Day 2 - Clutter Causes Overwhelm & Stress

One of the biggest causes of stress in our lives is actually clutter. Seeing piles of clothes, unopened junk mail, laundry, a messy desk, and other disarray can cause most people to feel anxious and overwhelmed, sometimes even depressed. It's hard to achieve a sense of calm when there's chaos all around. That's why it's important to corral the clutter in your life. Taking steps to get control of the disorder is the start of creating calm. Read on, and I'll tell you more about that.

Clutter and Stress

Each person's definition of clutter is different. We all have our comfort level when it comes to the amount of stuff we want to have around us and to enter our lives. However, it's when you begin to have a negative reaction to all of this input that it becomes a problem. At this individualized and personal point, you're dealing with clutter. Usually, this breaking point arrives because your life is affected due to the amount of “stuff” you're facing. Whether you're feeling closed in and agitated or you're physically constrained by the mess, you have a problem that needs to be addressed.

Benefits of Clutter Control

There’s so much that comes from controlling the clutter in your world. You'll likely feel an increased sense of energy because you'll spend less time looking for things you've misplaced and will no longer feel as overwhelmed emotionally. This can lead to greater productivity and getting more done. It's even been shown that folks begin to make improvements in other areas of their lives such as diet and exercise once the "weight" of excess clutter is lifted from them. Taking action in this one aspect of your life can have tremendous impact on other areas. Finally, you'll be much closer to achieving the calm you seek once you start to pare things down.

How to Get Started

The hardest part of ridding your life of clutter is getting started. This is especially true if you've lived in chaos for a long time. The good news is that this problem is relatively easy to tackle once you overcome your initial resistance. Make a list of the areas that need some organization. The best place to start is the one that is causing you the most stress. For example, if coming home to your messy living room makes the idea of relaxing impossible; begin to clear things out in that room. Having a place to unwind at the end of the day might just be the catalyst you need to motivate you toward clearing out other cluttered places. It's also a good idea to enlist help in order to make the process more manageable and less overwhelming. Have family or friends pitch in (turn it into a party!) or even consider hiring a professional organizer. Finally, get rid of anything you honestly don't use. Donating things to organizations that help others can feel good and will be appreciated. When you cut down on the amount of stuff and put things in their place, you'll find life becomes a whole lot less hectic.

Remember that you don’t have to declutter everything all at once. Start with one area or decide to spend just a half hour or even a whole hour and stop when that time is up. Take it easy, but at the same time envision what you want for your end result and stay with it. Now that you understand that clutter can have an impact on your stress levels, you can start to make the changes you need to improve your life.

Sparkles and Love,