How to Cure Clutter Blindness

Clutter blindness is a condition that is all too common. Simply stated, it is the inability to see clutter and/or recognize it for what it is. When you're clutter blind, your life is often negatively impacted in some way as a result of clutter. Here is an example.

A year or so ago I was helping a lady who was preparing to move to a much smaller home. She had recently lost her husband to a lengthy battle with cancer, she was basically being forced from her current home, and she was understandably feeling overwhelmed and adrift. During the two years that she served as her husband's caregiver, more and more of their home was gradually overrun with medical supplies, to include a large hospital bed which took up a significant portion of their dining room. As the medical supplies moved in, other things were forced to give up their space. There were piles of stuff literally everywhere. For many, many months she had simply been moving stuff aside and shifting things around because she lacked the physical and mental energy to deal with organizing and decluttering. 

I spent a morning helping her move empty boxes from the middle of her living room to the back bedroom (which was mostly empty). As we moved the boxes to their new location, we sorted and stacked them according to size so that she could easily identify what she had and find the perfect size box for her needs. We did little more than move boxes and consolidate a few storage containers on that particular occasion, but when we were finished, she exclaimed, "Wow! This place is clutter-free now!"

Her statement surprised me. The room was obviously not clutter free. Every surface of the room was cluttered. Only the floor had been partially cleared. It was impossible to sit anywhere on the rather expansive sectional sofa without moving something out of the way. The same was true of every other piece of furniture in the room. 

What I came to realize later was that she quite literally could not see the clutter. To her it had become a part of the landscape of the room. It belonged there, in a sense. She was so used to it, that it no longer registered as clutter to her brain. 

This is what it means to be clutter blind. Because of the gradual way in which this "condition" develops, it can be difficult to "diagnose" it, particularly in oneself. Following are a list of "symptoms". 

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Symptoms of Clutter Blindness

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• You tell yourself you function best in organized chaos: This is a popular notion that many people use to justify their lack of organization, but there is literally no such thing as organized chaos. Chaos, by it's very definition, denotes the opposite of order. The two cannot coincide.
• Your idea of order is placing things in piles: This is a common solution for mounting clutter. Somehow placing it in piles feels like an attempt at order. In reality, you're just consolidating your clutter. 
• Your space is slowly being swallowed by stuff: Over time, the piles that started out discreetly stashed in a corner expand until they overwhelm the space. 
• Entire rooms of your home have been designated as "extra storage space": It could be the garage. It could be the basement. It could be a spare bedroom or bonus space. Whatever the case, surrendering an entire room or area of your home to stuff no one has a use for is a terrible waste. 
• You have to move things to use your furniture for its intended purpose: If you have to move stuff out of the way to use your desk or dining room table or guest bed or any other item of furniture in your home, this is a sign that clutter has taken control of your space. 
• You limit where and how you use your space because of the encroaching stuff: Physical possessions exist to improve our lives in some way. They help beautify our space or help us accomplish a specific task or provide a means of entertainment. A person's stuff should never limit what they are able to do or how they are able to function in their home. 
• You have to rent a storage unit or burden others with your excess stuff because you do not have space to contain it: Storage units are meant to be temporary solutions for people in transition. They are not intended to serve as a clutter catch-all, although this is frequently the case. When used for this purpose, they represent a terrible waste of money. 

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Curing Clutter Blindness

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Like any chronic condition, clutter blindness takes time and effort to cure. There is no miracle pill or magic solution, but a shift in mindset accompanied by a series of intentional steps can cure a person of this habitual plight. 

As is the case in overcoming any persistent medical issue, consistency in following the prescribed treatment is essential to ensuring long term success. The solution outlined here will be most effective if followed in the recommended order.

Get Help

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If you are suffering from clutter blindness, you need help. You need someone who can see clearly what you are unable to see. You need someone who will offer support, encouragement, and accountability. You can turn to a family member or friend for assistance, but I strongly recommend seeking the services of a professional organizer in this case. Here's why:

• Depending on personality and the nature of your relationship, a friend or family member is likely to take on one of two roles; they will either act as an enabler or a bully. There are a number of reasons why this is true; suffice it to say that neither approach is conducive to your immediate or long term success.  
• Working with a close friend or relative on a project that is so personal in nature can sometimes cause a rift in the relationship. 
• A professional can help you identify the underlying causes of your clutter problem. This understanding will be vital in helping you fix the problem and avoid a relapse. 
• Organization professionals do more than just declutter and/or organize; a professional will offer working solutions, teach basic principles of organization, and help you develop viable systems designed specifically to meet your individual needs. 
• A professional offers an unbiased, objective perspective, full of patience and free of judgment. 
• A good professional organizer will be your cheerleader, counselor, teacher, coach, mentor, and partner throughout the process. 

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Finding an Organizer

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If you live in the greater Kansas City area (Kansas or Missouri), contact me. I would love to help you! If you live elsewhere in the United States, you can start by doing a simple internet search, but I recommend going through the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO). To be featured on their site, professionals have to become certified, so you know they meet a certain standard and have a guaranteed degree of knowledge and experience. This is not true for sites like Home Advisor, Find My Organizer, and others. Just click on the Find a Pro tab to obtain a list of organizers near you. 

Another great resource for locating professionals is The Institute for Challenging Disorganization. 

Get Serious

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It's one thing to recognize you have a problem. It's even better to acknowledge that you need help, but until you are mentally committed to making changes in your home and your habits, you are wasting your time. That may sound a bit harsh, but it's true. Real, lasting success is dependent upon unwavering, lasting commitment. Overcoming clutter blindness isn't something you can wish away or fix with minimal effort. The effort involved here is akin to losing a significant amount of weight or getting in shape for a significant athletic competition. The half-hearted approach will not succeed.

If you are truly committed, there are a few things you can do to ensure your success. 

MAKE A PLAN: They say that a goal is just a wish unless you write it down. I would add that a goal cannot become a reality without a plan. The goal is what you ultimately hope to achieve. The plan is your path to get there. 

Your plan should include the process you intend to implement. Consider the following:

• Who will be your support person? If you're hiring a professional, how will you determine the best fit?
• Where will you focus your efforts first? Will you work from room to room or focus on categories such as books, clothing, tools, etc.?
• When will you dedicate time to decluttering? You will need to establish a routine and stick to it.
• What will you do with items you intend to get rid of? 
• What is your timeline for completion? It's important to set some sort of time constraint. This will help you avoid procrastination and stay focused.
• Who will you be accountable to? If you're working with a professional, accountability is built into the relationship. If not, you need to find a trusted person who is willing to take on this role. He or she does not need to be involved in the decluttering process. This person's role is simply to check on your progress regularly and to help you keep your commitments to yourself with regard to progress.

UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS: Almost everyone recognizes a need to get organized, but most people don't really understand what that entails. Organization is a process. It starts with a vision for the space, whether it's a desk drawer, a closet, a room, or an entire home. To have success you must first define success. Otherwise, how will you know when you have achieved it? 

The next step in the process is to dismantle. In the case of an entire house, this means working in small sections. If you are clutter blind, it will most likely mean tackling one pile or clearing one surface at a time. As you break down the stacks of stuff, you should be focused on decluttering and downsizing. Identify the things you no longer need and set them aside for disposal. The things you intend to keep will then be sorted and organized. The final step is to maintain your newly organized space. This will require the development of systems or habits that will help you keep things functioning smoothly and prevent the accumulation of clutter. This is a lot to remember, so here are some resources to help you wrap your head around the process.  

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Recommended Reading

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Click on the icons below to read more about developing a plan and understanding the process for getting organized. 

Start Small 

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This quote from the Chinese philosopher Confucius is applicable when it comes to overcoming clutter blindness. 

When dealing with clutter people often feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start. The truth is, it doesn't matter where you start, only that you do. Pick a pile and go to work. When you finish with the first pile, move onto another, and just keep moving forward. Don't berate yourself if your pace is slow. Just keep plugging along. So long as you're progressing, you're succeeding. 

See Things Through

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Decluttering can be physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. It's tempting to cut corners or to set things aside to be dealt with at some future date. Resist the temptation. If you need to take a break and come back to something, that's great, but come back to it. Pick up where you left off after each session and don't abandon a particular aspect of the project until it's complete. 

Set Up Systems

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A system is just a method of doing things. When it comes to staying organized, it's useful to design systems that help you to maintain an organized space. I've outlined a simple procedure for designing systems. I call it the Three P's. You can read more about it here. 

Label, label, label

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Labels are a great way to maintain organization once it's been established. Labels make it clear to everyone what goes where. They make it easy to find what you're looking for and easy to put things away. They also serve as a reminder that stuff has a designated space which can be important if you're used to piling things up instead of putting them away. 

Practice "Resetting the Room"

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The concept of "resetting the room" comes from an IT developer named Oswald Nuckols, but I learned about it in James Clear's book Atomic Habits (affiliate link). It's something I've always done, but I had never put a name to it. The basic notion is to place things back where they belong before leaving a room so that when you return it's ready to be used for its intended purpose. One example provided by Mr. Nuckols is putting away the television remote, rearranging the sofa pillows, and folding the blanket after watching TV. These simple actions take seconds, but they make a big difference. 

The condition in which you leave a room impacts your mindset whether you realize it or not. For instance, some people will argue that it makes no sense to make the bed if you are just going to get back in it at the end of the day. What they don't recognize is that an unmade bed sends a visual signal that communicates a powerful message: it's OK to be messy. Whereas, a made bed makes you feel accomplished the moment your day has begun and conveys a sense of responsibility for and control over your space that extends beyond the bed to the room and even the entire house. 

If you can develop the habit of resetting the room after each use, maintaining order will become natural and habitual. 

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Final Thoughts

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You won't find clutter blindness listed in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), but that does not make it less real. As an organizer I have encountered it on many occasions. It's something to take seriously. If you have any or all of the symptoms I've identified here, please know that there is a solution (or cure). You do not have to be a slave of your stuff. You can gain the upper hand and feel comfortable and at peace in your space.  

I hope you've found this information useful. If you know someone else who might benefit from the ideas expressed here, please share this post with them. I hope you will also feel comfortable sharing your thoughts on this rather personal and sometimes painful situation with me and my readers. I invite you to do so in the comments section below.