How to Start Organizing When You Feel Overwhelmed
I know the thought of organizing your home can feel daunting when you don’t know where to start. You’re standing in the middle of a cluttered room, feeling completely paralyzed by the chaos around you. I definitely know the feeling of anxiety that comes from too many thoughts racing around in your head. I want you to know, you’re not alone. In this post, I'll share some practical strategies to help you break through the overwhelm and finally kickstart your organizing journey - no matter how cluttered things may seem right now.
Changing Your Mindset
First, you want to understand that progress, not perfection, is the goal. This is something even I struggle with at times. Sometimes, you’ll think, “well, I know I won’t be able to finish this all today so I’m just not going to start.” When you should be thinking, “I know I’m not going to be able to do it all right now, and that’s okay. I’m just going to do what I can.” Reframing those negative thoughts and knowing that doing something is better than nothing is a helpful approach when starting to organize a space, especially if it’s something you’ve been putting off for a while.
Second, you’ll want to set realistic expectations. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your home when it comes to organizing it. You don’t have to do everything at once. Self-awareness is also key here. If you’re someone who likes to cook, you’re probably going to have more cookware than most. Don’t try to emulate what you see on social media. While I do think social media can be useful for inspiration, most of those people who post super-organized kitchens either don’t cook often, or have tons of money to build large custom cabinets and drawers to fit everything they own perfectly.
Finally, you’ll want to start small. This goes hand-in-hand with setting realistic expectations. While I do believe that people will make time for things that are important to them, if you truly only have a couple hours a day to yourself, don’t try to organize your entire closet on a Wednesday evening before bed. Setting even 10-15 minutes a day can be more helpful and help you maintain momentum.
Getting Started - Preparation
Here are the basic three things you’ll need to do before starting a room organization:
Taking "before" photos - This is such an important step. Seeing how far you’ve come is a HUGE motivator to keep going and maintaining the organization.
Get SUPER basic supplies - Sure there’s a whole bunch of things you could buy to get started, but really the only two things you need are trash bags and a few boxes/bins. For the trash bags, I recommend black contractor bags. The standard ones are totally fine too, but the black ones will keep you (and others) from seeing what you’re getting rid of and going back to grab it. The large boxes/bins are to sort out the things you’re keeping and donating. If you don’t have boxes or bins, that’s okay too! You can always use the trash bags for donations, and just designate a corner or the room you're organizing as the “Keep” area.
You will only have three* options for every item you touch: Keep, Donate, Trash
* There is a fourth option if available in your area - Recycling
Getting Started - Approaches
Once you’ve done your prep, you’re ready to get started! Here are some approaches that people find useful. Remember, that every approach doesn’t work for everyone and you may end up using a mix of these approaches. There are also a lot more approaches online, but these are the ones that I like and have worked for my clients to maintain good habits.
The KonMari Method™ - As a Certified KonMari Consultant, I would be remiss if I didn’t start with this. It’s been used by millions, because it works. Instead of organizing by room, you’re going to organize by category: Clothes, Books, Papers, Komono (Miscellaneous), and Sentimental Items, only keeping things if they “spark joy.”
If you are working on just one specific room, these approaches are really good for not getting overwhelmed:
The "one surface" approach - clear just one countertop, table, etc.
The "five things" method - find any five items to put away
The "container concept" - limit items to what fits in a “container” and Donate/Discard the rest
The “start with the floor” method - pick up every item on the floor that doesn’t belong
Common Obstacles and How to Overcome Them
Decision fatigue - Sometimes, you just can’t think anymore about your items. When this feeling hits, my suggestion is to STOP. Either take a break, or just stop for the day altogether. It will still be there tomorrow. Give your brain a break. You deserve it.
Sentimental attachments - The KonMari Method is great for this. In this method, sentimental items are saved for last after all the other categories have been completed. Starting with sentimental items early on in the decluttering and organizing process will more than likely not set you up for success.
Perfectionism - I struggle with this, even as a professional organizer. In the intro on the homepage of my website, I mention how some people want Instagram-worthy spaces. (I am people. People is me.) All jokes aside, this is very common, especially when working with Type A clients. The goal is to get to a place where you realize where it just has to be perfect for you and don’t let perfection be defined by someone else's definition (or what you see on social media.)
Lack of systems - Clutter often returns if you don’t have a system in place. The goal is to create an intuitive process that works with your natural habits. Start by identifying your "clutter hotspots" and ask yourself why items accumulate there. Is the location inconvenient? Are items without a "home"? Once you understand the why behind the clutter, design a simple system that requires minimal effort to maintain and that you'll actually use consistently. Something as simple as a recycling bin by your mail sorting area or hooks instead of hangers for frequently used items can make all the difference!
Maintaining Momentum
I know I’ve said it multiple times, but you don’t have to do everything all at once. I can’t stress that enough. The fact that you’re reading this post is a sign you’re ready for the next step! Just 10-15 minutes a day is all you really need to get started. If you’re still not able to get started, you may want to consider hiring a professional organizer. We are trained to help with all the steps above and we have fun doing it! If hiring an organizer isn’t in the cards for you at the moment, (shameless plug incoming) then think about downloading my app, Aronel Home. Not only does it have step-by-step checklists for each room in your home, there’s also checklists for digital decluttering and the ability to track your home inventory. It’s only available for iOS right now, but I plan on building an Android version soon.
Remember, a complete home organization doesn't happen overnight. It's about creating spaces that work for you, and support the life you want to live. The journey starts with just one small step—clearing a single surface, sorting five items, or dedicating 15 minutes to a trouble spot. Each small victory builds momentum and confidence for the next challenge.
As you continue your organizing journey, be patient with yourself. There will be setbacks and days when motivation wanes, but that's totally normal. Consistency is key. Every time you put something back in its designated place, make a thoughtful decision about what to keep, or maintain one of your new systems, you're building habits that will serve you for years to come.
