Why Can't I Get Rid of Things?

Decluttering your home or garage can be a daunting task but can become even more difficult if you struggle to let go of items that you no longer need. It's common for us to get attached to our belongings, which makes getting rid of items around the home difficult.

Common Reasons You Can't Get Rid of Things

There are a variety of roadblocks that can occur in life that prevent you from decluttering. Here are some common struggles that make decluttering difficult:

Lack of time to declutter

One of the most common reasons many people have for not decluttering is that they don't have the spare time to do so. You may have a busy work schedule or home life keeping you away from decluttering. For those with never-ending to-do lists, you may be wondering how to find the time to declutter your home. Here are a few tips for finding the time:

• Keep in mind that you can declutter 5 to 10 minutes at a time. You don't have to do it all at once. Breaking it down into smaller chunks of work may help you fit it into your schedule more easily.
• You may also consider decluttering as you go about the day. Maybe get rid of some old dish towels while you are cooking or cleaning in the kitchen. As you sort the laundry, make a pile of clothing that you want to donate, etc.

Be sure to keep an eye out for items you no longer need throughout your daily tasks, and you'll have your home decluttered in no time!

Lack of motivation to declutter

As we mentioned before, decluttering can seem like a daunting task when you look at the big picture of all the things you need to sort and get rid of. This can make you feel like you don't have the motivation to tackle such a large project. To help with this issue, you can:

• Schedule time to declutter so you can stop putting it off. Add a series of times for decluttering to your schedule to help you stick with it. Even if you only declutter for 5 to 10 minutes a day, it will be worth it!
• Make a plan of attack. Decide where you want to start and then plan out your decluttering efforts from there. Say you want to start in the kitchen, then move to the living room, then the basement, etc. Having a plan will make decluttering less intimidated and will take less effort to get started.
• You are saving items "just in case."
  
  

This is another common reason many people struggle to let things go. This thought of keeping something just in case is caused by fear. People fear they may get rid of something and then need it later down the road.
Clutter adds stress to your home and sucks up a lot of time and energy, so it isn't worth keeping something "just in case." If you find yourself in this situation while trying to declutter, first think about how likely your "just in case" scenario is to happen. 

Do you really need enough bath towels for 20 people? How likely is it that you will host that many people in your home at once? This is one of many "just in case" situations that isn't likely to happen, so be sure to think it over first.

You also want to consider that if you did need the item after getting rid of it, you could borrow the same item from a friend, use a different item in place of it, or maybe you could make do without the item altogether.

Need Help Hauling Away Your Clutter? A-1 Hauling can Help!

If you've decluttered your home and have items you need hauled away, we can help! From boxes of items to larger items like furniture, we have an experienced team who can efficiently and safely load and haul away your items. Contact us today to learn more!