Clutter Makes You Sick
Clutter makes you sick. It adds stress. It affects your self-esteem. And it even makes you eat more. If clutter makes you sick, why you do have it? The thing is, clutter doesn’t always happen purposefully. In fact, most of the time, we end up with a cluttered home over time, by accident.
CAUSES OF CLUTTER
One of the ways in which we begin to have a cluttered home is when other things take priority. Perhaps you just had a baby or started a new business and it’s taking up all of our time and energy. You might even be stuck storing other peoples’ stuff – for kids who are off at college or parents who’ve moved to a nursing home. It could also be because you’re simply overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. It may even be from a sense of obligation to keep things that were given to you as gifts or to not be wasteful.
TACKLING THE CLUTTER THAT MAKES YOU SICK
To start tackling clutter, think about which room in your home causes you the most stress. Maybe it’s one that you would feel embarrassment to invite company to see. Start with the worst of your clutter, whether it’s a room or a type of clutter. Maybe you can’t bring yourself to throw away magazines you subscribe to and they are in piles everywhere. Perhaps it’s the filing that has piled up in your hastily-constructed home office space. No matter what clutter you’re dealing with or how overwhelming it might seem, breaking it down into smaller chores to tackle can make a difference. Tackle the room, the type of clutter, or the area that impacts your stress and health the most. Even if all you do is pull all of the clutter off the shelves and tables and put it into a bin to sort through on a different day, just having the clutter out of the way will help.
NOT ALL CLUTTER IS PHYSICAL
Clutter makes you sick, but it’s not all physical clutter. It could be the desktop on your computer, your digital files and photos, the apps on your phone. It could even be your to-do list. You’ve forgotten you are human and need downtime. If you have non-physical clutter making you stressed, it’s time to clean it up. Many times, this can start with delete. Delete the apps off your phone that you’re not using. Delete files from your computer that you no longer need. Organize your digital files into folders.
DECLUTTERING STARTS WITH RECOGNITION
If you don’t see the problem, then you can’t declutter your space. Take a look at your home with fresh eyes. Pay attention to how the rooms make you feel and what’s on your shelves and tables that really doesn’t need to be there. Then take the first step.
DON’T THINK CLUTTER MAKES YOU SICK?
We worked with the Institute for Challenging Disorganization to develop The Clutter-Hoarding Scale. Take it to see how clutter makes you sick. Then, give us a call. We’re here to help.