Chicago Home Improvement Magazine recently ran this great expert Q&A guest column by professional organizer Pooja Gugnani.

Q: My house is filled with clutter, and I can’t seem to get a handle on it. Can you offer any tips on controlling this mess without discarding my valuables?

A: Here are five tips:

1. Saying is believing. Replace saying “not enough” with “more than enough.” Train your mind to be content by actually saying it out loud. Trust me, it works!

2. Make space, not mess. Instead of finding ways to create more storage to fit your clutter, think of ways to create more space by eliminating your clutter.

3. I see clutter. If the phrase “This may come in handy someday” or “I didn’t know I had this” is attached to an object, it is time to reevaluate whether or not it belongs in your home.

4. Face amnesia. When you come across an item that you had forgotten about, there’s a 50-percent chance that you didn’t miss it enough to go looking for it—and, most likely, it has lost its utility in your life.

5. Detach and donate. The toughest phase of the decluttering process is finding the heart to dispose of things you’ve owned for years, or that have memories. The best way to part with your “favorite” things is to know it will find a good home again.

Professional organizer Pooja Gugnani, pictured above, is the founder and owner of Organizing with You in Chicago.

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