Until I made the decision to own less, I was under an illusion. Genuinely, I believed that I didn’t own much stuff. It was only when I decluttered and fully embraced minimalism that I realized how materialistic I was. If you’re like me, I think it may help if you familiarize yourself with the signs you own too much stuff.
It’s important to note that there are various types of clutter that can affect your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
This article will relate strictly to physical possessions that are hindering you from having a spacious, organized, simple, and tranquil home.
Related article: The 6 types of clutter to minimize in your life
13 Signs You Own Too Much Stuff And Need To Declutter
1. Overcrowded Living Spaces
Your home or living space should be relaxing, comfortable, clean, and spacious. You should be able to partake in regular activities without being hindered by your belongings.
2. Difficulty Finding Things
If you have to embark on a treasure hunt every time you need to find regular items that ought to be easy to locate, you definitely own too much stuff.
3. Regularly Misplacing Items
The sheer volume of too many possessions is hard to organize in a reasonable fashion, let alone remember where most things are located.
4. Renting Storage Space
Having to rent storage space is a telltale sign you own too much stuff. Either that, or you have too many belongings in comparison to the amount of storage space available in your home. Think about this: you’re spending money every month on items you purchased that are not in use. That’s clearly a waste of money and space for belongings that you shouldn’t own anymore.
Related article: Extreme decluttering (what is it and should you try it?)
5. You Feel Stressed At Home
If the very idea of organizing, cleaning, or being in your own space is daunting to you, that’s another sign you own too much stuff. Stress and anxiety pertaining to the sight of your environment are indicators of the need to embrace change and minimalism.
6. Financial Issues
Spending money on storage space and maintenance fees for possessions that cause a dent in your bank account is an issue. Debt, excessive monthly premiums, and living paycheck-to-paycheck could be additional indicators of owning too much stuff.
Related article: A simple guide to living below your means
7. Cleaning Is Exhausting
Do you have to spend hours just cleaning and organizing individual rooms? Does it require shuffling around in a storm of belongings just to access certain areas of a room or your home? If so, then you definitely possess too many things. I had this issue in my own bedroom, which turned into a personal gym and workspace. Too many exercise machines that were barely used occupied my space and required frequent dusting. It was a nightmare that had to be resolved.
8. Your Decor Looks Chaotic
Every attractive home has a distinct style. Unfortunately, excessive belongings can pollute the details of your home decor and draw attention away from the parts of your home that are beautiful.
9. Unused items
Minimalism preaches the idea of limiting one’s possessions to useful, necessary, and practical items. Unused belongings that sit in a cupboard or occupy space on the floor without being used for months or years on end are a waste of money and space.
Related article: 7 Types of clothes in your closet to declutter
10. Duplicate Items
There’s very little need for duplicate items, especially appliances and tools that are still functional. Falling into a collectors mentality can often result in owning too much stuff that stockpiles for months on end.
11. Things Go Missing
Rarely do items get lost in an organized and minimalistic home. Conversely, owning too much often makes it easy to misplace or lose track of what you own.
12. It’s Difficult To Open Or Close Drawers
This was a problem that I had in my bedroom. I stored so much exercise equipment around my bed that I couldn’t open one set of cupboards. If I wanted to access those drawers or cupboards, I had to walk over items and remove them until I could open the doors. Selling off unused exercise equipment has mitigated this issue.
13. The Garage Is A Mess
Parking vehicles is the primary reason for a garage. Far too many of us utilize this space to horde and collect items that should be trashed, sold, or donated. An inability to park your cars in the garage is a telltale sign of owning too much.
Related article: Declutter your garage with this guide
Owning stuff is necessary and can be a wonderful way of spoiling yourself from time to time. But if your home is cluttered and becomes a source of stress, it might be time to consider decluttering and adopting minimalism into your life. Ever since I started implementing the principles of simplicity in my life, I’ve designed a cleaner and more relaxing space for myself that has directly influenced the way I feel and function on a day-to-day basis.