Mastering Your Fear of Kitchen Organization

Kitchen organization can be intimidating. All the clutter is overwhelming, makes you feel anxious and stressed, you want to turn away and leave. This is a very common response when you decide you want to make a change. There are many reasons why letting things go can be difficult. In this article, we are going to look at the mindsets to explore to face your fears and make the decision to get organized.

Kitchen Organization Mindset 1:

I won’t know I need it until I don’t have it.

Instead of worrying about not having something someday in the future, consider changing your mindset to can I:

Borrow it
Do it another way
Buy it again (try applying the minimalist 20/20 rule. If you can replace it in 20 minutes for under $20 it is not worth storing for just in case)
Is it still useful to me?
Is it still good? Many things have an expiry date, like food.
Is it time to move on from having too much unnecessary stuff and make my life easier?

Instead of thinking about what you might need someday in an abstract way, change your mindset to when did I last use it? When you put your decision into measurable terms it is easier to decide if the item is important.

Kitchen Organization Mindset 2:

I have never been good at making decisions

Taking responsibility for making decisions can be terrifying. But as I once heard, even when you fall on your face you are still moving forward. We learn from mistakes and get better at doing things. Change your focus from not making mistakes to taking risks. You will get better at making good decisions by changing your mindset in the following ways:

Practice makes perfect – as you take risks making decisions it becomes less frightening and easier each time

Pick your favourites – it is ok not to love everything equally. Give yourself permission to have favourites and keep only those items

Treasure hunting – don’t focus on what you are giving away, focus on what treasures you might find and make it a fun adventure

Don’t let the past control your future – decide to take control of your space and make the decisions necessary to make your plan a success

Kitchen Organization Mindset 3:

It takes so much mental energy to make all those decisions

I always tell clients that the kitchen organization will take mental energy and you will be tired after our session. Plan for needing energy, enthusiasm and excitement towards creating a new space you love that will be energizing, creative and comfortable. Change your mindset from I am too tired to do this so let’s get started on this new journey by:

Setting an amount of time to work that is right for you so you don’t get burnout, increase the amount of time until you can work for 1 hour or longer without feeling overwhelmed

Kitchen organization gets easier and takes less energy as you get used to the system of sorting and making decisions more quickly

Do it at your high energy time of day, reward yourself when the session is over

Break the room into smaller bites so each bite is not taxing you to your maximum abilities

Get Started

Once you’re ready to get started with kitchen organization, make an appointment with yourself; the date, time and area to work on to keep up the momentum. The first session may have been hard and short. Practice makes perfect and makes it easier to let go of things. It will get easier and each session will get longer and you will accomplish your goals.

Still Not Ready to Tackle Kitchen Organization?

There are also three ways I can help you.

You can book a virtual kitchen organization appointment and we can do it together. I’ll be in your kitchen with you watching you through your computer, phone or tablet and helping you with the process.

If you just need some moral support, you can book a coaching appointment to discuss how to reduce your fears by making changes.

And if you live in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada book an in-person session for us to work together in your kitchen.

Big or small, make sure you reward yourself for overcoming your fear and committing to getting organized.

On this site, you will find a checklist of 10 steps to declutter your kitchen and a blog on How to Organize your kitchen. You are armed with great information to get started but you’re afraid. All the clutter is overwhelming, makes you feel anxious and stressed, you want to turn away and leave. This is a very common response when you decide you want to make a change. There are many reasons why letting things go can be difficult. In this article, we are going to look at the fear of decision making.

Organized is defined as knowing what you have, having what you need, knowing where to find items and finding things when you need them.

Keep this definition in mind as you start making decisions about what to keep and what to let go of.

Let’s get started

Take the first step

When you think about decluttering and organizing your kitchen where do you feel the tension in your body? Is it in your:

Stomach
Shoulder
Headache

Recognize your reaction, acknowledge it, understand it, relax and move through that feeling of anxiety. You can do it.

Set yourself a plan:

How much time will you spend in a session, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour or longer?
Which area will you start on, a drawer, cupboard, pantry?
What questions will you ask yourself to help you decide to keep it or remove it?

Place your unneeded items in a box to be donated or offered to a friend or family member.

Plan the next session

Make an appointment with yourself; the date, time and area to work on in order keep up the momentum. The first session may have been hard and short. Practice makes perfect and makes it easier to let go of things. It will get easier and each session will get longer and you will accomplish your goals.

Reward yourself

Big or small, reward yourself for overcoming your fear and successfully removing some items from your kitchen. You’re still alive, you survived and you did it.

Need some support or guidance for your project?

There are 3 ways I can assist you.

Book a virtual organizing appointment and we can do it together. I’ll be in your kitchen with you watching you through your computer, phone or tablet and helping you with the process.

If you’re having trouble making changes to your kitchen book a coaching appointment to discuss how to reduce your fears with making changes.

If you live in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada book an in-person session for us to work together in your kitchen.