled “potential wants” where I write down things I want as I see them or as they come to mind, but then instead of mindlessly buying them, I add them to this list and give myself a few days to 30 days to see if I really do love that item, need it, and/or have a designated use/place for that item.

That way my home doesn’t end up becoming a storage unit and get out of control for no reason. I am then more in control of my space, and it’s filled with items that have meaning, value, and use with no lingering guilt, questioning, or added stress with it.

And if you do end up bringing anything new into your home, applying the one in, one out rule is a huge help as well. So when something comes in, you find one item that isn’t serving you or your home and discard it whether by selling, donating, recycling, or throwing it out altogether. 

9. Declutter your digital clutter

Decluttering goes beyond physical clutter, our mind can be jumbled and overwhelmed even by apps, photos, emails, files, etc. inhabiting our devices. 

Take some time to go through your email and get it as close to 0 as possible or at least place your emails in their proper files so that it’s not so overwhelming seeing that huge number notification pop up.

Go through your apps and see if there are any that you either don’t use, care about, or could do without. Then go to your settings and put time limits that could help you utilize your time better towards certain apps so you’re not mindlessly scrolling. Next create specific categorized digital boxes for work, entertainment, etc. so that you know where everything is. Then finally delete what’s not serving you and to lessen your phone’s data, freeing up more space for what matters, on your phone, and with your time. 

10.  Write down your list of to-do’s 

Each night or at the end of the week, take the time to go over the next day’s/that week’s to do’s.

Then after listing out what needs to be done, break it down to when you would like to get those items accomplished.

Then once you’ve got those to-do’s categorized by days, break it down one more time to most important to least important. That way you focus on tackling the things that are most important and that require the most effort and are then left with tasks that ask too much of your brainpower.

This can be applied in any area of life, but in regards to decluttering and caring for your home, you’ll be able to manage and accomplish this with intention.

Instead of taking on your whole home in a weekend, break it down either by category or by room, and leave harder areas like sentimental items to the end once you’ve had a taste of progress and success so that it’ll be easier to take on, physically and mentally speaking. 

11.  Have a donate box 

Choose a designated box and place to put it so that as you declutter you’ll be able to separate it from what you’re keeping.

That way having your decluttered items away from your space will help in giving you a feel for your progress made in your decluttered home. Allowing that time to let your decluttered space to sink in can give you added incentive to press on.

Plus having a specific box and place for decluttered items to go can make it easier for you to let it fill up and be taken care of once it’s full and start over again from there. 

12.  Get your family involved

Half the problem with taking on any decluttering task is feeling like you have to do it solo. Whatever your living situation, if there are others living at home with you, encourage others to get involved too, whether that be decluttering everyone’s individual items or assisting you as you do so.

As the cleanup song we were taught as kids goes, “…clean up clean up everybody has their share”. Assign cleaning and organizing tasks appropriate for each member of the household and age range. There are tons of resources to help you do this online like on Pinterest.

Now it may be easier in some ways to get everyone tasked with cleaning and organizing, but not everyone may be on board with decluttering to the extent that you want to.

A big part of this tip is to respect everyone’s things and their choice of how much or how little they declutter. Never overstep or shake any personal boundaries that will not serve you or anyone else.

One way to involve your kids and not overstep any boundaries is to sit down with them and talk them through each item as you both go through their toys, clothes, stuffed animals, etc. and if they want to get rid of things, show them what to do with those items, and if they don’t want to, don’t guilt or pressure them into doing so. 

BONUS TIP: It’s going to get messier before it gets better, & that’s ok.

As you declutter, inevitably things will get messy before everything gets cleaned up and organized in the way you want it to. If you don’t get the area or room that you’re working on done in an hour or a day like you were hoping, it’s ok. It’s part of the process.

Give yourself patience and grace as you declutter and be sure to take breaks as you go along, allowing your mind a chance to relax from the many decisions it’s being faced with and giving you the chance to check in with how much progress you have made thus far.

Create Your Own Mold and Embrace the Journey

At the end of the day, as you declutter, organize, and maintain your space, don’t feel pressured into thinking you have to fit a certain mold or that it’s a one and done process.

As you simplify and minimize, if you feel that the best way for you to function and your home to run smoothly is to get rid of 80% of your things, do so. But if you love and cherish your movie collection, fine china, tools, etc. because you use them and they hold true value to you, don’t feel that you have to discard those items again just to fit a certain mold.

Everyone’s decluttering journey and the outcome are completely different from one another, as it very well should be. Gain inspiration from others but create and shape your own mold of what your home becomes.

I want to again emphasize that the decluttering process is a journey, not a destination. Decluttering and making your place your own is a constant event, so don’t get sold into thinking that you only do it once and that it has to be perfect.

No home or space is the same as the other. That’s what makes a space your own and a house a home. Your home.

So embrace the process, give yourself grace and time, and enjoy where the journey takes you as you create a home that you can find peace and pride in at the end of the day, no matter where you are along the way.


Now I’d like to hear from you, what is one item in your home that holds special meaning to you that you cherish?
Please comment below and share this post if it has been of value to you or could be of value to someone else.


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About the Author 

Hi there! I’m Stephanie Tracy, a freelance writer, and blogger for hire. I specialize in physical and mental health, parenting, and self-development. I create engaging, inspiring, and useful content to help businesses progress in making their viewers into customers. When I’m not writing, you can find me on the floor happily playing with my baby boy, walking in the park with my family, or indulging in a movie marathon with my husband.