The Psychology Behind Successful Decluttering

A few months back, I shared a video called "What Psychologists Know About Your Clutter That You Don't," where I explored the fascinating connections between clutter and the mind. It resonated with many viewers and sparked numerous conversations, though it served primarily as an overview. Today, we’re going to focus and expand on one specific area: what psychologists know about achieving decluttering success.

Decluttering requires more than just tidying up; it involves effort, decision-making, and action-taking. Many people struggle with this process because they don’t have confidence in their ability to organize or let go of things. This is a major hurdle for many of the people I help to get rid of their clutter. But understanding the psychology behind decluttering success can make your efforts, well, more successful. 

After all, that’s the overall point of psychology. In this case, it all comes down to self-efficacy.

Self-Efficacy Determines Your Results

Self-efficacy is a concept introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura in the late 1970s and is something that is widely taught and practiced in Psychology Today. 

The self-efficacy theory says that people’s belief in their abilities in any given task or project profoundly impacts their behavior and their success in that thing. If you believe you can, you’re right; if you believe you can’t, you’re also right. So, self-efficacy plays a crucial role in our behavior and success. 

If you’re self-efficacy around subjects like decluttering, organizing, or maintaining a chaos-free home and life is low, then you’re very likely not going to take the actions and have the behaviors that would be necessary to give you an outcome of having a clutter-free, chaos-free space. 

Bandura identified four sources of self-efficacy, and the great thing about that is that you can learn and optimize these sources for yourself to increase your self-efficacy in letting go of clutter. So, let’s talk about what those are and some specific actions you can take to make your decluttering efforts more successful. 

Mastery Experiences

The first one is “mastery experiences” or “acts of mastery,” which is basically just saying, “I did it before so that I can do it again” - it’s your performance outcomes. If you’ve succeeded in something similar, you’re more likely to believe you can do this. 

Acts of mastery involve achieving small, manageable tasks to build confidence. This is why people frequently say to start small and take baby steps. It’s not about the immediate results so much as building the confidence and gathering the true, proven data that you can do this. This is what it looks like, this is what it feels like, and it’s totally doable. 

Someone decides to declutter their kitchen. They start by organizing the spice rack, which takes 10 minutes. Then, admiring the neat, organized spices gives them the confidence to tackle the pantry next.

Some practical ways to implement this in your home are to:

• Start Small: Begin with a single drawer or a small corner of a room. Successfully organizing a small space can boost your confidence to tackle larger areas.
  
• Set Achievable Goals: Break down your decluttering tasks into manageable goals. Remember, it’s not about the fact that you did it for 10 minutes instead of an hour; it’s about the data that you did it at all.
  
• Celebrate Successes: Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. This positive reinforcement encourages continued effort and, again, builds that confidence. 

Vicarious Experience

The second source is Vicarious Experiences, which is learning from other people’s experiences. You see someone else do it and immediately think: “Well, if they can do it, I can do it.”

This works especially well if you find someone who you feel similar to in some way or you can relate to that person. Seeing others succeed can be a very motivating thing that bolsters your confidence and may even give you some successful shortcuts or leg-ups in the process.

Some practical ways to implement this in your home are to:

• Find Role Models: Follow blogs, YouTube channels, or social media accounts of people who share their decluttering journeys and advice.
  
• Join Communities: Participate in online forums or local groups focused on decluttering and minimalism. Again, hearing shared experiences and tips can be incredibly motivating.
  
• Attend Workshops: Look for workshops or webinars on organization and decluttering. These usually offer some quick wins and unique perspectives or rally you with excitement to finally pull the trigger. I have one of my own that you can access at miadanielle.com/workshop.
  

Let’s say you watch a series of YouTube videos by someone with a similar garage setup, and now you feel inspired and equipped with new strategies to tackle your garage. 

Verbal Persuasion

The third source is verbal persuasion-“They told me I could do it, so I believe I can.”

Verbal persuasion involves receiving direct encouragement from others or using positive affirmations to shape your self-efficacy. It’s, of course, more effective if you find the source believable. 

Let’s say you feel overwhelmed by the clutter in your office, so you join a local decluttering group where all of the members are constantly telling you that they’ve been where you are, and you can definitely create a streamlined office space for yourself. Now, instead of thinking, “Can I even do this?” you find yourself thinking, “Hmm, how could I go about this?”

Some great ways to cash in on the source of verbal persuasion are to:

• Seek Support: Share your decluttering goals with friends or family members who can offer encouragement and accountability.
  
• Use Affirmations: Write down and repeat positive affirmations such as “I am capable of creating an organized space” or “I am in control of my environment.” Over time, you start to look at your space through the lens of someone who is in control of their environment, and you begin to behave and make decisions accordingly.
  
• Professional Help: Many people choose to work with a professional who can offer guidance and verbal encouragement throughout the process because it makes them feel supported and more likely to succeed. 

Psychological Arousal

The fourth way to boost self-efficacy is through something Bandura calls psychological arousal, which refers to your emotional state and how it impacts your confidence and motivation.

Sometimes, your physical or mental state isn't up to par. Maybe it’s hormones, stress, or other life factors putting a damper on your mood, making you feel less confident. We all have those days—every single one of us.

But by catching yourself at the right time or working on cultivating a positive, optimistic mindset, you can magically increase your self-efficacy. When you feel more optimistic about the outcomes, you take more inspired actions and achieve better results.

Some ways to tap into this are:

• Mindfulness Practices: Engage in mindfulness practices like meditation or yoga to maintain a positive and calm mindset. These practices can help you stay centered and focused, even when you're feeling overwhelmed.
• Identify Triggers: Be aware of what triggers negative emotions related to clutter and develop strategies to manage these feelings. Understanding your triggers can help you navigate and overcome emotional hurdles.
• Create a Positive Environment: Surround yourself with an environment that promotes positivity and productivity. This can include playing uplifting music, using essential oils to create a calming atmosphere, or arranging your space in a way that feels inspiring and peaceful.

By managing your emotional state and creating a positive environment, you can enhance your self-efficacy and make the decluttering process much more manageable and enjoyable.

Learning to optimize these sources of self-efficacy can give you a psychological edge that most people don’t have. It’s rare to have this level of awareness and intention in these things. By building your self-efficacy in your home, you’re improving the relationship between yourself and your space to overcome the challenges of letting things go.