Tables crowded with papers and books, scrunched up receipts and random notes waiting to be sorted through? Extra storage boxes and disorganized drawers filled with little stuff that you just cannot seem to let go of? Clothes purchased years ago while you are still waiting for a chance they will come back in style? What is the state of your food and medicine cabinet? If you sort through it, would you find products that have expired long ago? Holding on to decorative pillows from an old couch just in case they will someday match your future furniture? What about your amenities? Perfumes, lotions, conditioners, creams, lipsticks.. (In my opinion, this is the most difficult area to tame.). Each time I go out to buy a lipstick, they present me with a gift bag containing 4 free beauty items that I never intended to have. When I purchase a perfume spray, if I buy two, I save $10. I buy two lotions for the price of one. As a matter of fact, I am not sure if you noticed that these days it is almost impossible to buy just one of something either because of the irresistible promotions of spending less when you buy more, or because we are left with no choice over the way the goods are all packed together.
Even when I buy toothpaste, I end up with two because of the huge discount I receive for doing so. What about paper towels? Buy 6 to get two for free. In the end, my place ends up as a storage room for the retail stores. Let us not forget that retailers still thrive on aggressive marketing techniques of pushing products on buyers who fall as an easy prey to their own uncontrollable consumer impulses. This does not exclude another reality; for some it could be as simple as not having enough time to tidy up their space. In the fast-paced world in which we live today, filled with deadlines and extra tasks, the pressure can leave us without having proper time to meet our basic chores.
These are some of the reasons why we might end up with too many products and a disorganized, messy at home.
Perhaps you have been collecting certain items for years and you cannot even explain to yourself the reason, yet the thought of letting go of any of these items can cause you to cringe with anxiety. There is also that emotional attachment that we may place on objects. Why do we hold on to things we no longer use?
Why can’t we get a handle on the clutter? Could it be fear or distrust of the future? What are you not letting go of emotionally?
According to Jessil Sholl, author of the memoir Dirty Secret: A Daughter Comes Clean About Her Mother’s Compulsive Hoarding (Gallery Books, 2010) and a writer for a site called ExperienceLife.com, “different kinds of clutter signify different emotional messages.” “So, What Is Your Stuff Saying to You”, she asks while proposing some common motives:
Stuck in the past?
“You might have a tendency to blame the past for your current situation, or to think your best days are behind you.”
Rarely Used or Never-Been-Used Items
“Stacks of unopened or unused items can signal “just in case” thinking, and a lack of trust in the future”
Unfinished Projects
“Half-completed paintings and half-finished remodels can suggest an unsustainable perfectionism, and may provoke a sense of failure”
We might be connecting these items to ourselves, almost as if they are an extension of our being or personalities. These emotional reasons may make it even more unnerving when trying to de-clutter and could generate intense anxiety. Yet, what we need to understand is that keeping clutter around can lead to more negative feelings. A home or an office that is always messy and disorganized can make one feel as if their lives are out of control. We tend to associate ourselves and our emotions to our mishandled messy places. Our environment can really affect us. Clutter creates excessive visual stimuli, and being around it could cause stress and distract you from your tasks at hand. Disorganized spaces can remind us that work is never completed, and leave us drained and overwhelmed. Keep in mind that stress is the enemy of both productivity and creativity.
In short, regardless of the reason for the disorganized mess, it is a good idea to change this habit. Making jokes, excuses or ignoring this will not get rid of it! The good thing is… de-cluttering your spaces including your home, office or car will bring the flow of energy back into your life. For me, personally, a messy, clutter filled space leaves me feeling stuck in time and uninspired to create. A tidy place is a breath of fresh air! It allows life to flow more freely …
In the next issue of Conexion, I will help you figure out how to get rid of clutter!
