Your Clutter is Lying to You (Here’s How to Stop Listening) | Clutterbug Podcast #329
6/8/202654 min
Hey Clutterbugs! Today we’re talking about how to declutter when you're emotionally attached to everything. Your clutter is telling you stories, and most of them are lies. We have to learn the decluttering psychology behind why we keep things we don't use, love, or need—and how to finally let go of sentimental clutter, guilt, and shame. A few months ago, a 20-second clip of me telling a client "no stories" during a decluttering session went viral—millions of views, and the comments weren't all kind. But through my own journey and after years of decluttering for clients, I've discovered that we talk ourselves into keeping things by telling elaborate stories about why we might need them, why we should use them, or why letting go makes us a bad person. In this episode, I'm teaching you how to spot the toxic narratives your belongings are whispering to you—shame, identity, and scarcity—and how to rewrite the story so you can take your power back. You'll learn: The "story spotting" tool: red flag words that mean you're about to talk yourself into keeping something How to separate facts from stories (42 coffee mugs vs. "it would be wasteful to get rid of them") My personal story about Joe's grandmother's guilt-inducing sweaters and how I finally let them go Real examples from my recent NYC makeover with Chloe and Gretchen Rubin How your Clutterbug organizing style affects the stories you tell yourself And of course, there’s a challenge involved: find one space where clutter is telling you a toxic story. Clear it. Then ask yourself: what is this space telling me NOW? Because clutter makes us feel small and suffocated. But space? Space makes us feel endlessly big. Let's rewrite the story together, Clutterbugs! Want to get organized? Learn 6-Step The Clutterbug Method: https://clutterbug.thinkific.com/courses/Clutterbug-Method You can find more Clutterbug content here: Main YouTube Channel: @Clutterbug Website: http://www.clutterbug.me TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clutterbug_me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clutterbug_me/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Clutterbug.Me/ #decluttering #declutter #organizing #homeorganization #clutterfree #minimalism #declutteringtips #organizingtips #clutterbug #emotionalclutter #sentimentalclutter #howtodeclutter #organizeyourhome #declutteryourlife #adhd #adhdorganizing #cleaningtips #homehacks #organizationhacks #clutterhelp #messyhouse #organizingmotivation #declutteringmotivation #tidying #tidyingtips #homeorganizer #professionalorganizer #organizingstyles #clutterbugmethod #butterflyclutterbug #beeclutterbug #cricketclutterbug #ladybugclutterbug #letitgo #minimalist #simplify #simplifiedliving #intentionalliving #mindfulness #mentalhealth #anxietyrelief #overwhelm #momlife #busymom #workingmom #productivity #selfcare #personaldevelopment #mindsetshift #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsCas Aarssen· Host0:00
Your clutter isn't a moral failing. It's a story that you keep rehearsing, and it keeps talking to you, telling you the same old thing over and over again. A few months ago, I was helping Jessica McCabe. At first, I went to her home and helped her declutter and organize, and then she was so inspired, she wanted to continue on with the rest of the house. And she had one room in particular called the doom room that was absolutely so chaotic. She needed a little bit of help, so I was on a coaching call with her, and during that coaching call, I cut her off mid-sentence in maybe perhaps a harsh way and just told her, "No stories." And there was this short clip, like 20-second clip, of this situation that completely went viral. I'm talking, like, millions of views, and the comments were kind of, like, not always so nice. There were people who thought I was rude. There were people who said, "Oh my gosh, I could never talk to someone like that." Or they said, "I would cry if you ever said this to me."
Speaker 21:04
This is a whiteboard. I got this whiteboard specifically- No stories.
Cas Aarssen· Host1:08
I don't care.
Speaker 21:09
Oh.
Cas Aarssen· Host1:09
Listen, no. Pick it up again. Is it health and wellness related?
Speaker 21:12
It is not.
Cas Aarssen· Host1:13
Is it some- Oh, this is really helpful because we've already done almost- Yeah ...
Speaker 21:18
the rest of the house, so if it doesn't belong in the rest of the house, which it clearly didn't- Exactly ... and it doesn't belong in health and wellness, then it doesn't go here.
Cas Aarssen· Host1:24
Exactly.
Speaker 21:25
So we're- Because your stuff in this room is health and wellness.
Cas Aarssen· Host1:28
You have rules for what