How to Overcome Hoarding Tendencies

Described as having an excess of clutter in the home, hoarding can become a debilitating problem that can impact one's life, mental health and emotional state that leaves their place of residence feeling uncomfortable and even dangerous. While we do recommend getting professional help if you are seriously struggling with hoarding, here are some easy tips to help you overcome hoarding tendencies.

Easily book your unit online right now within 15 minutes! Reserve online with no obligation or reservation fees.

Admit to the hoarding

While this might be the hardest part of the process, it is super important for you to admit that you might have a problem with hoarding. Even though full blown hoarding can take a few years to develop, the moment you start feeling overwhelmed, depressed or hopeless when it comes to cleaning your home you seek help. This can be as simple as asking loved one's to help you or to hire a cleaning service to assist you in tidying up before things get too out of hand.

Download our "Get More Space" guide to declutter your house in just 3 weeks

Start small

Perhaps it’s a chair or a small part of your kitchen counter that is filled with unnecessary bits and bobs - start small and the big changes will follow. Clear up a small area by picking up everything and sorting through it. Throw away all unused papers, candy wrappers, and trash. Donate any items that you are not actually using and return all clothes to the cupboard, books to the shelf etc until the space is 100% clear. Once the small area is cleaned, wipe it down with a cloth and take pride in what you’ve accomplished!

Check your cupboards

More often than not, something that always seems to be hoarded are non-perishable foods in tins and packets. Go slow, get some help from a loved one and go through your kitchen cupboards and check expiration dates on all tinned foods. Chuck out anything that is expired or opened. This is one of those instances where hoarding can become dangerous since holding onto old, expired foods can attract mice, rats and insect infestations which could affect your health and wellbeing.

Rational thinking

If you find yourself holding onto unnecessary items for fear of needing it, then think about it rationally. Ask yourself the following questions to help:

1. Do I need this? If the immediate answer is no, then throw it out or donate it. If the answer is yes, put it aside and revisit it with a loved one.
2. When last did I use this item? If you used it more than a year ago, then it is time to toss or donate.
3. Does this item hold sentimental value? If no, then chuck or donate. If yes, pack it in a box and put it aside to be stored.
4. Am I going to need this within the next few months? This is a very tricky question as we can often convince ourselves that we might need something even if we do not. We suggest tackling this part of the question with a trusted friend.

Spend smartly

Now that you have made the conscious decision to cut down on your hoarding, it is equally important that you need to cut down on your buying. If you often find yourself buying in bulk or buying things that you have no use for, then it might be helpful to get a loved one to do your shopping for you so that you are not compelled to shop unnecessarily. Resist the urge to shop online and clear your saved passwords on your PC or phone so that your device does not remember card details. Instead of tapping a few times to buy, you will need to get up, find your card, input the details and revert to your bank in which time you might realise that you don’t need to shop.

Clean up as you go

A tried and trusted way to ensure that your hoarding tendencies do not reappear is to clean up after yourself everyday. Whether it be getting out of bed, cooking or getting dressed, tidy up and pack away everything once you are done using it. Even though it might seem hard to do at first, this is a habit that will grow on you and soon, you won’t even notice yourself doing it. Another way to incorporate this into your routine is to start by tidying up for just 5 minutes every day for a week. The next week, increase it to 10 minutes and the week after, try to do it for 12-15 minutes. Doing it slowly will give you less reason to quit and you will start to find that cleaning up becomes easier as the days go by.

Get a storage unit

If you find that there are a few things in your home that are taking up space like large tables, chairs, storage boxes or cabinets that you hardly use, then it might be a good idea to invest in a storage unit to keep those things safe. Consider also storing those items that you are not quite ready to let go of but are creating excess unnecessary clutter in your home. This is a great way to almost meet yourself halfway where you don't need to get rid of everything right away but can still create more space in your home. Get a trusted friend to help you decide on what to store in the unit so that it does not just become another space for you to hoard. At Rent-A-Store, we have various sized units to suit your needs and offer free move-in transport, giving you one less thing to worry about!

If you find that you still cannot fight your hoarding tendencies, then we suggest getting professional help to provide you with the tools needed to overcome your hoarding.

Image by: ronstik