How Clutter Affects What You Think and How You Feel
The connection between clutter and our mood is astounding. If you don’t believe me, try to have a coherent thought, finish a project, or feel at ease in a room filled with piles of paper, unpaid bills, unanswered requests, stuff not put away, trash, etc. And if that’s not enough, think about all the stuff inside that gets in the way – the negative thoughts, inner critical voice, fear, worry, etc. It’s a wonder we get anything done at all sometimes.
When we are distracted by the inner and outer clutter of our lives, we miss a lot. Sure we may be able to function, but are we truly enjoying life, our work, and the people around us? Or are we just holding it together hoping nothing (and no one) will come along to send us over the edge?
I want you to really think about how you care for your clutter. Remember in a previous article, 3 Types of Clutter That May Be Holding You Back, I talked about the clutter in your home (physical), heart (emotional), and head (mental). Well, they are all connected, which is both good and bad news. Let me take you through a scenario and see if you can relate…
You come home from a very long, stressful day at work. You walk in the house to find you don’t have enough room to put your purse, briefcase, or whatever else you’re carrying because every surface (table, chair) is packed with stuff. You set the stuff you’re carrying on the floor in a space that hasn’t already been taken over by clutter.
Thoughts start to creep in: I can’t deal with this right now. Why can’t someone else just clean this up. No one cares enough to help me out. Can’t they see how stressed I am. I need a break. I hate working these many hours. I don’t have time for myself. Why can’t I make myself more of a priority.
Emotions start to bubble over: Resentment at your family for not cleaning up. They have enough time to watch TV and play video games while you are slaving away at work all day. Anger at your boss, employer, or clients for taking all your time and energy to the point you don’t have enough left over to deal with simple tasks like cleaning or having time to yourself when you get home.
So you can see, what started off as not having space to put your stuff can spiral into negative thoughts and feelings. And you know it’s not about the stuff. It’s not about the space. It’s not even really about what others in your home are (or aren’t doing). It’s about all that other stuff that it represents. How you feel about yourself and your situation. It’s all inter-connected.
Now for the good news. Knowing that all the clutter is connected, once you start working on one form of clutter, you will notice a shift in the others. Let’s look that scenario again from a different perspective…
You come home from a very long, stressful day at work. You walk in the house to find you don’t have enough room to put your purse, briefcase, or whatever else you’re carrying because every surface (table, chair) is packed with stuff. You set the stuff you’re carrying on the floor in a space that hasn’t already been taken over by clutter.
You take a deep breath and decide to let go of any negative thoughts that start to creep in and instead think things like: I just had a really tough day at work. I need a break, so I’m going to take one right now. I deserve to take some time for me when I come home from a stressful day. Once my break is over, I’ll decide what to do next.
Because you didn’t go to the negative thoughts, your emotions don’t spiral out of control. Instead of feeling resentful and angry, you feel calmer because you took some time for yourself, which is really what you needed. Then from that calmer, more centered place you can decide what you want to do about the physical clutter.
It takes commitment and consistent practice to get from scenario A to scenario B, but it can be done. The trick is remembering to put yourself as a priority and not let yourself slip down the dark hole of negative thoughts and feelings. Another great way to tackle clutter is to start with clearing the physical clutter around you. Remember, a change in one type of clutter affects the others. So if you begin clearing your physical space, you’ll notice you feel better about yourself and life. Give it a try!
For more ideas on tackling clutter and feeling better about yourself, please join me for my next monthly FREE Telseminar, “Clearing the Clutter: How 15 Minutes Could Save Your Sanity.” Simply go to the REGISTRATION page at https://krylyn.com/dev/free-teleseminars/clearing-the-clutter/, and enter your name and email to get signed up. Even if you can’t attend the live call, you will get access to the recording of the call, but only if you register.
