7 Decluttering Secrets Pro Organizers Always Tell Their Clients (They’re So Smart!)

Decluttering is key to maintaining an organized space and is especially important when getting ready to move. But it can be overwhelming to the point that it’s difficult to even get started. That’s because decluttering isn’t just about creating more physical space, but more mental space, too, says Meaghan Kessman, founder of Meaghan Kessman Home Organization. 

“Clutter isn’t just stuff, it’s energy,” Kessman explains. “When we’re surrounded by things we don’t use or love, it drains our mental bandwidth.”

While decluttering tips often focus on method, many professional organizers say that mindset is just as important. Here are some ideas to help push you to get started.

“I always start my clients off by asking for how they want the space to look, feel, and function when they are finished with the project,” says Diane N. Quintana, ADHD Organizing Specialist and Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization. In particular, she asks clients why they are decluttering. “Understanding their reasons is vital to a successful decluttering process,” she says. 

If you were Quintana’s client and wanted to declutter for a neater, more organized home, here are some questions she would want you to ask yourself:

• Do you want to sleep more comfortably in your bed?
• Do you want to make it easier to cook in your kitchen or eat at the table?
• Do you want to find things more quickly/easily?
• Do you want to entertain friends without being embarrassed by clutter?

Once Quintana’s clients answer these questions, she then moves on to the actual process of decluttering.

If you’re dreading decluttering, start with going through items that are “less emotionally charged,” says Kessman. “A junk drawer or a linen closet might be easier to tackle than a box of sentimental keepsakes,” she says.

To prevent overwhelm or even boredom from settling in, tackle just one category of items per session, says Sarah Nelson, owner of Less is More Organizing Services. 

It could be just shoes or coats, for example. Go through each one, separate the keepers from the donation pile, and then call it a day. Doing a series of these small tasks will add up. “Once you start to see the fruits of your labors you will be motivated to do more,” she says.

Decluttering takes time, but it doesn’t have to take up all your time if you know how to work smart. Quintana finds that shorter but more frequent periods of decluttering are the key to success, especially when it’s done daily. She works in two-hour blocks with her clients. “I find they can concentrate and make good decisions for that length of time,” she says, adding that any longer than that leads to fatigue. “Decision-making is hard work.”

Quintana recommends her clients use the Pomodoro method when decluttering on their own. This involves setting a 25-minute timer, working on a single task, then taking a five-minute break. Repeat this another three times and two hours of decluttering is completed. “I usually advise my clients to stop after that and return to it the next day,” she says.

Nelson encourages even shorter bursts of productivity. For example, you could tackle a junk drawer as you wait for coffee to brew. Tea drinker? Purge expired meds and/or makeup as you wait for the water to heat up. “Start small and acknowledge that every bit counts,” she says.

Find someone who’s also looking to downsize their stuff and text each other pictures each time you complete a decluttering task, Nelson says. “Shame and competition are great motivators,” she says, adding that the reason for texting your declutter buddy could be as simple as cleaning out a drawer or putting an item in a donation pile. 

Yes, decluttering is a chore, but it doesn’t have to feel like one, shares Kessman. To make the process more enjoyable, turn on some music or listen to an audiobook or podcast while you work. “Finding something engaging to listen to can make the time fly by and make decluttering feel less like a task and more like a treat,” she says.

Nelson is also a fan of gamifying the decluttering process in some way. For example, you might commit to discarding or donating two things every day for a month. Even if you do nothing else, you’ll have lightened your load by the dozens.

Decluttering is more about progress than perfection, and Quintana encourages her clients to get photographic proof of it. She’ll take a “before” photo of the area where they’re working and then an “after” photo following some productive decluttering sessions. “It’s important to step outside the area and look at the pictures,” she says. “You’ll often be able to see the progress better in a photograph.” 

Above all, give yourself some grace as you sort through your stuff. “Decluttering is a process, not a one-time event,” Nelson says. “The accumulation did not happen all at once, why should the edit?”