How to Declutter When You’re Overwhelmed
I believe design is a form of self-care: because your home is the one environment you live inside every day.
And if your home feels mentally loud, it’s not because you’re “bad at decorating.” It’s usually because your space is doing something sneaky: it’s asking your brain questions all day.
Where should this go?
What color should I pick?
Do I need a new rug?
Why does this room still feel unfinished?
That’s why people search things like:
how to declutter when overwhelmed
where do I start decluttering
visual clutter
decision fatigue
how to finish a room
entryway organization ideas / drop zone ideas
how to choose paint color / how to choose rug size
They don’t just want a cleaner home. They want relief.
Why “visual noise” feels exhausting
Household chaos is a real research construct that conjures up words like disorder, clutter, noise, lack of structure. Researchers found that exposure to a more chaotic home environment caused increases in stress and negative emotions compared to a neutral environment [1]. And when your environment is packed with competing stimuli, your attention system has to work harder to filter what matters. Research on visual working memory shows that irrelevant input can disrupt what you’re trying to hold in mind and focus on [2]. Translation: your home can either help your brain settle or keep it on patrol.
What is Clarity?
Clarity isn’t minimalism. It’s not getting rid of everything you own. Clarity is when your home stops acting like a browser with 37 tabs open. Below is the exact method I use when a client says: “I’m overwhelmed. I need someone to tell me what to do first.”
The Clarity Edit: 7 steps (start today)
1) Start with the #1 stress zone: the entry
This is where overwhelm begins. If the first thing you see is piles, bags, shoes, or mail. Your nervous system interprets the message as "unsettling".
Do this: Create one landing pad:
a tray for keys + wallet
hooks for bags + coats
one basket for shoes (or mail)
Small system. Big relief.
2) Clear one “high-visibility surface” in 15 minutes
Coffee table. Kitchen counter. Nightstand. Desk. Clarity needs one visible win to build momentum, especially when you’re stuck.
Rule: if you see it constantly, it should feel intentional.
3) Shrink your choice set (this is where the calm starts)
If you have eight throw pillows you don’t love, three rugs “to decide between,” or a stack of frames you might hang someday, your home becomes a daily negotiation. There’s classic evidence that too much choice can reduce motivation and follow-through [3]. So yes, fewer, stronger decisions often creates more forward motion.
Mindful move: pick a lane for one decision (one rug, one paint direction, one pillow story). Commit.
4) Close one “unfinished room” loop this week
Unfinished decisions are mental weight. Pick one loop to close:
hang the art
choose the paint direction
confirm the rug size
replace the temporary light fixture
One finished choice changes the feeling of the whole space.
5) Make evening lighting softer by default
If your home is lit like a hospital at 9pm, your body never gets the cue to downshift. Experts recommend exposure for daytime, evening, and nighttime indoor light to support circadian rhythms, sleep, and wellbeing. [4]
Do this tonight:
Put two lamps on dimmers (or smart plugs)
Set an “evening scene” that’s warm + lower
Let overheads become optional, not default
6) Add one nature cue (even in winter)
A meta-analysis of experimental studies found that exposure to natural environments tends to reduce physiological stress compared to urban environments[5]. And controlled research suggests that biophilic indoor elements can support stress/anxiety recovery [6].
You don’t need a forest. You need a cue:
a real plant where you’ll see it daily
natural textures (linen, wool, wood)
a “window moment” (chair angled toward light)
7) Decide the emotional job of the room (the mindful part)
Write one sentence about your room of choice to set the intentionality behind it:
“This bedroom helps me sleep.”
“This living room helps me decompress and host.”
“This office helps me focus and shut down after work.”
Then remove anything that doesn’t support that sentence. Clarity isn’t about having less. It’s about having what belongs.
Which service is right for you?
If reading this made you think, “Yes—but I still want someone to just tell me what to do,” that’s exactly what we do.
Need decisions fast + a next-step plan → House Call
Want it handled end-to-end → Full-Service Design
Want a designer-led restyle using what you own → Curated Home Edit
Building/remodeling and want your vision protected → Build + Remodel Design
References
[1] Bodrij, F. F., & colleagues. The causal effect of household chaos on stress and caregiving: An experimental study. (2021). full text available via PMC.
[2] Lorenc, E. S., & Sreenivasan, K. K. Distraction in visual working memory: Resistance is not futile. (2021). Trends in Cognitive Sciences / review on distraction and VWM. full text available via PMC.
[3] Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? (2000). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
[4] Brown, T. M., Brainard, G., Cajochen, C., et al. Recommendations for daytime, evening, and nighttime indoor light exposure to best support physiology, sleep, and wakefulness in healthy adults. (2022). PLOS Biology / Consensus View.
[5] Gaekwad, J. S., & colleagues. A meta-analysis of physiological stress responses to natural environments: Biophilia and Stress Recovery Theory perspectives. (2023). Biological Psychology.
[6] Yin, J., & colleagues. Effects of biophilic indoor environment on stress and anxiety recovery: A between-subjects experiment in virtual reality. (2020). Environment International.
