One evening at a party, I was chatting with another woman and the subject of health challenges came up. During our discussion, she introduced me to the idea that clearing clutter might help my health. At that time, I barely had enough energy to put one foot in front of the other, so this concept made me curious.
So what is clutter anyway?
“Clutter is a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.” It is frequently stuff that we no longer need, no longer serves a purpose, and often has emotional baggage that goes with it. This can make it hard to get rid of.
Impact on your health
Whether we realize it or not we spend a lot of time thinking about all that stuff. Even if we’re not aware of it, our subconscious is still processing it. Either way it drains our energy.
I’m guessing that most of us would say we want as much energy as possible, and certainly don’t want it wasted away. That’s especially true when you are overwhelmed or dealing with fatigue or chronic conditions. That extra energy could be the difference between functioning or not, and may have a significant impact on your health. So, let’s take a look at how to go about removing clutter or “de-cluttering.”
Just start
At first de-cluttering may feel overwhelming, but it’s okay to start slowly. The key is to start.
- Pick one drawer – bathroom, kitchen or office? Is there a drawer that always bugs you when you need to find something? That might be a good place to start.
- Pick a small section of your closet – slacks, shirts, jeans or dresses – If you don’t love it and feel good in it, or it no longer fits, get rid of it!
Anything you don’t love, don’t feel good about or that doesn’t serve a purpose needs to go!
Tip: I keep what I call an “in-progress Goodwill box.” Then when I spot something that needs to go, I add it to the box. Once the box is full, I inventory it and drop it off at a collection spot.
Get support
- Get help from a friend – friends can be great support and can help by asking “do you really need to keep that dried corsage from prom?”
- Hire a professional organizer – if you are completely overwhelmed by your clutter, you may consider working with a professional.
It’s an on-going process
Sorry to say it, but it’s never done. At least that’s how it feels to me.
- Stuff collects more stuff – I find if I miss staying on top of it, I have more to deal with later. So here and there, I do short bursts of “tidying.” When I see a pile starting to form, it’s time to meet it head-on and toss, sort or put away, BEFORE it gets out of hand.
- Beware of tidying into a drawer or closet – I sometimes catch myself doing this. Guests are coming! Put stuff away now! Unfortunately, this just creates more clutter for later.
- Stop keeping it for a rainy day – how many times have we saved something only to not find it when we need it OR never need it and throw it away later? I’m guilty too!
My clothes closet and home office are my most challenging areas. Even knowing how important it is NOT to have clutter, it still gets away from me. When that happens, I start chipping away at it. Sometimes I’ll work through one drawer or part of the closet and I’m ready to stop. I may find that’s enough for now. Other times, once I start, I gather momentum and I’m excited to do more.
When I’m not drained by clutter, I feel more energized and at the same time notice a calmness in my body. I think the calmness comes from the feeling of not using the energy to keep track and be with all that stuff. It allows me the energy and the space to explore new projects. I really like that!