“Clutter can play a significant role in how we feel about our homes, our workplaces, and ourselves. Messy homes and workspaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Yet, rarely is clutter recognized as a significant source of stress in our lives” – Psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter

The most common phrases that I hear when folks contact me about our services or sign up for our free consultations are:

• “I’m overwhelmed by my clutter ” and
• “I just don’t know where to start!”

If you feel this way, there is NOTHING wrong with you! Most of us, myself included, lead full and busy lives. We have well-made plans and timelines and we want to feel as if we are in control of our life and projects.

But life happens without care for our plans, to-do lists or wishes! If you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed because of your clutter, you are not alone. The best thing you can do is be gentle with yourself and seek the support you need, so you can move forward with loving self-compassion.

How to Remain Calm About Clutter when “Life Happens”

There are times when the demands of work, family and friendships take precedence over decluttering and organizing. My mother-in-law suffered from dementia during the last years of her life and needed our care. Many other things fell by the wayside during that time, and that is as it should be.

Something similar happened to one of my virtual organizing clients. We were moving along with her decluttering projects, even tackling boxes that belonged to her deceased mom. She was making great progress in her bedroom and was on track to set up a home office.

Then life happened. Her brother became ill, so she and her husband made many trips from Maryland to Texas to be with her brother until his passing. Then they spent more time in Texas decluttering and donating the contents of her brother’s home. Does she have regrets? No. Does she feel “behind” in her organizing and wish she were further along? Yes.

The home office to set up, the bedroom tasks to complete, and any other household and professional goals will be there to work on after you spend precious time with loved ones.

Decluttering During Life Transitions

During times of transition it is ideal if you already have functional and organized systems in place so your home can support you rather than becoming another problem to solve. To prepare for unexpected events, we are called to bring into the now projects that are important but not urgent.

If “life is happening” to you right now, be patient with yourself and your space. It is normal to go through periods of upheaval, transition and tragedy that that make it hard to keep things decluttered and organized.

Practice mindful awareness and acceptance of your current situation. You can try deep breathing, walking outside, or repeating a calming phrase or mantra to remind yourself that what you’re going through is temporary, and that you will be able to manage your clutter in the near future.

Clutter and Depression

Do you feel tired and drained when you think about your home? Don’t worry: you’re not alone. Researchers at UCLA’s Center for Everyday Lives and Families found that clutter can impact on your mood and self-esteem. If you’ve experienced this cluttered-house depression, there is nothing wrong with you!

There is a strong link between your clutter and your energy. When you are surrounded by objects that no longer serve you it can make you feel heavy, guilty, claustrophobic, and more. This is especially true if the items in your home bring up uncomfortable feelings from your past.

Some call this messy house depression, while others aren’t sure why they feel tired and drained at home. Sometimes all it takes is hiring a professional organizer, rolling up your sleeves, and decluttering and organizing to change those heavy feelings! It’s truly amazing how much more energy and joy you will find by decluttering and organizing your home.

Sometimes feelings of depression are linked to more than simply clutter in the home. If that is your situation, we recommend reaching out to a mental health professional for support.

Clutter, Anxiety and Stress

Do you feel anxious and overwhelmed by your clutter when you’re at home? That’s normal, too. Many find it difficult to relax and rejuvenate when cluttered surroundings remind you of unfinished tasks or past experiences you don’t want to dwell on.

Science has begun to study the effects of clutter on happiness and findings are clear: mess causes stress! Psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter wrote in Psychology Today that “clutter can play a significant role in how we feel about our homes, our workplaces, and ourselves. Messy homes and workspaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Yet, rarely is clutter recognized as a significant source of stress in our lives.”

Anxiety is often accompanied by an urgent energy to do something. You might feel a frantic need to start decluttering the minute you get home! The trouble with this approach is that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the scope of decluttering projects, and get discouraged when decluttering takes more time than you expect.

We work with our clients to break down decluttering projects into manageable, well-contained chunks. We recommend you set yourself up for success by thinking about how you want your home to look and feel before you start decluttering. This will help you figure out what “done” looks like!

Remember that it took time for your home and your things to get to the point where they are today. It stands to reason that it takes time to declutter and organize! Be sure to celebrate small successes along the way.

Clutter and You

The mental, emotional and psychological effects of clutter vary from person to person and situation to situation: some people love having a little clutter around, while others prefer completely bare surfaces.

But do not kid yourself into thinking that clutter has no effect on your state of mind. Like all of the sensory stimuli that we encounter each day, clutter has subtle and often not-so-subtle effects on your happiness, health and productivity.

Ask yourself, how do YOU want to feel when you come home? If your home is not currently supporting you to feel like your best self, then there is room to enhance your well-being by decluttering and organizing your space.

The plus side is this: if your clutter makes you feel overwhelmed, depressed, anxious or tired right now, that means decluttering has the potential to make you feel happy, lighter and more energized!

We offer many free printable downloads, donation suggestions and other resources on our resources page. You will also find tips and inspiration and be the first to know about new services, workshops and special offers when you connect with us on LinkedIn,  Instagram or Pinterest.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE!

Schedule a complimentary 20-minute Zoom to chat about the many ways we can support you in easing the stress and anxiety that clutter can cause.