If it feels like you have things piling up around you at home or your cupboards are at capacity, you're not alone.
The new year is a peak time for us to feel the urge to purge, according to decluttering expert Amy Revell from Melbourne/Naarm.
"I think everybody wants to do it at the start of the year because they have time and motivation," she says.
"But they often are overwhelmed on where to start."
We asked experts for tips on how to begin if you're keen to declutter and how to know if you might be facing psychological barriers.
Start small with 'one bag'
Ms Revell, a professional declutterer, recommends people don't pull out entire contents of cupboards or draws to begin the process.
"They put it all over the floor and then they're like, 'I don't know what to do next.'"
She says the aim is not to get organised but to reduce your quantity of items.
"Just grab a grocery bag and wander around the house and see if you can fill it with things to donate [to charity]."
"So, you might go into the kid's bedroom and just find clothes that they've outgrown or see if you can fill [the bag] with things from the kitchen," she says.
"You want it to be something you can close the loop on [so] within 15 minutes to an hour that job is done."
Content creator and home organiser Emma Fitzpatrick says she likes to get a sense of achievement by decluttering a small section of the house, before tackling larger ones.
"I think the number one thing is don't try and do it all at once," says the mother of two from Bundjalung/Ballina, New South Wales.
"So at least you've got one section of your life that feels like it's under control and it's functioning before you start to tackle bigger ones."
Pick a category to declutter
For this method, again, Ms Revell recommends keeping things bite-sized.
"So instead of doing the pantry, you might like to choose a category to declutter," she says.
"Like your spices or your cake-decorating items.
"Or you could pick your nail polish collection or basketball hats and go through and declutter that really thoroughly."
She says by decluttering first, "you're going to know what space you have, what quantity of items you have".
"If you don't declutter first, you have no idea how much room things are going to take up and what kind of storage you need."
Making decluttering a regular habit
Ms Revell recommends making decluttering a "daily" habit.
"Grab a box or reusable grocery bag and leave it somewhere where it's visible and accessible like near the front door or under the kitchen bench," she says.
"The aim is to put one item in the bag per day.
"And once the bag is full, take it to the op shop [assuming the items are good enough quality] and start again."
Charity shop organiser Debbie Clayton from Kabi Kabi lands on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, recommends people follow a simple rule before donating unwanted items.
"They've got to look at the item and say, 'would I buy this if I was going into an op shop?'," she says.
"And if the answer is no, then we wouldn't be able to sell it."
Ms Clayton says charities are often inundated with unwanted items they need to take to waste facilities.
She says people can check with their local charities on whether they accept certain items, such as electrical products or bulky goods, before dropping them off.
'Psychological barriers' to decluttering
Dr Jan Eppingstall, a psychologist specialising in hoarding disorder, from Melbourne/Naarm, says for many people, decluttering isn't just about finding the time or motivation.
"The most common [issue] I see in my practice is executive dysfunction, which affects your ability to plan, prioritise, and follow through on tasks," she says.
"People with ADHD, autism, or who've experienced trauma often struggle with this.
"They might stand in front of a cluttered room knowing they want to change it, but their brain simply can't break down the task into manageable steps because there are so many options and they want to do it the 'right' way."
Dr Eppingstall says anxiety and depression can also play a "huge role" in someone's ability to declutter.
"Some people experience what I call 'decision paralysis'," she says.
"The fear of making the wrong choice about what to keep or discard becomes so overwhelming that making no decision feels safer."
When does clutter cross over into hoarding?
Dr Eppingstall says a major "red flag" is if the clutter causes you significant distress or impairment to your daily life.
The trauma-informed counsellor says this could mean it's preventing you from using rooms for their intended purpose (for example, you can't cook in your kitchen or sleep in your bedroom).
"Another indicator … is if you are bringing in more items than you can manage," she says.
If that is your situation, she says "it's worth getting a professional assessment rather than assuming you can just 'try harder' to declutter."
This article contains general information only. You should consider obtaining independent professional advice in relation to your particular circumstances.
