287  |  Decluttering Workshop  |  8 Strategies to Help You Decide What to Declutter

287 | Decluttering Workshop | 8 Strategies to Help You Decide What to Declutter

Author: Amber Cammidge October 28, 2025 Duration: 36:07
Hey Guys,
 
Here are 8 rules, or boundaries, you can give yourself while decluttering.  Don't try to use them all.  Just try one or two and use what works for you.
 
Strategy 1: Clear Decision Criteria
Before you touch anything, you give your brain rules to follow. 
This keeps you out of emotional negotiation.
Ask yourself:
  • Do I use this regularly?
     
  • Does it serve a real purpose in my life right now?
     
  • Would I buy this again today?
     
  • Does it align with who I'm becoming?
     
Strategy 2: Binary Decisions

Yes = it stays.
No = it goes.
Maybe = it goes in a 30-day box. If you don't touch it in 30 days, it's gone.
 
 
Strategy 3: Set Limits
Clutter thrives without limits.
  • Space limit: A shelf, a drawer, a bin. When it's full, something must leave.

     
  • Quantity limit: Only keep the number you actually use.

     
  • Time limit: Work in short, focused bursts to avoid decision fatigue.
 
 
Strategy 4: Tests for Clarity
If this disappeared today, would I replace it?
Does this item fit the life I'm creating, or is it tied to a past version of me?
 
 
Strategy 5: Function Over Story
Sentiment is valid, but function decides what stays in your active space.
  • Keep the memory, not the object.
     
  • Take a photo if needed.
     
  • One small sentimental box only. Clear boundary.
 
Strategy 6: Exit Strategy
Every item needs a destination the second you decide.
  • Donation box.
     
  • Trash bag.
     
  • Maybe box with a date.
     
  • Drop-off or pick-up scheduled.
     
Strategy 7: Decision Hierarchy
 
  • Function trumps sentiment
     
  • Space trumps guilt
     
  • Future trumps past
     
 
Strategy 8: Prevent Backslide
  • Touch once. Decide once.
    Use post-its with the destination of object written on them to help with this.

Hope this helps!

XO,

Amber

Let's connect:
📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos
🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com

🛑 Disclaimer:

I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.


Amber Cammidge hosts Declutter Your Chaos-Mindful Minimalism, a podcast that approaches the overwhelming task of clearing out your space with a unique blend of practicality and introspection. This isn't just about where to donate old clothes or how to fold a fitted sheet, though you'll find those tangible tips here. Instead, each conversation digs into the emotional roots of accumulation, exploring how our habits around stuff are often tied to memory, identity, or a sense of scarcity. The aim is to move beyond a one-time cleanup and foster a lasting, mindful minimalism that creates mental and physical room to breathe. You'll hear about resetting daily routines, building systems that actually work for your real life, and redefining what 'enough' truly means. Grounded in categories like self-improvement and mental health, this podcast recognizes that a calmer home directly supports a fitter, healthier, and more educated self. It's for anyone feeling weighed down by their possessions and ready to explore the quieter, more intentional life that exists just beneath the surface of the clutter. Tune in for honest talks that help you transform your environment from a source of chaos into a foundation for the life you're trying to build.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Declutter Your Chaos - Mindful Minimalism
Podcast Episodes
364  |  The Reason Why People Fail at Decluttering [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:13
Hey Friends, You want to know the secret to getting your whole house decluttered? Well it's in this episode. When people just jump in without a plan they end up getting overwhelmed and quitting. Here's how to avoid that!…
362  |  Garage Decluttering Series Part 3-Process & Protect Phase [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:25
➡️ To join my free 2-day workshop click HERE. Hey Guys, You've already done the hardest part. You made the decisions. You created the piles. You moved through the garage without avoiding it. Now this episode is where eve…
361  |  Garage Decluttering Series Part 2-Purge Phase [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:42
➡️ To join my free 2-day workshop click HERE. Hey Friends! This episode is a guided, repeatable decluttering session you can use for each zone of your garage. You'll: Work in one defined area at a time Set a timer (2–3 h…
360  |  Garage Decluttering Series Part 1-Prep Phase [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:04
➡️ To join my free 2-day workshop click HERE. Hey Friends, Your garage isn't just a storage space. It's where delayed decisions go. In this first part of the garage series—you're setting yourself up so you actually follo…
359  |  3 Hacks to Get You to Start Decluttering [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:31
➡️ To join my free 2-day workshop click HERE. In this episode, I'm sharing a real weekend—and why it's so hard to start decluttering, even when you want to. It's not that you don't care. It's that when it's time to begin…
358  | Why You Can't Declutter - Even When You Want To [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:07
Clutter isn't just about having too much. It's about not having a clear internal reference point for what stays and what goes. In this episode, I walk through the deeper pattern underneath clutter: disconnection from sel…
357  |  Decluttering Blocked Emotions with Dr. Bradley Nelson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:40
🙌To join my free 2-day workshop click HERE. In this episode, Dr. Bradley Nelson shares how emotional "clutter" stored in the body can impact your mental clarity, stress levels, and overall sense of peace — and how releas…
355  |  How to Create a Sanctuary Within Your Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:14
Hey Friends! This episode is meant to serve as a reminder to create a space within your home that can serve as your place to come back to when you need a little peace, a little alignment. And it will also be that space f…