The only way that I can get over feeling overwhelmed is to think of my house as somebody else's house. When I think of it as my stuff, I'm totally paralyzed. Honestly, I can't trust anybody else to notice that there's an important tax document in the pile, or a solid gold necklace is at the bottom of the pile on my chest of drawers. What I really need is somebody to move heavy stuff for me. I'm elderly and have chronic fatigue syndrome and bad jounts.

I’ve become a hoarder after my husband passed. Wow, I typed it and made myself read it out loud. I don’t let family or friends over anymore I’m embarrassed, I blame it on my dog. I try and tackle stuff then get overwhelmed. Not sure where to start.

Thank you so much for this! I am a hoarder. It's hard to admit, but it's true. It's not as bad as the extreme cases you see on TV, but yea I have piles upon piles of stuff. I honestly don't like living like this, but it makes me feel safe. It's a long story why, but I honestly want to live a clutter-free life.. I am starting therapy this month, and hopefully it will help. Thank you for not shaming on the people that live like this ❤️

I’ve been struggling with hoarding all my life, I’m 26 and decided to move home to make a change. I new my family home was bad but I realise I don’t know how to clean. I feel like tackling this is a way to clean my subconscious and soothe my inner child.

I am currently facing this very thing. The manager of my apartment building is going to evict me today I am sure, due to my house being cluttered up. I am over sixty, with PTSD and major depression that has caused me to not be able to function much. I have always maintained a clean home until now, and I am overwhelmed, mortified, disgusted and angry. I can’t even force myself into cleaning. My therapist says I am a perfectionist and I have it in my mind that it is either perfect or forget it, so I am blocking it. I just know that it needs a major overhaul. Six hundred square feet can hold lots of things I found out. I am going to try your method in the remaining seven hours until my inspection. Hopefully I can make headway!!!! Prayers please.

My husband died at the start of the pandemic and I was sharing a house with my adult sons and the girlfriend of my eldest. They gf and my son decided to get their own place and it left me unable to afford a home in our overpriced market here in Boise, Idaho. We are in an affordable housing crisis. I am disabled and currently living in my parent's dining room. My area is a nightmare boxes, bins, bags, piled up. I am overwhelmed, sad and tired. I cook amd clean for my parents all day. 3 meals a day and appointments, yard work. I hurt so much at the end of the day I literally lay down amd fall asleep in my clothes. I am spiraling down into depression. I don't k now how to climb out. Today I don't feel well bit nobody cares. I can't lay in bed to rest like my body is begging me to do. The minute I do someone comes looking for me to do something. I am so lost without my husband and feel powerless to create boundaries.

My sons home is so awful. He admits it but he finds himself paralyzed to do anything about it. He's 40 years old and is single. He had a maintenance man doing a task outside his home and this man needed to use the bathroom. My son lied and told him his girlfriend was bathing the kids so the bathroom was unavailable. He couldn't let the man see the inside of his house. My son felt awful but he still can't get his house cleaned up. He has mentioned to me countless times that he needs my help and I'm more than willing to help. I've helped him in a previous residence and he's always so grateful and feels so liberated when all is clean. But he admits his life is a circle. I just ache for him. And it's weird because he's an executive and his work ethic is stellar. How can I convince him to let me help him clean up once again.

I actually thought about your lesson clearing up the yard today!!! I was saying to myself today, "Big to small, big to small, big to small, jump in the car and drive away and change my identity, no, no. Big to small, big to..... " I'm working on it!"🤷‍♂️

T hank you so very much. I'm trying to declutter an extremely overpacked home. I've been a shopaholic for about 8 years and my online shopping increased dramatically during covid (with things never worn and boxes never opened). I never fail to be amazed at how much can build up so quickly. I appreciate you!

My house is cluttered EVERYWHERE- I think that's a GREAT WAY to initiate the huge task (your right!!) There's a couple gatherings of some BIG furniture that are really blocking the band wagon from getting started & would clear up floor space AND provide new storage places IF...just put somewhere more helpful than where they are now

I am a hoarder and I know it. I feel it in my heart and I know I need help. Extreme depression and health issues are hindering my progress. I hope I can find help...

Such simple but overlooked technique! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

It's me I'm the problem it's me. I'm trying to clean my own house because it's so overwhelming. I'm a hoarder but I have no problem throwing out when I'm in that zone. I came for techniques. Starting with the big stuff makes sense. I'll be back 😁

Thank you so much. I used to be a maid and a housekeeper and now i live with a hoarder that has 3 of everything and etc. I have been so overwhelmed because when i try to start to clean up after hours. Of hard work it looks as tho i havent. Done much .he says all i do is move stuff around. So im going to try your technique and i will let you know how it goes. Thank you so very much. Bless you

Not all mountains of "crap" = hoarding. That having been said, these are my comments: Digital photos help me clear space without getting rid of memories (for example: The fronts &/or binder strips of your book covers could be digitally collage & printed for many reasons later, such as onto fabric for a throw pillow or afghan or Tshirt or Tote bag, or to print onto wrapping paper or gift cards or bookmarks, or to use as "wallpaper" on phone or green screen or Facebook or created KZfaq video, as part if a "slide show" functional decoration ... great for sentimental chochkies, pics of kids' favorite books can be saved until they're grown and then turned into personalized items for them, Etc.). I also find that putting valued possessions up for "adoption" to a "good home" also helps me part with them, whether that is someone I know personally &/or someone who will appreciate them as much as I do (or close to it). Because I have ADD though, which through exaggerating many "not helpful" behaviors, I would appreciate a video re ways to panic-clear & panic-clean massive clutter from visible areas (minimum = entryway, living rm, & bathroom) when someone judgy has to be let in with almost zero notice yet while minimizing how much more work disorganized stashing (throwing things in boxes to unpack later ... esp if not labelled +/- dated)! In my case, being a disabled almost 62 y.o. cancer survivor, who over the past 8 yrs years involving divorce & kids flying the nest, and moves that cut my square footage in half 4 times while downsizing ... not enough yet to fit in my current 650 sq feet, am talking about 4 ft of boxes & sorting piles on nearly every horizontal surface that isn't an essential path! I have room in a back room to stack boxes, but get too overwhelmed & distracted to be even marginally presentable within an hour (esp when many surfaces haven't been dusted, &/or swept, &/or wiped down for ... a while). Can you offer at least a 1hr process (& then maybe progressively better approaches by increments of available time for the same (reproduced/staged) starting situation (for comparison)? annnnd, re weighing the cost of replacing items (like fabric, wrapping paper, crafts supplies, hardware, Etc.), choices need to factor in what the cost of the real estate to store it will be (esp if downsizing). Thank you! Rosemarie Bredahl, D.O. (ret) P.S.: The "If you haven't used it in a year" isn't an option, because my family archives, medical records, and tax documents are scattered amongst boxes I haven't used for a year P.P.S.: For me, collaborating with a helper requires that they ask about my approach before replacing it. If I've already tried something that didn't work, not wanting to repeat that can mimic unreasonable resistance vs if the helper can i.d. WHY their suggestion failed during my prior trial, we two can brainstorm a new solution option while keeping the problem "over there" and keeping we two on "team us".

I love this lovely lady’s videos. Supportive and positive, Katherine is wonderful. Love from England x

Great tip!!! Will def use this on my current project!!!

Very interesting comments! i've heard the saying, "Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves". I would have started with the little things in a major de-cluttering but I see how the exact opposite can be the best method.

Oooh very helpful tip- thank you!!

Thank you so much for this video, so glad I found you. I've been pursuing a minimalist lifestyle for some years, but during the lockdown I had to move in with my hoarder grandma. My reason for minimalism is mainly mental health, staying away from clinical depression. Long story short, my grandma had a stroke recently and now is with my parents, I took over the lease, but took her clutter along with me (including her animals, against my will, she also hoards them), while my few belongings are in storage. It's driving me insane, and I don't know where to begin since I've become paralized with anxiety, swimming in clutter and cat feces 😭. Thank you for the tips and motivation 🙏

Hi Katherine, you have some amazing tips which I'm going to try with my best mate in her house.

Should be cleaning up right now...who else?

Definitely ordering course!

thank you so much for this,i love this kind of stuff im currently helping an elderly couple with there problem with hoarding ,i was wandering how i could do this for a living its my dream job

Thank you so much for this information. I’m currently learning. And seeing which niches for organizing are there to then decide which one would be for me?

Hi! New Subbie here. Thx for the 'Big to amall' tip. Love your stuff.(info stuff) That window!!! So Beautiful! Have a great day!

Thank you, this is a great tip👍

Hi I found your video information useful. I've been a vintage pottery and glass collector for many years. During COVID I started buying heavily items on eBay and Marketplace with intention to resale or collect. I can seem to stop purchasing online. I want to move my stuff for resale but to many family and health distractions kept me from starting. All my stuff is packed away in boxes, I have no idea what's in them. My house has boxes throughout every space. I'll do what you say, clear a space to work in. Photographing and itemizing my stuff. I want to make money but it's hard turning my stuff around. Bipolar Johnny.🤗

I like to use the empowering term "congested" or "congestion" not a shaming "hoarding" or "packrat" or "squalor". We clear the blocks or congestions. God Bless.

This is excellent advice and exactly what I was looking for. Practical and useful with immediate results. Thank you! Im going to sub for more advice.. I've already downsized when I moved into this tiny apt but I was sick and didn't unpack. Years later and I feel like I'm living in a storage unit. I've got piles of stuff everywhere and it's like a tetris game, which I think I've figured out what needs to be moved first in order to move the rest, but I'm here for some functional and practical advice like this. Thank you!

I like the suggestion of "big to small." My question is, what if, in order to GET to the BIG item, you have to move a lot of smaller items? Do you just move them to the side to get to the big item or work on them and then get to the big item?

Best advise for cleaning riutine for hemiplegics. I feel so overwhelmed.

Thank you for your tip

FINALLY, a properly full house to declutter...

I live with my mum and she has been hoarding since i was a child. My house was never “nice” but it was functional and clean. Now it is an absolute state, impossible to clean and actually makes me unable to use certain rooms in the house (the dust triggers my asthma) my mum is definitely an emotional hoarder which makes even conversations about removing stuff incredibly difficult and often leads to arguments. I have tried to chuck stuff secretly (even my own things) and she refuses and will take stuff out of the bin to bring back in the house and go through. Im now an adult considering how im going to leave my mum when i get my own house, when we cant even invite people over because of how embarrassing it is. Any tips would be highly appreciated ❤

Great idea throw in the dumpster my treadmill that i use then my new recliner TV stereo cabinet with vintage records . Next my dining room table and 4 chairs with couch . Next bed dresser and all the clothes . Followed by 8 boxes of tools . That’s just for starter .

I am a hoarder and pretty much as bad as any you see. I know that a more minimalistic life would be more manageable and stress free. Some how I feel comfortable in my hoarded rooms and yard. Even looking at some of those hoard pictures they seem cozy. Wrong thinking on my behalf I guess. Your suggestion s and all that is very helpful. I think I will try your suggestions

Thank you.

i have to find the floor and all of my surfaces are covered in stuff. i am bipolar and i am barely functioning. i just want to sleep all day and eat and watch tv. but the big to small helps as it is this big ferret cage and empty boxes. it has spiraled and i look at it and think it will take at least 2 hours for over a week to reset. i am 350 pounds and have arthritis i can't stand and clean all day like i used to. i am frusterated because i need to spray for fleas and i can't and i have roaches too. i like the suggestion that what would i need if there was a fire- what would i replace?

That is a great idea to get the big stuff out but what do you do with it once you decide to take it out … where do you put it when you get ready? Especially when there is no room any where in the home or garage … don’t want neighbors knowing you have such a hoarded looking house. Help give me suggestions Thank you

My father passed away 2 weeks ago in his home. He would not allow us to help him with decluttering. He had hoarding behaviors and now my sister and I have to clean up the mess. Not only is it emotionally taxing on us because of his death (he was found dead inside his bathroom), but we are having to deal with the cats, kitty litter, mold, mildew, insects, dust and toxic smoke from his fireplace. It has been overwhelming. We loved him and I don't mind because now we are actually allowed inside without his yelling or getting mad at us for cleaning his space.

I just pray that u get to the point. Good suggestion.

Its kinda nice to know im not alone in this

Thanks

Need help to decluter and organize my home of mess and hoarding for last 20 years. Was sick and now going through divorce.... need a reboot

I would like to know that maker and color of your blue wall paint. I know it's an odd question but I really like it.

I recently inherited my grandmother's home, a very large home, that is stacked with "stuff" from floor to ceiling. There is a 2ft wide (approx) to walk through to get around in the house.. I have no idea how or where to start... Also, there very well maybe items that are worth a lot of money, I wouldn't even know if it was. Any suggestions on how to start? Unfortunately, I don't have any family to help me. Thank you in advance for reading. 😇 JenLynn

I’m absolutely struggling with this I’m a mom of 4 kids and a single mom who has hoarding mental illnesses among many others and I’ve been trying so hard but can’t seem to finish it so now I have half a house that’s not bad and the other half I’m drowning 😢

Morning Katherine, Thank you for your video - I am new to your channel - are there particular videos or a playlisit you would recommend - I am going stateside to sort out my parents hoarded house to help them move to a new location - I have a week to do it. It is a 900 square foot house, but has generations of items and many layers from floor to ceiling. I am a minimalist in my own home, and have a strong decluttering muscle, and also have my parents permission to help and clear the space. They do suffer from anxiety, so I am trying to develop a plan of action to be mindful of what may trigger them, and or be overwhelming. thank you in advance for any recommendations or suggestions. many thanks Vickie-Marie

I have the problem of mean nosy neighbors/ neighborhood. I tried to clean out my house once with a dumpster-even though i was doing it BY myself and have health issues, problems decision making, and lifting things. I received a nasty anonymous letter in the mail. I was thinking , you are criticizing me for cleaning up? I am working on things! How can I work on things discreetly? NOT easy to do, I cannot see a way to-especially if I am trying to work quickly or need help. Neighbors threatening to call people etc. It was very paralyzing, confusing-sent me into a worse state and that's still my issue.

My grandmas a horder and it made it hard for me to have a normal childhood. I couldnt have any sleepovers because my mom was ashamed of the state our house is in. I couldnt have friends over for my bday. I even had to give up my biking becaise there was no room in the house. I loved biking so much and I want to get back into it, I was devastated when I had to give that up. It was a stress reliever. Im 18 now and im so sick of the house being so full of useless stuff. But im not sure how to tell my grandma we should clean without her feeling some type of way. I dont know how to approach the situation without conflict.

I don’t know where to begin have a dining room to de clutter now depression is stepping in my mother died and my house went from perfect to clutter working 2 jobs and can’t stand this anymore and since my family died Ihave no finances to get help what do I do!God bless!!

I’ve done a couple of downsize jobs, and two garage clean outs. I’d like to do more, but not sure how to get more jobs. I’ve put it on Nextdoor and everyone at church knows what I do. Any ideas?

I have a very hoardered home and it's an apartment with no foyer area or access to areas outside my door...basically I am just moving stuff around as I don't have a sorting area and place to store sorted items...can't rent another sorting room due to budget n other challenges...please advise...

How can you help not getting overwhelmed and anxiety going up when you have a ton of clothes and stuff to go through? See we live in a 5th wheel RV and a few of my friends gave me bags of clothes and stuff and before I got through the first bag my other friend showed up with the bags she had for me so I had 3 friends bring me a few bags each plus I have what we already had and now it just looks like a huge mountain and a tornado hit it so do you have any tips for me so I can tackle it and get rid of what we don't wear,need or use I'm so overwhelmed I don't know were to start at

Any tips for someone that doesn't have a "team" or suggested videos for someone doing this work alone?

I've worked for a few years on our family home's garage. Got rid of a lot of junk, but the biggest challenge is paperwork. My mom literally wants to go through every SINGLE paper to make sure it's not something valuable or something that has personal information...and the sad thing is I don't completely blame her. I just work faster and if it were my paperwork I would look through it but not with all the reminiscencing and sentimentality that my mom puts into it. The other challenge is knick knacks that she doesn't use but wants to keep because she like them. HELP ME PLEASE!

I was ocd clean clean fanatic but then my mom as well as several immediate family all passed away I had been severely depressed 9.11.17 well I have thrown so so much but.. I have 8 days for an inspection nothing is nasty or trash ITS STUFF N DUSTING MOPING ETC I KNOW HOW TO DEEP CLEAN BUT PHYSICALLY ITS SO NOT DO ABLE FOR ME WHAT CAN I DO PLZZZ HELP TIPS???? I have all moms n mamaws stuff n 1 of KY kids moved out n im just overwhelmed

I relocated through the military and was unable to Declutter before the move, now I’m in a 2/2 apt trying to downsize from a 3/2 house with a garage and just don’t see a way out

I have to do the opposite. If I start on small items it seems doable, the goal is obtainable. It’s easy to throw one thing away when you get up to get a drink or go to the bathroom or to put 2 books away back on a shelf where they are suppose to go. Big items or piles cause me stress and make me feel overwhelmed. But I suppose each hoarder is different 🤷‍♀️(I’m a level 2. Not as severe as the people you help)

I thought no I've been doing something similar with my parents hoarding. They will start whining about the overwhelming task of working on the mess and I will pick one big thing they have agreed to get rid of and get one of them to help me carry it outside. Once I can get them up and moving a few things out they start finding other things to throw out, then we get a big pile going for a special trash pickup on the curb. By then they feel pretty motivated because of hey wow that's a huge pile of trash gone now, there's suddenly room to get to even more junk, etc. We are slowly moving room by room and doing cleaning and renovations this way. It's secretly a more personal mission of mine because I do NOT want to be left inheriting a hoarder house.

I need to do my house, it's boarder line hoarder, only got that way with panic buying during pandemic, cats don't help either. We are fixing a big room just for them, building a play wall. I get so frustrated trying to get it done n am going in circles. It's just me doing it

You don't get overwhelmed because it's not your stuff and it's not your family members so you can clear it out without any guilt or repercussions. Nobody's going to be coming back at you saying you did that because of something that happened when we were teenagers. When it's your stuff or it's a family member's stuff it's a totally different animal😊 I am dealing with my own hoarding situation every time I try and sort through a box or a pile the situation gets worse not better. Every time I try and sort through the pile the pile seems to grow instead of diminished. If I open a box of start taking things out now it's spread out all over the place and even though I want to save one or two items I have more items now disorganized and spread around that need to go somewhere else. I am proceeding with getting them sent to somewhere else but the process is exhausting. And frustrating because everytime I sort through a new box now things are disorganized instead of neatly stacked and packed.

my male friend has hoards of bycicles 45 shoes camping gear. and clothes and books and kitchen items everywhere piles a path to his desk and his living room he keeps under control and kitchen barely. how do we help. he tries having garages sales annually but it doesn’t make a dent

I'm helping my parents sell their old mobile home and clearing it out. They are baby boomers and hold on to everything. My mom in particular must check each box I've loaded into the bed of the truck and she takes out one item from each box. How do I stop her from doing this

If you can help me, a friend wants me to help him once again. His place is overwhelming, he never picks any thing up, He collects anything and has many collections..I am disturbed just writing this. Someone living like this is terrifying and i also realize I resent being expected to be the one to deal with this. Please Katherine, if you can offer any advice I would be relieved and more than grateful.

I'm helping a friend who's depressed and hoards a lot and she just got married and has kids and I just want to help but it's overwhelming

i used to do it and was sought after. now i cannot get my own little place under control and need everything for the 2bdrm theyll be moving me and my son in soon. ugh! i don't know where to start, have no help or boxes. just jesus

I have A cluttered apartment and I am completely overwhelmed and don’t know how to start and I keep obtaining more and more items. How do I start ? And I can’t afford to pay anyone and no friends to help. It’s all on me one person crew to a 3 bedroom apt. Any advice please

I find it hard to even try to de clutter my brain shuts down and I can’t do anything at all !!! I don’t know how or where to start

Hi I need some time on how to get my aunt who is a hoarder to throw items away. She won't throw away rock.

I know it's a year old but here we go. My sever ADHD is causing all the problems. I started hoarding as a result of quitting drinking. So addiction transfer. Funny enough I was not trying to quit drinking but instead took medication to quit smoking! So now I Vape in my hoard of things that resulted from me starting to recycle metal. When going around looking for scrap metal you realize that people don't throw away anything that's broken anymore. Then you going to donate it or maybe to be this would be good for my daughter then it might be good for my daughter grow into and then it got out of hand me trying to save the world and then destroying our lives instead

Have a part time job helping this lady clean hoarded spaces.Was helping clean a bedroom it wasn't that bad actually, It's just that I feel a little sick from cleaning .I wore a disposable mask .There was no animals in the house or didn't come across any bugs .Just alot of dust and trash no food trash just a lot of papers clothing and stuff like that . Why I'm I feeling sick when it isn't too too bad and I wore a disposable mask?

I used to be the one that helped others clean n organization now I cant help me

My family hoards how do I clean when they don’t wanna get rid of stuff ?

Ok, but that shelf: to get rid of it do you first have to figure out what to do with everything in it? Do you just quickly pull everything off and dump it on the floor and drag the empty shelf out of the room?

Having problems with senior citizen 77 years old she's a bedtime order newspapers I just moved in with her

The problem is for those with hoarding disorder konMaris spark joy method reinforces a hoarders desire to hold on to things because it can’t be defined. This isn’t great for them.

My garage is full of clutter I'm trying where to start. I want to start again working on my vintage car

I have so Many clothes!!!!!! Piles upon piles

This better get done. The cleaning better get done.

I want to be organized is it too late in life I’m 62

I really want to be organized but I’m lazy or frustrated or something I can’t believe I’m where I’m at I’m ashamed

Also, he has an apartment inspection coming up rather soon. He put this off until now.

My local council has its own set of cleaners, not sure if they also work independently or not....which leads me to their, seriously unfortunate title! Blitz Clean! My son played American Football for 10 years, also Blitz is a term used in war/s, if you tried to BLITZ clean in my flat, I'd go into my kitchen & come out of the kitchen with my rolling pin wafting it around violently as I kick you out of my HOME...I've mental health issues, trying to attack my home like it's a take over won't help me to heal, but I'd poss people please and agree to chucking stuff out just to, shut you up! And then later probably like how my son has responded, suffers paranoia and accusing people of stealing from him, cos he can't remember what he said yes and no to!! Nahhh, I'd rather check on gumtree & as I'm paying by the hour, I could handle 3 hours max...that's the best deal for my issues. I just watch these video's to 'jiggle me along', so I do as much decluttering without freaking myself out, or regretting it later! Thanks!

No home for anything it looks like a thrift store in here every drawer junk drawer ,..ugh...i have 9 couches 9....9 couches 5 big chairs and 2 kitchen tables and i am holding the belongings of 6 people who have moved out and are storing their stuff here we are friends and family so i dont mind but ugh. I gotta stop hanging onto stuff in case someone needs it.

this video is too cluttered, try getting to the point

❤check this out..