Too much stuff isn’t a storage problem, it’s a buying problem. Here are eight things silently overwhelming your home and how to break the cycle.
It usually doesn’t hit all at once.
Overwhelm sneaks in quietly, the extra stuff on the table, the closet you avoid opening, the pantry that feels like a mini escape room.
Most people think the problem is that they’re “messy” or “bad at organizing,” but honestly? It’s usually about what we keep bringing in, not what’s already there.
And when you look at it through a psychological lens, clutter isn’t just visual. It steals energy.
As noted by the Cleveland Clinic, “Decision fatigue is a phenomenon where the more decisions a person makes over the course of a day, the more physically, mentally and emotionally depleted they become.”
Your home should reduce that fatigue, not add to it.
So if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately, here are eight types of things you might be buying that are quietly sabotaging your space and your peace.
1. Decorative items that don’t actually mean anything to you
You know that moment when you see a cute ceramic vase at a store and think, Yeah, that would totally make my home feel intentional?
Then you put it somewhere and never look at it again.
I’ve been guilty of this more times than I want to admit, especially during my early photography years when I thought “aesthetic objects equal creativity.” Spoiler: they don’t.
The problem isn’t décor itself. It’s meaningless décor. When you bring in too many objects that don’t connect to you on a personal or emotional level, they don’t make your home warmer. They make it noisier.
Einstein had a line that sums this up perfectly: “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony.”
The harmony isn’t in owning more things. It’s in owning the right things.
2. Storage solutions you don’t need
This one sounds counterintuitive, right?
Because when you’re overwhelmed, your first instinct is usually to buy more bins, baskets, organizers, and boxes.
I’ve done this myself, especially after scrolling through those hyper organized fridges online that look like they belong in a laboratory.
But buying storage for stuff you don’t actually need is like buying a bigger suitcase to avoid unpacking.
You’re not solving the problem. You’re dressing it up.
If anything, extra storage creates an illusion that you’re “managing things,” when the real solution is owning less.
And here’s the catch: storage purchases also tend to create more decisions, more steps, more categorizing and yep, more decision fatigue.
Sometimes the most powerful organizing system is simply letting things go.
3. Trendy gadgets you use once and forget
Air fryers, spiralisers, smart home objects, the random gadget the internet swears is “life changing.”
Some of them are great. Some of them turn into dust collectors faster than a forgotten gym membership.
I had a phase where I bought every new kitchen gadget because I thought it would make me a better cook. What actually helped me cook better? Learning how to use a knife properly.
When gadgets pile up, they take mental space as much as physical space. Every unused item becomes a tiny reminder of the version of yourself you thought you were supposed to become.
It’s okay to evolve. It’s also okay to admit you don’t need that device shaped like a pineapple slicer.
4. Duplicates of things you already own
Ask yourself this: do you buy backups because you actually need them, or because you don’t know where the original one is?
Most people buy duplicates out of frustration, not necessity. Hair ties. Chargers. Water bottles. Travel mugs. Towels. Cleaning tools. And my personal downfall for years: notebooks. Writers love buying the feeling of a new idea.
But here’s the twist. Duplicates often signal a system problem, not a scarcity problem.
And the more you own, the harder it becomes to track anything, creating a loop of constant replacement.
Environmental psychologist Sally Augustin captures it well: “Your home is not only an echo of who you are now, but a tool you can use to become what you want to be in the future.”
Owning multiples of everything echoes chaos, not clarity.
5. Seasonal or “someday” items you barely use
This includes holiday décor, hobby supplies, aspirational workout gear, themed party items, specialty cookware, basically anything you’ve convinced yourself you might use once a year.
I’m all for having passions. I travel often and pick up lessons everywhere I go. One thing I learned from staying in minimalist Airbnbs abroad is that less stuff actually makes hobbies more enjoyable. There’s more room, literally and mentally, for creativity.
Ask yourself whether these items support your current life or a fantasy version of it.
Because if it’s the latter, you’re not buying things. You’re buying expectations.
6. Cheap “just because” purchases
Impulse buys seem harmless.
A 5 dollar candle here.
A dollar store organizer there.
That T-shirt from the sale rack because it was only 9 dollars.
But small purchases add up. They create micro clutter, those little bits of stuff that never have a home and eventually turn into piles, drawers, and corners full of “random things.”
And honestly? Most people feel worse after buying them because the hit of dopamine fades quickly.
If you’ve ever looked around your place and thought, How did all this even get here? this category is probably guilty.
Sometimes “affordable” is just code for “you’ll regret it later.”
7. Items you buy out of emotional discomfort
Here’s where psychology gets personal.
A lot of clutter isn’t created by need. It’s created by avoidance. Bored? Buy something. Anxious? Add to cart. Feeling stuck? New throw pillows might fix it, right?
I’ve mentioned this before, but reading Rudá Iandê’s new book Laughing in the Face of Chaos pushed me to take a deeper look at this.
One line hit me especially hard: “We live immersed in an ocean of stories, from the collective narratives that shape our societies to the personal tales that define our sense of self.”
That perspective helped me see how often I used purchases to rewrite the story I didn’t want to face, like feeling behind in life or overwhelmed with work.
His insights reminded me that emotional clutter becomes physical clutter unless you deal with it. And honestly, the book inspired me to find better outlets for discomfort like photography, journaling, or actual rest.
Buying things is easy.
Changing the story behind the buying is the tricky part.
8. Things you buy because other people have them
This is one of the biggest culprits.
We live in an age where trends move fast and algorithms tell us what “the ideal life” looks like. Suddenly everyone wants the same couch, the same framed prints, the same dinnerware, the same starter pack for adulthood.
But buying something just because it looks good online doesn’t mean it works for your real life.
Your home shouldn’t be a showroom. It should be a reflection of your lifestyle, your habits, your identity.
Not someone else’s.
And when you force your space to match a trend instead of your needs, the result is always the same. It feels wrong but you can’t explain why. That tension is overwhelming in itself.
The bottom line
You’re not overwhelmed because you’re disorganized.
You’re overwhelmed because your home is absorbing the weight of too many decisions, too many objects, too many expectations. And the good news is that you can change that faster than you think.
Less buying.
More intention.
Less reacting.
More choosing who you want to be in your space.
Your home is already trying to guide you toward clarity. You just have to give it the room to speak.
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