r/declutter • u/AoifeSunbeam • 1d ago
I'm finally doing a big paper declutter and it's such a relief Success stories
I'm finally doing the paper declutter I started and abandoned several years ago. I was working through the Marie Kondo method and got rid of a lot of books and clothes etc but found the paper decluttering to be endless and overwhelming.
I had a health scare last year that reminded me how short life is and to just get on with things I need and want to do. The paper clutter was making me feel overwhelmed, confused, anxious and depressed because it was lots of paper from old courses, unfinished projects, old bills etc. Stuff I'd not looked at in several years and didn't need but the process of going through it all always felt like a 'some other day' job when other things felt more important.
I have managed to work through lots of it in the past two weeks, I just have a few more drawers to go through. My recycling bin is already full and I've had to empty the shredder already. Our council gives us a small paper recycling bin and a big 'tins and bottles' recycling bin, I have fed back to them during their recent consultation that a big paper recycling bin would be much more helpful since the paper recycling bin gets full quickly of things like cereal boxes and envelopes etc. I think the small paper recycling bin was actually one reason I'd been delaying getting rid of all the paper (I can't drive at the moment due to an injury so I can't drive to the local recycling centre).
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u/Calm-Elk9204 1d ago
That's excellent. I'm in the same situation with old coursework, etc., and like you I'm going through it now and finally making visible progress. At the end of each decluttering session, I choose the folder/s and/or journal/s that I'll scan or recycle the next day. That way I can jump right into it without having to think at all. That keeps me going at full speed
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u/msmaynards 1d ago
My recycling will look full, move one poorly placed and flattened box and it's 1/4 full, probably not your issue though. It took months to get all the trash bags from side yard into trash can when I purged the garage. Maybe if you keep the full bags of paper in boxes out of the main traffic lanes in your home it won't irritate you as much?
I realized that a good bit of my paper was sentimental stuff so separated it from the rest as I went through the mess. Now it is in file wallets in my bookcase as family and personal history.
I work in sunlight, either inside or outside. Set a timer so you don't beat yourself up.
If this paralyzes you consider targeting one type of paper that can absolutely go. Utility bills that are more than X years/months old? All the envelopes and insets and what else? Purge to your comfort zone if not up to doing it like all the experts tell you. Each useless piece removed means that much less to touch when frantically searching for something you do need.
It's either keep or recycle for me. If you've got VIP mixed in be very sure to have a very safe spot to put such before starting a decluttering session. You probably won't ever need that not VIP paper so it's fine if it's not perfectly sorted into files for a while.
Paper is hard and it's very rewarding to get it under control and no longer be stressed out by it. Went from a 7 drawer desk and 2x4 drawer filing cabinets to a file box and so far haven't needed any piece I recycled.
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u/Multigrain_Migraine 1d ago
I once cleaned out a ton of paper intending to just recycle it, but my husband insisted on shredding it. My council won't take shredded paper so I added it to the compost bin. I never use that for vegetables so I wasn't particularly concerned about any chemicals on the paper but the worms seemed to like it and it worked pretty well.
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u/AoifeSunbeam 1d ago
That's a good idea! I have a bokashi bin that I use to make compost which is great for fruit and vegetable skins etc.
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u/SheWhoWandersTheWeb 1d ago
I know how you feel, been dealing with my paper nonsense for a few years too. I started purging through it a few years ago, then got overwhelmed and "took a break" which lasted a few years
I started it up again earlier this month. Just doing a little pile every weekend if I have enough time to. It's slow going, but it's going!
If you haven't done so already, go paperless with your bills if you can, that alone makes a huge difference!
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u/AoifeSunbeam 1d ago
That's interesting, I'll look into if my council accept them. They usually say you can leave extra cardboard tied with a string next to your paper recycling bin but when I did that once they just left it despite me following the instructions. I don't think my area is particularly good for recycling.
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u/Tangewystl 1d ago
Paper clutter has always been hard for me because I've never found a system that works for me. I've been decluttering everything else in my apartment and leaving the paper for last. But your post has inspired me to start working on it!
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u/AoifeSunbeam 1d ago
That's great I'm glad it inspired you! I find it helps to put on some nice background music and set a timer so it doesn't feel like this endless task. I hope it goes well!
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u/LimpFootball7019 1d ago
I was looking for a document and ended up sorting through the entire file cabinet. Sorting through the don’t need pile into 3 sub files: regular paper recycling, definitely need to shred at the big shredder place and a smaller pile for my personal shredder. Progress.
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u/NotMyAltAccountToday 1d ago
If you would like a different filing system, this is how I do it-- https://www.reddit.com/r/organizing/s/ifiMPoXPj5
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u/Adventurous-Bend1537 1d ago
When I decluttered all my papers I had a fire in my backyard and it was really cathartic to see it all burn haha
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u/Accomplished-Pen4663 1d ago edited 1d ago
Can you just throw it in the regular trash? I had the same situation happen where our recycling ♻️ bin was full or too small to fit larger objects and decided to just add them to the trash rather than having to take them back inside and figure out how to recycle them. I know it’s not ideal, but at least you tried and it’s not your fault the recycling bin is inadequate. Having paper waste sit around is a fire hazard too, so it could be viewed as a safety necessity as well.
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u/AoifeSunbeam 1d ago
I might have to do that yes. Our council has made recycling increasingly difficult and sometimes you just have no choice but to bin things which is a shame. Hopefully they'll improve the system here soon.
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u/Multigrain_Migraine 1d ago
That depends on your council. Mine will not collect anything that isn't inside the bin with the lid closed, unless you have paid extra for bulky waste collection.
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u/Known-Interaction474 1d ago
I started this yesterday. My anxiety has dropped at least 30%. You got this!!!
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u/Steffie767 1d ago edited 1d ago
I just saw the Picasso and Paper exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It was noted that Picasso kept all kinds of scraps of paper, newspapers, old notes, etc. Lots of it was now in fancy frames hanging in the exhibit as he had used it to make art. I just found it interesting that no one thought it was crazy for him because he was an artist and they just excused it. If I do the same thing, I would get called mentally ill and a hoarder. Edit: I meant to add that he saved all of this 'just in case I need it", that is why I added my last sentence in the original comment.
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u/AoifeSunbeam 1d ago
That's interesting. I am an artist/designer and I'm actually decluttering my studio. However I don't tend to throw away any of my drawings or paintings, the paper clutter I've been decluttering is all the other things like study notes, paper product samples for my business, old out of date hand outs etc.
Once I'm all done with that one of my next tasks is to put some of my paintings on my website to sell so that they're not just hanging out in my studio.
Being an artist is definitely one reason my paper clutter is my biggest clutter amount because I'm always drawing and painting. I won't stop that process but I can definitely reduce my non art-related paper clutter which helps me paint more as I feel less stressed in my studio when it's tidier.
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u/mediabratt 1d ago
My tip for old papers eg school work if you feel some sentimental connection to it is just to take a photo. I threw out decades of paper, took pics of what in the moment I thought I cared about, and guess what- I’ve never even remembered or thought about it or looked at the pictures again. Get rid of it!!
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u/banalysis- 1d ago
Do you have any advice or tips for how you finally got started and so focused? This is the one area I can't seem to tackle and I'm not sure why. I'd love to hear any insights you might have.
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u/AoifeSunbeam 1d ago
I'd got stuck in a stage of grief after going through a lot of loss and had been very unhappy but felt stuck and was procrastinating. My health scare made me realise I'd been assuming I'd live a long life with no guarantee of that. I decided in the hospital that if I survived I wouldn't waste time any more.
I knew the first step was to declutter because it had been contributing to that stuck, overwhelmed, depressed feeling. I had already done quite a lot of clothes and books decluttering. I then set to work and decluttered three big bags of 'physical object' clutter before facing the paper clutter. I just basically started doing it and have continued each day, I'm spending about 1-2 hours a day on it. I usually do it in stages ie one drawer, ring binder, box at a time so I can feel a sense of satisfaction seeing it slowly get done.
I hope that helps and you find the inner motivation soon. If you think about your goals and what you'd like to achieve that might help because achieving them will be easier without the paper clutter weighing you down.
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u/TinyTimsCrutch 1d ago
I’m not the OP, but I oddly love sorting and shredding paper. My first advice would be to switch to paperless billing if possible.
My next advice would be to sort into big piles first.
I usually use big paper bags from restaurants and have a recycle bag and a shred bag. I need to be better organized with my “keep” file, but that’s typically a folder or box.
After doing the big sort, I’ll spend some time shredding. If you have a lot to do, you could sort while watching TV and shred during commercial breaks (if using a plug in shredder due to noise).
- I use a mini shredder for shredding small things at work (like sticky notes). It’s small and you have to fold or tear bigger papers to fit, but that’s kind of therapeutic. Could be handy if you only have a small amount of shredding to do. (JIKIOU Mini Hand Shredder from Amazon)
After the big piles are under control, I try really hard to immediately recycle junk mail and shred and sort things as they come in, but sometimes life happens and it gets piled up again.
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u/eilonwyhasemu 1d ago
Good work! It's a big job, and you're getting it done!
Especial kudos for giving feedback to the recycling bin providers.
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u/AoifeSunbeam 1d ago
Thank you! I hope they improve the recycling system here as it would mean less things end up in the bin if they made a few changes to it.
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u/TheNightTerror1987 1d ago
Congratulations! I'm going through my papers too. I cleaned out my bookcase yesterday, and since that's where I keep my file folders so I thought I'd look at them too. I had one folder dedicated to nothing except manuals I've never even looked at, so I dumped the whole thing in the recycling bin. Now I'm moving onto my folder of personal documents, and I really think that I can empty it too! The way I see it, things that are too important to throw out probably belong in my fireproof box in the first place.