A Simple Trick for Decluttering- Look at Your Home Like a Stranger

Here is a helpful thought when it comes to decluttering or really any life change that we desire. Albert Einstein said we can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. The reason I share this is because it's really easy to become blind to the clutter in our homes. This is because we walk through the same rooms day after day seeing the same furniture, the same shelves filled with the same knickknacks, the same closet filled with clothes we never wear, the same pantry drawers and boxes of stuff crammed into the garage for ages. Slowly the familiarity breeds complacency and the clutter becomes invisible. We think all the items in our home are there for a reason but oftentimes they aren't there for any good reason at all. They're just in the way. So if you're feeling stuck in your decluttering journey or you're looking for a good place to start try looking at your home like a stranger and by that I mean look at your home with brand new eyes because when we see our space as if for the first time we identify anew what no longer serves us and once we see the clutter we can more easily remove it. A new perspective is a powerful key. It's one of the first steps I take people through in my Uncluttered course when I ask them at the beginning of the second week to look into each of their rooms in their home and make a small note about what they see. It's always an important powerful step in discovering a new way to live. So if you're looking for a new approach to The reason clutter becomes invisible is what's called habituation. Psychologists tell us when we're repeatedly exposed to the same environment our brains stop noticing the details. That's why someone living near an airport slowly stops noticing the sound of airplanes overhead. It also happens with physical stimuli. The mess on the counter becomes part of the background. The overflowing closet blends into the walls. The overflowing pile of sweaters in our closet rarely gets noticed. Even a small dent in your car you stop seeing over time. Our minds simply adapt to the chaos and we lose the motivation to address it. But clutter doesn't just fade into the It weighs us down. It steals our time, drains our energy, and clutters our mind. Every increased possession adds increased anxiety onto our lives, as Randy Elkhorn said. Studies show that living in cluttered spaces increases stress and anxiety. Even if we don't actively notice the mess, our subconscious brain does. So if we're trying to declutter effectively, we need to disrupt this habituation. Sometimes this happens during a conversation with a friend or a neighbor who introduces us to the idea of minimalism. Sometimes it happens when we randomly land on a new YouTube channel all about minimalism. Or sometimes we take intentional steps to make it happen in our minds. Here are some practical strategies to help you view your home from a new perspective. Number one. You can pretend you're a guest. Imagine an important guest is coming over. Someone you want to leave a favorable impression with. Maybe it's your boss, or your in-laws, or an old friend that you haven't seen in years. Walk through your front door as if you are that guest. What do you see? What stands out? Piles of mail on the entryway table? Random objects scattered on the living room floor? Cluttered countertops in the kitchen? More magnets on the fridge than you remember being there? When you view your home through the eyes of someone seeing it for the first time, the clutter becomes more obvious. Now, imagine your guest wants a tour of the entire home. Where would you tidy up before your guest arrives? What items feel out of place? Take notes as you walk through each and every room. This exercise can help you identify areas that need attention. Number two. You can try taking photos of each room in your home. Sometimes seeing our homes in a different medium can reveal what our eyes miss. So take photos of each room. Pretend you are photographing a home for a real estate listing. Then look at the photos with new eyes. What stands out? What looks messy or overcrowded? You may notice clutter in the photos that you overlooked in person. Number three. You could use the would I buy this again test. As you scan each room, ask yourself if I didn't already own this, would I buy it again today? That simple question can cut through attachment to possessions. That's called the endowment effect. If you ever answer no to the buy again question, it's a pretty good sign that the item is no longer serving you and you should let it go. Number four. You could do this by imagine that you're moving to a new home. Picture yourself packing up your house to move. What would you take with you? What would you leave behind? This exercise can help you detach emotionally from items that you've kept merely out of habit. When we imagine the effort of packing, moving, and unpacking every item, we realize how much we're willing to let go. Number five. Ask yourself what have I never noticed before about this room? As you peer through the doorway of a room or open the door to a closet, ask yourself what have I never noticed before? This question forces your mind to find new things to look at and consider. You might suddenly see the cluttered corner, the stack of papers, or the forgotten items on a shelf. By actively searching for details you've overlooked, you'll discover clutter that's Number six. Invite a friend to give you honest feedback. Sometimes we need an outside perspective to see clearly. So invite a trusted friend to walk through your home and point out areas that seem cluttered or unnecessary. Fresh eyes, especially honest ones, can reveal what we've It can be humbling but also enlightening. Their observations might give you the push you need to take action. Invite someone over that you love and trust. Give them a warning why you're asking them over. It might also be helpful to invite someone you know is going to be forthcoming and honest with you. But remember, you're not asking them to help you declutter specifically. You're just looking for their opinion and wanting to see your home from a new perspective. Seeing your home differently can be an incredibly helpful first step in decluttering, especially if you're struggling to get started or make progress. But the goal is to take action based on what you learn, to remove the clutter, and to actually create the space that reflects your values. So don't just stop with the observation. Take action. Pick one corner or shelf or walk through your home again with a box and collect donatable items. Every item you remove is a step towards the life you want to live. So see your home differently today and start the progress that you deserve.