admin Is clutter causing you stress and anxiety? Ask yourself these questions? Does opening the closet give you shivers? Do you ever opened a drawer and closed it immediately because you cannot stand the site of it? If you answer yes to the above questions, then you need to take action.
For some, having an unorganized and cluttered space can work fine. It can be a sign of creativity as well. As long as it is not cause stress and anxiety it is completely fine.
However, for some living in a cluttered and unorganized environment can be detrimental to their mental well being and cause undue stress. Let’s be realistic, life happens and inevitably we collect clutter, but we have to take action and organize our lives.
For those who are unable to live in a cluttered space, it means that they are unable to focus and be productive. Sometimes, it makes them feel as if the job is never finished. Apart from the mental strain clutter causes, it also drains us from time. Think about the time and energy being wasted to look for keys, documents, tools etc.
Reasons why clutter causes stress
- Clutter makes it more difficult to relax both mentally and physically;
- Clutter signals to our brain that we are never finished;
- Clutter makes us anxious, because we are unsure what it will take to get to the bottom of a pile;
- Clutter creates a feeling of guilt (why am I not organized) and embarrassment especially if we have unexpected guests at home or an unexpected meeting at our office;
- Clutter prohibits productivity;
- Clutter frustrates us because we are unable to find what we need immediately.
It is understandable that when we start decluttering we feel overwhelmed. Sometimes we feel so overwhelmed, that we keep procrastinating and postponing the task.
Don’t try to micro organize, but start macro. Keep in mind that you are decluttering and not organizing – you are going through your things and evaluating their scope in your life. In a past blog post I discuss the Difference between Decluttering, Tidying up and Organizing.
Steps to ease the decluttering task
- Start by making 4 different piles:- donate, keep, throw away and relocate.
- Keep items where their intended use is, for example keep stationery supplies in the office or beauty items in the bathroom;
- Paper clutter can be one of the major causes of anxiety and stress. Use folders and binders. Always start macro by establishing generic categories such as bills, invoices, school etc. Eventually you can go into more details and sort by company, date etc;
- Do the garbage therapy and ask your family to help you. Go round the house on a regular basis and find items that can be thrown away.
Clearing up clutter helps you stay focused and gives you a sense of satisfaction. Decluttering is an ongoing process, however the more time passes the better and easier it becomes. The difficult part is to start.
Love
Strugglingmum xxxx
