How to Declutter Your Home and Mind: Real Tips for Chicago Living

Life in Chicago moves fast. Between work, family, and trying to enjoy the city, keeping your home clean can feel impossible. If clutter is piling up and stress is taking over, you’re not alone. Here’s how to reclaim your space—and your peace of mind—with a few simple strategies.

When your home is chaotic, your brain feels it. Too much stuff means too much to think about. The key is to start small, be honest with yourself, and use professional home cleaning services when you need backup.

Start with Trash and Easy Wins

The fastest way to make progress is to grab a garbage bag and start with obvious trash. Old decor, broken items, things you don’t even recognize—get rid of it. This clears physical clutter and mental weight.

Give Every Room a Purpose

If a space doesn’t have a clear function, it becomes a dumping ground. Decide what each room is for. For example, a utility room should hold tools, paint, and practical items—not random pumpkins from three years ago. When you know a room’s purpose, it’s easier to clean your apartment or house with intention.

Tackle Closets and Hidden Shame Spots

We all have that closet where things get thrown in and never come out. Pull everything out, sort into keep or donate piles, and only put back what you actually use. This is a perfect place to book an appointment for a deeper clean afterward.

Let Go of Unused Items

If you have extra vacuums, blankets, or clothes you don’t need, pass them on. Donate to friends, families, or local charities. You’ll feel lighter, and someone else benefits. For everything else, schedule a cleaning to reset the whole space.

Finish Unfinished Projects

Unfinished projects are clutter for your mind. Whether it’s a garden, a broken kite, or a pile of donations you never dropped off, finishing them gives you momentum. Set a timer, roll up your sleeves, and get it done. If you need extra hands, someone to clean my apartment services are just a click away.

Don’t Let Donations Linger

Decluttering isn’t complete until the donations leave your home. Schedule a pickup or drive them to a center. This simple step closes the loop and gives you that feel-good finish. For ongoing maintenance, rely on fast cleaning services in Chicago to keep things fresh.

Tackle Mental Clutter Too

Physical clutter isn’t the only thing holding you back. That dentist appointment you’ve been avoiding? The haircut or groom for your dog? These are mental clutter. Take five minutes to book them. Clearing your to-do list is just as important as clearing your counters. When life gets busy, deep cleaning help from Jikas Cleaning can free up your time for what matters.

Small Steps, Big Results

You don’t need three days. Even an hour of focused effort can transform a room and your mindset. Progress, not perfection, is the goal. If you ever feel overwhelmed, remember that cleaning services in Chicago are available to take the heavy lifting off your plate.

Whether you live in a high-rise or a walk-up, apartment cleaning doesn’t have to be a source of stress. With the right habits and a little help from Chicago cleaning company professionals like Jikas Cleaning, you can create a home that supports your peace of mind.

My house has so much clutter and it’s getting to me. It’s stressing me out. Look at this clutter. It’s an avalanche of clutter. All this clutter has mocked me for 3 months. My house usually looks pretty clean and tidy. And that’s because I declutter and I organize all the time. But now I’m feeling stressed. Like lately I’ve been in a rut. And I know it’s because I have too much. Not only too much stuff, but too much in my mind. I don’t sleep at night. I’m feeling overwhelmed. So, I’m going to take the next three days. I’m going to fix my home and I’m going to fix my life and my brain just by having less. So, today, day one, I’m going to focus on the stuff, the excess that’s weighing me down and making me just Today, it’s leaving. I’m starting in the stink room. That’s what I call this room. It’s the stink room because of cat litter and a septic tank and a subp pump. It’s also where I just dump stuff I don’t care about because it doesn’t have a purpose. And it isn’t that this impacts my dayto-day. But I’m stressed, man. And every time I let go, it’s like therapy because less stuff is less work, but it’s less in my brain, too. I’m hoping this makes me feel better. And I’m going to start with trash. You should always start with trash because it’s the easiest. Like this was here when we moved in. I don’t even know what it is. It can just go. The other thing I need to do is identify this room. If it’s the stink room, I can just throw everything in here because it doesn’t have purpose. You have a home. I’m just too lazy to take you there. But what do you want the purpose of your turn? >> What is going to be the purpose of this room? This should be the utility room. It’s where the breaker box is. It should be for Yeah. paint because this can’t go in the garage. It can’t freeze. Toolie stuff. Utilitarian stuff. And therefore, it’s the utility room, which means random home decor does not belong. Don’t even look, Cass. Don’t even look. If you didn’t use it, you don’t need it. So many pumpkins. Girl, GET YOUR LIFE TOGETHER. THIS IS THE THING. If I Oh, what about this? And what about this? And then meanwhile, I’m drowning and I can’t sleep at night and I’m grinding my teeth. No. Something’s got to give and it’s going to be the from the dollar store. Do you want junk or do you want peace? Life’s too short to care. Go, go, go, go. More pumpkins. So, it’s been a half an hour. This room is so much better. It’s still not great. It’ll never be great, and that’s okay. It’s about progress. And honestly, even though that was horrible, I do feel better. I feel lighter. Six trash bags are leaving and a bunch of donations. Let’s move on to another space. This is a closet in my spare bedroom. The doors haven’t closed in like a year. It’s supposed to be where we keep spare bedding, but because my kids have sleepovers all the time, things just get thrown in and there’s just excess. So, I’m tackling it. This isn’t going to take long. I’m going to take everything out and I’m just going to sort yes, it’s staying or no, it can go. And then I’ll put back the yes. Why is there random clothes in here? And how many blankets does one family need? Then why do I have totes in here? The blankets were supposed to go in the totes. Nobody did it. Now to tackle this. This room gets freezing. I think this feather duvet we will keep and we will keep this one. Keep this can all go. It feels weird. Go. Go. Oh my gosh. Go. In just a few minutes, this feels doable. There’s just a few blankets, a couple pillows, all the air mattresses. Why did I procrastinate? This has been a secret shame for so long. And just like that, it’s done. Why so many vacuums? This is my port of shame. I have brands that send me vacuums to try and so grateful because I love vacuums. They’re like my children, but I have like a dozen in this house. I have two standups here, two vacuums here in the pantry for some reason, and way too many robot vacuums. I even have robot mops. They’re expensive, and so it feels wasteful to just let them go, but it’s even more wasteful to just have them blocking our bathroom door. So, I have a firefighter friend whose vacuum is broken. This is going to go to that person. I have someone in mind for this vacuum. This is just going to be donated. And I have a broken robot vacuum that I’ll replace with this new one. Everyone’s winning. It’s like Oprah. You get a vacuum. You get a vacuum. You get a vacuum. Everyone gets a vacuum. I want to show you something. You’re going to be so impressed. The pile of vacuums is gone. >> Well, I was like, what was here before? I should be impressed. >> Now we can you can access the bathroom. That doesn’t impress you. All right. That’s fine. >> I thought it was there, but it looks better. >> Prepare to be amazed. >> What’ you do? Hey, you can walk in here now. >> I know, right? >> Right. It’s much cleaner. >> It’s much cleaner. >> It’s way cleaner. >> Yep. >> I’m not tripping over things when I come. Can we high five up top for your wife? >> Yeah, it’s good. Thank you. >> Yeah. 30 minutes, man. To a better, cleaner house. >> It looks It looks much better. Thank you. >> It’s the end of day one and I let go of so much. I feel lighter and I also feel like I want to keep going. But here’s the thing. Even though I have momentum, I just did a podcast with this amazing psychologist who talked about needing to stop working and doing chores a few hours before bed, like having the downtime. And I have been having trouble sleeping. Like, I’m really struggling with stress and anxiety. So, I’m stopping. I’m proud of the progress. He said it’s important to like change into relaxing clothes a few hours before bed. And I’m just gonna like do some zen and come right back at it tomorrow. Unfinished projects is like a huge source of clutter. So you start something and maybe you run out of time or you just run out of steam and now all the supplies are everywhere. Maybe you were supposed to hang those picture frames but they’re just stacked in the corner or finish that craft project and now it’s just haunting you. I have so many unfinished projects that are just clutter. They’re clutter physically, but they’re clutter in my mind, too. So, today I’m getting them done. My gardens are one of those unfinished projects. Joe and I have been talking about doing a vegetable garden at this house for 3 years. This year, we spent like 3 months just planning and trying to find the perfect gardening box. When we picked our raised beds and ordered them, they sat in the garage for 2 months. Finally, we spent 2 days building them. We had to remove all the grass from underneath and level them. We shoveled so much dirt. I even edged it. And then we gave up. Here’s the thing about unfinished projects. I have spent more time now stressing and looking at this unfinished project than it would take to just finish it. And it’s adding so much clutter. We have 30 bags of mulch in the back of our truck that have been sitting there forever. We also have all the plants we’re supposed to plant all over the back of the deck. And instead of doing it, I’m just stressing about it. Today’s the day that we’re finishing the gardens. The first thing we have to do is just lay down all the landscaping fabric so that the grass doesn’t grow back up and then unload the 30 bags of mulch and spread them over top. This is like we could have been perfectionists, but we’re just getting it done as quickly as possible. And then we’re adding just a few stepping stones. We are done. And now is the fun part. It’s so windy. But we are planting the veggies. And I sent Joe to the store to get uh some marolds because you need marolds. >> Geraniums. >> Marolds. >> The text message says geraniums. >> I meant marolds. >> No, you want marolds for pest control. I need a bunch of geraniums. >> I said geraniums. I didn’t mean Did you get geraniums? >> We own a lot of geraniums. >> It’s fine. We’re moving on. This project must end. >> I’ll go get the geraniums. >> You want to plant maraggles to keep the pests away? It’s fine. I’m going to have the garden of my dreams that I’ve been procrastinating. 100 bucks says Joe makes me move all these and he’s a perfectionist and he’s not going to like my plan. I bet he’s mapped it out on his computer. So, where are the peppers going? >> So, I was going to put cucumbers and then peppers. No, the hot peppers. >> You do have a plan. You have a printed out plan. >> Yeah. >> Have you lost your mind? >> Cucumbers, hot peppers, >> and then cuc melons. >> Yeah. >> And then zucchinis. >> Then tomatoes and broccoli and some lettuce. >> Uh-huh. >> And then tomatoes, cabbage, and some lettuce. We got to catch all these things that I’m dropping. >> Yeah, they you do better if you stack them. >> That’s the difference between Joe and I. I let them fly. >> Stack them as you go. They won’t flip away if they get heavy enough. So, stack them as you go over here. >> That’s a cricket versus ladybug right there. Yep. >> And just like that, we are done. That wasn’t so bad. >> It was the thing. >> It was horrible. It was horrible. But it’s done. And now we’re going to have fresh vegetables all season long. We do have to look up if geraniums are poisonous though because as the kids come and harvest lettuce, we don’t want a poisonous salad. >> No, we don’t want to check that. >> Got to check that too. >> This is awesome though. High five. >> Yes. Now I’m going to finish my like perennial garden. I bought a bunch of perennials weeks ago and they’ve just been sitting there. I think the vegetable garden was such a roadblock for me because it was calling my name. I didn’t feel motivated to start anything else. But now that that’s done, I’m just going to quickly get this done, too. And then when my perennial garden’s all done, I might as well plant my pots. I want to do this herb pot again. It’s been just clutter for so long. And I want to plant all my flower pots, too. And just like that, all my gardens are done. The perennials, the pots, the herb, and the vegetable garden. Now it’s time for more unfinished projects. This little garage entrance way is where unfinished projects go to die. I’ve had this bed sitting here for over a month. I just have to bring it upstairs and it’s very heavy, but I’m very strong. All these winter coats I was supposed to pack up and I just kind of threw them here along with the winter boots. Like just always looking at them and remembering the things that I didn’t do. Sporting equipment supposed to put in its home. It’s also supposed to fold this tarp. And this is just literal trash. A broken I was going to fix it. I’m never going to fix this kite. And an old cat bed that’s garbage. And then I have so many reusable shopping bags. Just donating them once and for all. And just like that, 5 minutes, this whole area is done. It feels so much better. Why didn’t I do this sooner? This is the thing about unfinished projects. We wait. We procrastinate, but every day they just nag us. Roll up your sleeves, set a timer, and get something done. Speaking of unfinished projects, we have been talking about turning this attic room into a proper spare bedroom for so long. We had a pull out couch. It wasn’t comfortable. My kids sleep up here. They have sleepovers all the time. Guests are up here. So, it was time for a proper bed. Which leads me to today’s video sponsor, Brooklyn Bedding. We looked at a lot of options and Brooklyn Bedding had high quality amazing mattresses at a really good price. So, we decided to give this a try and I have to say it is so comfortable. Not only does it ship directly to your door and it’s really convenient because it’s rolled up in a box, but as soon as you unwrap it and it expands, it’s like luxury. And this is the Copper Flex Pro Hybrid, which means that this memory foam has little particles of copper right in it, which helps keep you cool and comfortable. If you want to give this mattress a try for yourself, right now, Brooklyn Bedding has a 120 night sleep trial, so you can try it and see if you like it. And they also have a limited lifetime warranty. Right now, you can save up to 30% off. Go to brooklandbedding.com/clutterbug or use the coupon code clutterbug to save up to 30% off right now. I’m going to put a link down below. You’ve got to give this mattress a try. One of the biggest ways that I create clutter with unfinished projects are donations. Not only all the donations from yesterday, but some of these donations have been in my garage for months. I do all the work to get stuff out and then I just don’t complete the cycle by dropping them off at the donation center. So, I’m doing it right now. If you also have like unfinished donations, take a few seconds, friends. Drop off all your donations right now. I should know better. As a professional organizer, I should always just drop the donations off right away, but I’m human and kind of lazy and it’s a far drive, so I wait. Except I never get that feel-good like dopamine chemical that comes with completing because I didn’t actually finish. I spend all the time decluttering for what? Just take the donations to the donation center. Or fun tip, schedule a regular pickup once a month so you don’t have to drive them at all. This is totally what I should do. If you are decluttering all the time, make sure you finish the project because that’s how you build momentum. Today it’s all about the mental clutter that’s been haunting me. Starting with Penny. The thing is, you’re supposed to get your dog groomed every 3 months. It’s been a year. The people at daycare that she goes to call her homeless Penny because there’s another Labradoodle that looks similar except that one’s taken care of. So, right now, I’m just going to call and book an appointment to get you groomed. You need a summer haircut, my love. Hey, um, can I book a groom, like a shave for a labradoodle? She has some matting. Oh my gosh. Yes, honey. Okay, perfect. We’ll see you soon. Thank you. You get to go today. High five. Yes. Speaking of looking homeless, are you ready for this? Yeah. This is hair that has not seen scissors in over a year. I need a little self-care, too. Penny’s getting a haircut. Why not book myself one? I don’t know why I’ve been putting this off, but it’s like been on my to-do list for so long as mental clutter. I’m making a hair appointment right now. Hi, I’d love to book uh a highlights, maybe a cut whenever you can take me tomorrow. That’s perfect. Okay, it’s Cassandra. Okay, thank you. Bye. This is embarrassing. Do you know what has been on my to-do list for five very long years? Going to the dentist. I know I have cavities because it hurts to eat on this side and I’ve been chewing on this side for over a year and a half. It’s not that I’m afraid of the dentist. It’s like one of those things that I just never do. So, right now, I’m going to call and just book a dentist appointment. Like, what are you putting off? What mental clutter has just been rattling around in that noggin that would just take a few seconds to get rid of. In 3 days, I feel like I fixed my life. I mean, that might be a bit of a stretch, but when you have so many things on your mind and so much around your home, it can be overwhelming and stressful and you get stuck in this like procrastination paralysis. That’s where I was where I felt like I couldn’t do anything at all and I had no motivation. And I didn’t spend all day all of these three days, just a few hours. I was able to declutter my home and catch up on unfinished projects and like unload the mental clutter. I got my hair done. Got my dog’s hair done. She looks a bit like a Q-tip, but she’s still cute. And I went to the dentist. No cavities, by the way. Winning in life. I hope you’re feeling motivated, too. Even if you’re not taking 3 days, what can you do today to get something out of your home or something finished or something out of your brain so that you can feel that zest for life again? I hope again you’re feeling super motivated. Like this video, subscribe for more, and I’ll see you guys next time. Thank you guys so much. For those of you who have stayed to the end, every time I’ve talked about this before that Penny gets a haircut, she gets really insecure. about her nether regions. Let’s just say I’m pretty sure it’s her butt that she’s embarrassed that now it’s got wind on it. Maybe I should buy her underwear. She will just like move and sit and move and sit and move and sit and there isn’t anything wrong like she doesn’t have a cut on it or any she does this every time she gets a haircut. She’s very embarrassed. I’m curious if this is like a normal dog thing. If you have one of these weird breeds that needs to be groomed constantly, let me know in the comments below if they also get like embarrassed about being naked. Is that what it is? Are you feeling insecure about your nakedness? Does she need clothes? I need all the advice. Let me know in the comments below because it has been a a few days now and she’s still super insecure about her about her. But that’s all. See you next time. Yeah. >> Not seem like a good idea. >> It’s definitely clogged it. >> Yeah, >> cuz like once it’s wet. Oh, for Pete’s sakes. I jammed the whole thing full of wet, pasty cat litter. Oh dear. Dear God. Oh, it’s jammed in there. Mistakes have been made. Okay. Oh, it’s just cement now. Trying to make life easier over here making life harder like a Look at this is so What the How am I going to Why are you the way you are? Why do you do dumb stuff every day? Why do you never learn? Just every day is dumb stuff. Hope no one’s using this for their straw because I just put cat litter on it. We’re just going to get a new one. We got >> another one. >> We got some upstairs. Sorry about that, Emily. You don’t want a little dirty cat litter in your cleaning. It’s okay.