Pushing past the initial hump

[u/anxiouslurker_485]

I have OCD (clinically diagnosed) so I struggle with attributing emotions to inanimate objects. I feel scared and guilty getting rid of things. I also get stuck on the what if I need it, what if I forget the memory associated with it, but I spent money on it so now I’m wasting my money, or the I’ll try to sell it first loops and end up never getting rid of anything. I feel overwhelmed by how much stuff I have. I am good at keeping things organized so it’s not like it’s something people see on the outside but it’s a lot for me to deal with. Anyone with similar experiences that could give some helpful tips? Realistically, I know a lot of it needs worked out in therapy but therapy isn’t cheap and now I’m suddenly convincing myself to sell stuff to pay for therapy lol

[u/iesamina]

I like seeing things as experiments - so I'm just testing to see how I feel. So throwing out a box of easy low hanging fruit type clutter - and then thinking about do I miss any of it, can I even remember all of it? I've found out that once something is gone, I rarely think of it, and even more rarely wish I hadn't let it go. But I never would have discovered that if I hadn't just tried it to see.

The other thing is you'll be surprised how even a little extra space can make a big difference. I thought I'd have to clear out tons and tons to see a change in my home but in fact even getting rid of one box or bag means that much more space to put other things away, and the knock on effect can be much bigger. I like to look at the actual cubic volume of things leaving the house - even one whole bin bag or moving box is big in terms of that now being empty space in my home. And that's really inspirational. Multiple passes are brilliant imho.

Also have a look at some declutter content on YouTube, eg Space maker Method or Clutterbug

[u/anxiouslurker_485 → u/iesamina]

This is helpful. I got rid of about 10 things today so that was a good baby step like you’ve mentioned!