I recently presented a seminar on The Psychology of Clutter for the State Department of Health Services staff. Everyone was amazed at the record breaking attendance, but it speaks to the hold that clutter has on our lives. It touches our homes, cars, and work spaces. It affects us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
What happens to our bodies when we enter a cluttered space? We feel that we cannot breathe - in fact - our breathing indeed changes in cluttered spaces. We breathe with tighter and shallower breaths. When clutter surrounds us we have trouble focusing. We are distracted. It impacts our vision and our thinking. Sometimes all we know is that we ‘need to get out of here’. The space has not offered room for us to enter with all that we hold in our minds, bodies, and spirits. The space has been filled for us and we often leave in frustration.
Karen Kingston is a consultant who works with clearing clutter from homes and businesses. She offers four categories of clutter:
1) Things you do not use or love
2) Things untidy or disorganized
3) Too many things in too small a space
4) Anything unfinished.
Are you thinking what you would put in each of those categories?
Let’s see . . . 1) a collection of salt and pepper shakers that I inherited, 2) the storage room in the basement 3) my closet 4) the remote that doesn’t work
Are things beginning to come to mind?
For some, the issue of clutter seems simple - just toss things out or give stuff away. However, the issue of clutter has deep emotional holds on us. It has a power in our lives that can cause harm.
In Karen’s book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, she has an impressive list of the ways that clutter affects us. Think with me through this list. What is true about you and your clutter, your spaces?
1. Having Clutter can make you feel tired and lethargic
2. Having Clutter can keep you in the past
3. Having Clutter can congest your body
4. Having Clutter can affect your body weight
5. Having Clutter can confuse you
6. Having Clutter can affect the way people treat you
7. Having Clutter can make you procrastinate
8. Having Clutter can cause disharmony in relationships
9. Having Clutter can make you feel ashamed
10. Having Clutter can put your life on hold
11. Having Clutter can depress you
12. Having Clutter can create excess baggage
13. Having Clutter can dull your sensitivity and enjoyment of life
14. Having Clutter can cause extra cleaning
15. Having Clutter can make you disorganized
16. Having Clutter can be a health or fire hazard
17. Having Clutter can cost you financially
18. Having Clutter can distract you from important things
19. Having Clutter can create undesirable symbology
Nineteen ways ‘of being’ we can purposefully avoid in our lives if we deal with our clutter! Amazing!!
If we were to re-write the above list by saying ‘Eliminating Clutter Can . . . give me energy, prepare me for the future, help me lose weight’ wouldn’t this be a wonderful life? Who is willing to give this a try? Count me in!!
Visit www.spatialimpact.com to learn more about our spaces and behaviors.
Good points! I have that book by Karen Kingston. Used to pull it out at 11pm, to cries of oh no by my [then] partner, [now, pal]. Going through my spare room is daunting, and even though my room is not as strewn as example pictures I see on here [the web], I still feel a sense of where do i start? with much of it.
ReplyDeleteBoxes of folders that I choose to keep - need a place to be whilst I sort other items out, but this small flat does not allow for such a luxury.
I need to find a way to continue with it. Not sure how, but I will try.
I am a pretty organized person (with no kids) and I work parttime. I keep the TV off during the day. It's usually a big time waster. We watch it in the evening, to relax. During every commercial, I get up and do something: wash dishes, put load of clothes into washer,put away clothes, etc.The house easily gets cleaned up. Also make lists!! Start with 6 or 8 things. Cross them off as you get them done, this gives you a sense of accomplishment. Every day-make your bed, have no dishes in sink.Clean counters...throw out or give away things you don't use or need...work on this 1 hour per day..it will add up..make all family members responsible for their own stuff! Good luck! Gail
ReplyDeleteWow ~ what can I say! I wouldn't want to be on that computer ~ I see fire hazard
ReplyDelete