Episode 608: Should You Declutter When Life is Just too Much?

A life-changing event happens like a new job, a new baby, a change in health, or any number of circumstances. You find yourself struggling with what to do with items in your space and wondering if this is a typical response.

If you have ever felt like that, this episode has the encouragement and strategies you need.

Join Kathi Lipp and her co-host and Clutter-Free Champion Tonya Kubo as they deep dive into decluttering when life feels overwhelming. Tonya recently lost two family members in a short period. She discusses how she helped her extended family deal with sentimental items while acknowledging that everyone has a different timeline when it comes to sorting through these items. Kathi and Tonya give helpful insights into decluttering when life feels like it is just too much with thoughts such as:

• Circumstances may change, but the clutter challenges are the same.
• Permitting yourself time to just sit with the items is okay.
• How the definition of clutter changes based on life transitions.

They discuss practical approaches, including giving yourself grace when not all clutter can be dealt with right away, understanding the emotional weight of certain items, and how family dynamics might affect the process. The conversation explores how significant life changes — loss, illness, moving, or even positive transitions — impact not only what we keep but the meaning behind those items, and why a flexible, compassionate attitude is essential when decluttering during hard seasons of life.