Why Do You Get the Urge To Get Rid of Everything?

Looking through your pantry, cabinets, or other areas of your home while cleaning and organizing can be overwhelming. And certain urges may come over you in the process, like wanting to toss everything out. And you might be wondering why you get this urge to get rid of everything.

If you get the urge to get rid of everything, you may have a medical condition like compulsive decluttering. However, you might also feel like you could use the extra space in your home, and you can live just as happily without the possessions. 

The rest of this article will explore this question in more detail, including why it’s normal to have the urge to get rid of everything, the different degrees of this urge, and what signs to look for to see if it’s a problem. 

Is It Normal To Get the Urge To Get Rid of Everything?

If you look into an area of your house that you haven’t laid eyes on for a while, you may notice things you forgot about. This discovery may make you feel like you don’t need those items anymore, and want to throw them away. 

It is normal to get the urge to get rid of everything that you haven’t used in a long time or forgot about. However, it is not normal to get the urge to get rid of every single possession you have. This impulse is a more serious psychological condition. 

Frequently it is just a normal personality trait that many of us have when we have the impulse to shed unnecessary belongings. We like to stay organized, so we may want to get rid of possessions that we no longer feel the need to have around.

Furthermore, since 2020 more people have been spending time indoors, which has created a greater desire to get rid of things in different areas of their homes (source). These places include:

• Kitchen cabinets.
• Laundry rooms.
• Closets.
• Storage spaces.

Normal Reasons People Want To Get Rid of Everything

You may want to purge your items for numerous reasons that do not indicate underlying psychological conditions. 

Here are the top reasons you may get the urge to get rid of everything: 

• You need the extra space inside your closet or home. People’s lives change all the time. You may have a new addition to your house, like a child or a relative staying with you. And this could be why you need extra space and feel the urge to get rid of many items.
• Your tastes have changed. People decide that clothes or trinkets no longer fit their aesthetic (source). And as you grow older, it is normal to decide that you no longer like many of your old items. This change of tastes can give you the sense that you want to get rid of everything.
• You want to minimalize your possessions. The KonMari Method is the philosophy that if something doesn’t “spark joy,” it no longer belongs in your home. It’s a minimalist strategy that many people follow, and it can give them the urge that they want to part ways with many of their personal items (source). 
• You want to let go of the past. Most of our physical possessions are tied to memories and experiences of the past. And holding onto these possessions may make you feel like you don’t have control anymore. Therefore, letting go of them helps you feel refreshed and in control, and you can move forward with a clean slate. 
• You want a tidy home. Owning too many possessions makes your home look cluttered and untidy. Therefore, you may get the urge to get rid of everything if you want to neaten your home. 

If You Feel the Urge To Get Rid of Everything, Try To Reorganize

There’s no doubt that looking at all your items can cause great stress and anxiety. However, one thing that can help when you are feeling overwhelmed is reorganizing. Reorganizing can be a great way to feel calmer about your surroundings. 

You can buy a product like this Amazon Basics Wire Grid Storage Shelves (link to Amazon) to help you. They are stackable and lightweight, so you can move them around to any area of your house when you feel overwhelmed by clutter and want to reorganize. 

When Should You Be Concerned About the Impulse To Get Rid of Everything?

While many of us often sense that we have too much stuff and get the sudden desire to get rid of all our possessions, there could be more concerning issues if the urge is overwhelming. 

You should be concerned about the impulse to get rid of everything if it becomes uncontrollable and you want to have an entirely empty home. People who have certain forms of OCD tend to want to part ways with nearly every possession they have for reasons that are not healthy or logical.

Wanting to get rid of certain belongings is perfectly normal. But certain people may have psychological conditions that urge them to get rid of all of their things, even if they are essential items they use in their daily lives. This could be related to a psychological condition called compulsive decluttering. 

To determine whether your urge to get rid of everything is abnormal, you should look for the following:

• You throw so many things away that you unnecessarily spend money to buy new things. 
• Your home is devoid of essential items that you need to live. 
• Family members and friends are expressing concern over your habits of parting ways with your things. 

Final Thoughts

Most people feel overwhelmed by the number of possessions they have in their homes. There may be times when you feel like you need to toss everything out. This is perfectly normal, and you can help yourself feel better by organizing your closets and other areas of your home.

However, if this feeling does not go away or intensifies and becomes an obsession, you may have a serious medical condition that needs to be diagnosed by a therapist or doctor.