Overwhelm is real! When you stand face to face with absolute chaos — and it’s yours to deal with — it can feel discouraging and easily make you freeze. This is especially true if you’re going through a challenging time, adjusting to a new situation, suffering from depression, or are in some way neurodivergent.
Growing up, I was often labelled as the messy kid. When I moved out at 22, I noticed how much structure you actually need to tackle your personal day-to-day mess. With kids, a house and a garden, work, and your own personal life, you have to compromise to keep your sanity.
Creating Calm: Energy Reset
Why Mess Builds Up
Let’s set something straight: this mess probably didn’t happen in a day, and chances are it will take much longer to fix the main issue. No matter how big the mess is you are dealing with right now, you can handle it. If you put in the work, you will handle it! You are worth the effort, and I absolutely believe in you.
Simple Steps to Reset Your Space
Here are some points I noticed are helpful to face the messiest mess in the world and get started instantly:
- Asking a friend: an outside person can help you stay focused while sharing the load
- Set a timer: declutter for 30 minutes and add another 30 minutes to clean up afterward
- Set a small goal: clean 2m², just so you can reach the shelf in the back, take out the trash, or whatever feels most urgent
Get started and stick to your plan.
Real-Life Example: The Shed of Horrors
Last summer, I decided I would finally clear out the back shed. The year before, my son thought it was a great idea to move the mess we were piling up from one room to the other.
It was just embarrassing. I thought about whether I should share this with you or not. What neglect, rodents, and our climate can do to a big mess is disgusting. There were trash bags, old bicycles, gardening tools from my family home, and things that should have been thrown out ages ago, along with a few boxes with items nobody wanted for the past 2 years. Just thinking about it made me freeze!
I really wanted to clear out that space, at least get the junk out of the shed and throw it away. This storage gave me nightmares. I couldn’t even walk past the shed without feeling disgusted and guilty at the same time.
Here’s how I started:
- I made myself go and check it out.
- Back in the house, I decided what was most urgent: there was trash, torn up by mice, a broken bicycle, and other heavy items that needed moving to clean up the mess. I felt helpless! Could I do this alone? I was embarrassed.
- I needed help. I would not be able to handle this alone in 30 minutes. It was too messy, too bulky, and too overwhelming. I asked my best friend, and she said yes. She came to help me.
Obviously, there was no going back. We grabbed heavy-duty plastic bags, gloves, buckets, a shovel, and a broom. From here, things got easier:
- Remove everything in the way
- Trash in the bin
- Only put back what stays here
Within an hour, we were done. The shed is far from clean or organized, but with the help of a supportive friend, I created the basis and can pick up decluttering without being overwhelmed.
If this method works with the “shed of horrors,” you can apply it to any messy place in your home. You will feel weight lifting off your shoulders and so much lighter once the visible clutter is removed — without going too deep or investing endless hours of your precious day.
You’re absolutely right to think: small steps will take time. No doubt! It’s also been sitting there for a long time. It’s always better to take small steps and get things moving than ignore your mess.
A little side note: decluttering and clearing the shed ended up feeling very exhausting. Negative feelings came up that I had trouble identifying. This kind of external work can affect your nervous system. This is why having a friend with you comes in handy. They support you physically and emotionally, and help decide quickly what stays — whether it’s a cracked flowerpot or an outgrown kids’ bicycle.
Be brave — you are worth the effort and time.
