These People Went From Hoarders to Extreme Minimalists. Here’s How. – WSJ
In the wake of holiday-induced shopping fatigue, you might well have sworn off impulse purchases in 2026. But it takes more than a slapdash resolution to permanently right the ship. Carla Holden, a “messy person turned minimalist,” calls decluttering “a process of getting honest with yourself.” Her Los Angeles apartment was once packed with “just in case” items. Over the past four years, the 40-something content creator and professional organizer has stripped things back in pursuit of a calmer nervous system and a “functional home.”
A trio of trends popular on social media promote different routes to cutting back. While some TikTok influencers, like Holden, spring-clean their way to a more carefree lifestyle, others turn to “project pan,” which halts buying new beauty products until that costly eye shadow, blush or bronzer is worn down to “the pan.” Some folks credit “Swedish death cleaning” for their newfound peace. This cheery-sounding practice guides you through the delicate process of purging belongings to spare your family once you pass.
Not since Marie Kondo’s hit 2014 book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” has taking stock of your stuff felt so urgent. According to a TikTok spokesperson, #Minimalism posts increased by more than 15% in 2025 compared with 2024, while those tagged #ProjectPan increased by over 270%, and #SwedishDeathCleaning saw a more than 440% increase during the same period.
Regan A. R. Gurung, social psychologist and professor of Psychology at Oregon State University, attributes the decluttering revival to a need for control: “People are feeling battered,” he said. “Going minimalist means less to worry about.”
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