286 | Decluttering Workshop | How to Declutter Sentimental Items

Hey Guys, This is the first long episode of Kitchen Month. Today you will learn how to begin your kitchen reset in a way that is simple, sustainable, and actually sticks. You are going to start with one counter surface. Not the whole kitchen. One surface. This gives you a quick win and creates a new "set point." We are using James Clear's Atomic Habits principle: make it obvious. Your environment starts driving the behavior, not your willpower. This month includes eight longform episodes (each focused on a key kitchen zone) and daily 5-minute "reminder" minisodes designed to keep you moving with gentle, judgment-free nudges. Mini homework: Pick ONE surface. Clear it completely. Protect it every night this week. HERE is my Amazon link for you to check out the boxes I mentioned in the episode. Looking forward to seeing your progress this month in the free Facebook group.  To join click below... https://www.facebook.com/groups/declutteryourchaos/ Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates. XO, Amber  

Hey Guys!  In this kickoff to Kitchen Month, Amber guides you through everything you need to know to transform your kitchen—and your habits—this November. You'll learn how to plan your project, gather the right tools, and approach decluttering from a holistic, mindful perspective. This month includes eight longform episodes (each focused on a key kitchen zone) and daily 5-minute "reminder" minisodes designed to keep you moving with gentle, judgment-free nudges. Looking forward to seeing your progress this month in the free Facebook group.  To join click below... https://www.facebook.com/groups/declutteryourchaos/ Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.    

Hey Guys! In this episode I talk with Judy, who has been working with me in my 3-month decluttering program.  Judy has made a ton of progress in her home and I thought it might be helpful for you to hear about her progress.   If you would like me to help you declutter your home email me [email protected] and we can talk about your specific project.  XO, Amber Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.    

Hey Guys,   Here are 8 rules, or boundaries, you can give yourself while decluttering.  Don't try to use them all.  Just try one or two and use what works for you.   Strategy 1: Clear Decision Criteria Before you touch anything, you give your brain rules to follow.  This keeps you out of emotional negotiation. Ask yourself: Do I use this regularly?   Does it serve a real purpose in my life right now?   Would I buy this again today?   Does it align with who I'm becoming?   Strategy 2: Binary Decisions Yes = it stays. No = it goes. Maybe = it goes in a 30-day box. If you don't touch it in 30 days, it's gone.     Strategy 3: Set Limits Clutter thrives without limits. Space limit: A shelf, a drawer, a bin. When it's full, something must leave.   Quantity limit: Only keep the number you actually use.   Time limit: Work in short, focused bursts to avoid decision fatigue.     Strategy 4: Tests for Clarity If this disappeared today, would I replace it? Does this item fit the life I'm creating, or is it tied to a past version of me?     Strategy 5: Function Over Story Sentiment is valid, but function decides what stays in your active space. Keep the memory, not the object.   Take a photo if needed.   One small sentimental box only. Clear boundary.   Strategy 6: Exit Strategy Every item needs a destination the second you decide. Donation box.   Trash bag.   Maybe box with a date.   Drop-off or pick-up scheduled.   Strategy 7: Decision Hierarchy   Function trumps sentiment   Space trumps guilt   Future trumps past     Strategy 8: Prevent Backslide Touch once. Decide once. Use post-its with the destination of object written on them to help with this. Hope this helps! XO, Amber Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.

Here's the link to sign up for the Workshop: https://declutteryourchaos.com/workshop   Here is a link to the facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/declutteryourchaos/   Here are the steps we talk about in the workshop so you have them handy:    Step one: NOTICE THE BODY Grab the object you are attached to.  Touch it.  NOW notice what's happening in your body, Not your thoughts. Tight chest Clenched jaw Shallow breath These are signals of attachment   Step two: NAME THE FEELING Say out loud what's under the resistance:  fear of loss, regret, scarcity, control.  Naming interrupts the automatic grip.   Step three: SEPARATE THE OBJECT FROM THE EMOTION Remind yourself the feeling lives inside you, not the object.  The object isn't safety, the mug, the jacket, the pants, the bracelet…it isn't safety, it isn't identity.     Step four: REGULATE Slow steady breathing or grounding (touching a wall, pressing your feet into the floor) calms the nervous system...once your body settles letting go stops feeling so dangerous.   Step five: RELEASE Only after the shift happens. The shift from placing your emotions on the object, people let go more easily because the charge is gone.  The emotional charge.    Hope this helps! XO, Amber Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.

Here is your link for the workshop:  https://declutteryourchaos.com/workshop Hey Guys, In this episode I talk about the number one secret to decluttering.  It's not about having a formula.  It's about learning how not to live your life from a place of lack, but from a place of abundance.  Hope this helps! XO, Amber Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.

Here's the link to sign up for the workshop: https://declutteryourchaos.com/workshop Hey Guys, In this episode I talk about how you really don't need another acronym.  What you need is to change your energy so that you can show up for yourself.  In this episode I remind you why you declutter.  It's all about giving yourself that gift to receive and then to have the courage to step into it, to wake up to it. Hope this helps you.  XO, Amber Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com Join my email list for updates by downloading your free decluttering planner: https://declutteryourchaos.com/decluttering-planner 💬 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it means the world to me and helps more women find Declutter Your Chaos!   👉 Click here to leave a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review! 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.      

Hey Guys, Today’s story reveals why unfinished piles of clutter are rarely about laziness or lack of discipline. They’re about old patterns. I share a powerful client session that shows how early emotional dismissal wires us to redirect our attention and abandon tasks before we can complete them. This episode breaks down the cycle and how to interrupt it with self-compassion and re-parenting. If you would like to join my workshop on October 25, 26, and 27 you can sign up here: https://declutteryourchaos.com/workshop I can't wait to see you there! XO, Amber Let’s connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.

Hi Friends! Here's the sign up for my workshop on October 25, 26 & 27 https://declutteryourchaos.com/workshop Shame, the Hall Closet, and Finally Letting Go In this episode, we're talking about shame — what it sounds like, how it shows up in your home, and why it keeps you stuck. Then we'll get practical and take that awareness straight into your hall closet. I'll walk you step by step through how to clear it out without judgment or overwhelm. You'll finish this episode lighter, clearer, and ready to move forward. Want a simple plan to declutter every room? My $97 Do-It-Yourself Decluttering Course is available now: https://declutteryourchaos.thrivecart.com/the-8-hour-decluttering-plan/ And if you want accountability and deeper coaching, my 6-month program opens October 25th, 2025...sign up for the workshop to learn more about it.  XO, Amber Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com Join my email list for updates by downloading your free decluttering planner: https://declutteryourchaos.com/decluttering-planner 💬 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it means the world to me and helps more women find Declutter Your Chaos!   👉 Click here to leave a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review! 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.

Hi Friends!  Here is Workshop Day 3 - You can still get the course, but the bonus is over.  If you would like to join the course here is your link:  https://declutteryourchaos.thrivecart.com/the-8-hour-decluttering-plan/ Imagine how much lighter and more peaceful your home will feel before the holidays when you finally let go of what doesn't serve you. You've already taken the first steps — don't let the clutter win now. Hope you enjoy this replay of Workshop Day Three!   XO, Amber Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com Join my email list for updates by downloading your free decluttering planner: https://declutteryourchaos.com/decluttering-planner 💬 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it means the world to me and helps more women find Declutter Your Chaos!   👉 Click here to leave a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review! 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider.ram for more helpful tips and updates:  Imagine how much lighter and more peaceful your home will feel before the holidays when you finally let go of what doesn't serve you. You've already taken the first steps — don't let the clutter win now. Hope you enjoy this replay of Workshop Day Two!   XO, Amber Let's connect: 📸 Instagram: @declutteryourchaos 🌐 Website: www.declutteryourchaos.com Join my email list for updates by downloading your free decluttering planner: https://declutteryourchaos.com/decluttering-planner 💬 Love the show? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it means the world to me and helps more women find Declutter Your Chaos!   👉 Click here to leave a five star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review! 🛑 Disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, counselor, or mental health professional. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please seek help from a qualified mental health provider for more helpful tips and updates.