The state of a kitchen pantry, closet, or garage says a lot about a person. There are some who seem to have the innate ability to keep their spices alphabetized, their clothes separated by color and season, and power cords neatly wound all in one place. Then there are others with more junk drawers than regular ones and small collections of stuff that have accumulated over time.

If you’re a member of the latter group, you may have been one of the many curious minds scouring Google for decluttering tips — the search term hit a five-year high in 2025 — or found yourself in a hypnotic home organizing TikTok wormhole.

A home that’s disorganized can create anxiety and overwhelm, says Amanda Wiss, the founder of Urban Clarity, a New York City-based professional organization business. In her experience, the greatest decluttering hurdle is finding the will to get started. Some clients have the perception that the task will be too difficult, the project too big. Maybe you’re in the same boat. Or perhaps the online content you’ve seen around home organization — rife with expensive bins and colorful labels — has you feeling pressured to drop hundreds of dollars on products. However, the secret to decluttering, experts say, is to rely on function over aesthetics and to organize like a real person and not an influencer.

Start with a small, manageable task

For those who struggle getting started, take some pressure off: You don’t need to organize your entire house in one weekend. But you should begin with a smaller task or area, ideally one that causes you the most aggravation. Are you constantly tripping over shoes and bookbags as soon as you walk in the door? Start with your entranceway. Does your laundry pile up on an office chair that you’d really like to sit in again? Tackle that first. Do you struggle to find a spot for groceries in the fridge? Make that your project for the day.

“Decluttering is decision-making,” Wiss says, “and it’s exhausting, and there’s decision fatigue, and you could at some point just hit a........

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