{"id":368885,"date":"2025-01-09T12:52:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T17:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/?p=368885"},"modified":"2025-01-09T13:02:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T18:02:06","slug":"getting-rid-of-clutter-guilt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/getting-rid-of-clutter-guilt\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Questions to Steer Guilt-Free Decluttering"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Having a hard time getting rid of clutter? From \u201cthrower\u2019s remorse\u201d to environmental guilt, the emotions tangled up with deciding what to keep or throw away are complex. We know that less stuff is a must for an organized home, but getting rid of possessions is still so difficult. To aid your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/slideshows\/how-to-declutter-adhd\/\">decluttering<\/a>, answer these five questions to whittle down your stuff and feel good about it.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting Rid of Clutter: Questions to Help You Decide<\/h2>\n<h3>1. Do you use it on a semi-regular basis?<\/h3>\n<p>Semi-regular use means you actually use the item \u2014 not just intend to \u2014 a couple of times a year. The exception is seasonal items, like a Thanksgiving platter you\u2019ve consistently used for years.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Is it currently making you money?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Is the item helping you generate income?<\/li>\n<li>Do you use it for work?<\/li>\n<li>Does it help you pay your bills on time?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The item(s) must be actively helping you make money. The pile of stuff that\u2019s been gathering dust for years that you might sell online or through a garage sale doesn\u2019t count.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Online selling: Is it worth your time?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Extra cash is nice, but selling items online should be a worthy investment. Consider the many steps involved: photographing the item, writing a description for it, posting it, watching the sales, fielding questions, preparing it for delivery, and dropping it off at the post office. Is this all worth how much you\u2019d be getting from the sale? Consider how much work goes into selling and if you have the time to spare.<\/p>\n<p><em>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/download\/22-clutter-cleaning-strategies-for-adults-with-adhd\/?src=embed_link\">Get This Free Download: 22 Clutter-Busting Strategies for Adults with ADHD<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>3. Can you buy it again for a reasonable price or borrow it?<\/h3>\n<p>Are you hanging on to items in hopes that they\u2019ll come in handy someday? Worse, are you wasting money storing the unused item? Consider getting rid of it entirely. Take camping equipment. Keep it if you\u2019re an avid camper. But if not, sell off the items and, when a camping trip does come up, either buy some items cheaply or borrow them from a neighbor.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Do you have a place to store it within your space?<\/h3>\n<p>The key phrase here is \u201cwithin your space\u201d \u2014 do you have room for your item? If not, then a) don\u2019t keep the item or b) get rid of something else to make space for the item. To stay organized, you must acknowledge and work with the space you have. Don&#8217;t build a shed or rent a storage unit that will cost you hundreds per month.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Do you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it?<\/h3>\n<p>We all have items that make us happy and remind us of special moments or people. Keep those items. But as you decide if you really love an item, remember: If everything is special, then nothing is special. The rooster collection you adore and have been working on since childhood? Keep it! The Beanie Babies that you keep in storage because you swear they\u2019ll make you millions one day? Probably not. (FYI: \u201cCollectible\u201d is a marketing term.)<\/p>\n<p>Still not sure if you love, love, love an item? Try the \u201cpoop rule,\u201d a decluttering method espoused by TikTok creator <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@adhdorganized\/video\/7390780648077675822\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@adhdorganized<\/a> that\u2019s gone viral for its unusual ask: \u201cPick up an item and think \u2014 is this important enough that I would wash poop off of it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/how-to-get-rid-of-sentimental-clutter\/?src=embed_link\">Read: How Do I Get Rid of My Sentimental Clutter?<\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Overcoming \u201cBut I Don\u2019t Want to Be Wasteful\u201d<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Try Buy Nothing groups<\/strong>, where you can give and receive items for free in the name of decluttering, sustainability, and community.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Some stuff is just trash. <\/strong>When you hesitate to throw something away \u2014 especially if it\u2019s broken and unusable \u2014 because you don\u2019t want it to end up in the landfill, you\u2019ve effectively made your home into a landfill. Holding on to trash won\u2019t solve the landfill problem. Instead, not consuming and avoiding purchases of items you don\u2019t want, need, or use will make a difference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dclutterfly.com\/should-it-stay-or-should-it-go\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here<\/a> for a handout version of these questions and more decluttering tips from Tracy McCubbin.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting Rid of Clutter: Next Steps<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Read: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/house-cleaning-tips-motivate-adults-adhd\/?src=embed_link\">How to Motivate for Cleaning House When You Really Don\u2019t Want To<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong><strong>Read: <\/strong><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/decluttering-home-organization-adhd-apps-tips\/?src=embed_link\">How to Win the War on Clutter \u2014 One Battle at a Time<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Q:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/decluttering-and-organizing-difference-home-organization\/?src=embed_link\">\u201cHow Do I Know When to Declutter Vs. Organize?\u201d<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, \u201c<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/webinar\/how-to-organize-a-messy-home-adhd\/\"><em>How to Organize a Messy Home: Strategies for Clutter and Stress in ADHD Families<\/em><\/a><em>\u201d [Video Replay &amp; Podcast #520] with Tracy McCubbin, which was broadcast on September 10, 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #c3320b; font-style: Source Sans Pro,sans-serif; size: 9pt;\"><b>SUPPORT ADDITUDE<\/b><\/span><br \/>\nThank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, <a href=\"http:\/\/additu.de\/subscribe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">please consider subscribing<\/a>. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.<\/p>\n<button class=\"simplefavorite-button\" data-postid=\"368885\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"1\" style=\"\"><span class=\"label\">Removed<\/i><\/button>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Answer these questions to help you decide what to keep and what to toss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":328890,"featured_media":368895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[633,765,634],"tags":[1239],"coauthors":[345457],"class_list":["post-368885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-manage-adhd-life","category-clutter","category-home-organization","tag-treating-adults"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/pexels-rdne-8580802-scaled.jpg?w=2560&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C1707px&ssl=1","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368885"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/328890"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=368885"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":368906,"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/368885\/revisions\/368906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/368895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=368885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=368885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=368885"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.additudemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=368885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}