Uncover Your Clutter

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When you hear the word clutter, what comes to mind? If you're like most people, physical clutter is the thing you think of first. It may even be the only thing. In truth, though, clutter can take many forms. Kerri L. Richardson, professional organizer and author of the book What Your Clutter Is Trying To Tell You, defines clutter as follows: 

When thought of in this way, many other types of clutter become evident. The first step to decluttering is to uncover your clutter. In other words, to truly conquer your clutter, you have to identify it in all its forms in order to root it out and remove it from your life. 

Seen and Unseen

Not all clutter is visible. While visible clutter (which I will refer to as physical clutter) is the most obvious, it may not be the most limiting or the most impactful form of clutter in a person's life. Clutter can be mental, emotional, or spiritual as well. While generally unseen, these types of clutter (sometimes referred to as "baggage") can have a radical impact on quality of life and overall well-being. 

Conscious and Unconscious

The clutter that is conscious is the clutter that you recognize and acknowledge. When you encounter conscious clutter, it elicits a reaction. The reaction can be both intellectual and physical in nature. For example, seeing a cluttered countertop might cause your muscles to tense or your heartrate to increase. It might also conjur negative thoughts and emotions. 

While most conscious clutter is physical, not all physical clutter is conscious. It's possible for a person to become so used to physical clutter that he or she develops a sort of clutter blindness.

Unconcious clutter can also evoke physical and emotional signs of stress. The difference lies in the fact that unconcious clutter is not recognized as clutter. It can be anything in your life that is getting in your way, preventing your progress, or impacting your peace and happiness. This description of clutter by inspirational writer Eleanor Brownn perfectly describes what I am referring to as unconscious clutter.  

Uncovering Your Clutter

Now that we have expanded our understanding of clutter, let's take a closer look at the different kinds of clutter. 

Physical Clutter

Physical clutter is stuff. It takes up space in the physical world. When searching for a definition of clutter, you will find that it is often associated with disorder, confusion, and excess. Physical clutter refers to those items that are unused, unneeded, and/or unwanted but held onto for one reason or another. It can also refer to items that are out of place or have no permanent home. 

It's interesting to note that the reasons behind the accumulation and retention of physical clutter could be considered a form of clutter in and of themselves. I'm thinking here of the guilt or fear that often cause us to hold onto things that really don't have a place in our lives. 

Clearing Away Physical Clutter:
This website is dedicated largely to the concept of dealing with physical clutter, so I won't go into tremendous depth here. Instead, I will just offer a few simple suggestions for getting started. 

• Identify out of place items. Then find them a home or get rid of them. 
• Establish a specific place for all of your belongings and practice putting things in their place when not in use. 
• Develop a declutter mindset. Make a habit of getting rid of anything you encounter that does not serve a useful purpose in your life or speak to your heart. 
• Create and utilize systems for dealing with incoming and outgoing gear and other frequently accessed items such as mail. 
• Devote 15 minutes a day to decluttering by tackling small projects such as a drawer, a cupboard, or a countertop or other surface.

Mental Clutter

Mental clutter accumulates when we have too much to do or to think about. As a result, our brains become overloaded making it difficult to focus,  problem solve, and be productive. This leads to stress, anxiety, and frustration. 

If you are like me, you probably find yourself thinking most clearly during down times such as while driving, taking a shower, exercising, or laying in bed first thing in the morning. This is because these simple, semi-automatic activities require very little 'brain power', thus allowing our minds to focus in on a particular problem that's been troubling us or to suddenly wow us with a flash of brilliance or creative genius. The problem is, capturing these light bulb moments can be tricky when one is in the middle of traffic or dripping wet. The good news is, there are things we can do to recreate the circumstances that foster mental clarity. 

Clearing Away Mental Clutter: 

• Practice meditation. Quieting your mind is one of the best ways to invite clear thinking. 
• Avoid multitasking. It does not work. Countless studies have concluded that multitasking is totally ineffective. 
• Practice single-tasking. By concentrating on one task through completion, you will actually get more done and feel less stressed. 
• Download information from your brain to a safe location such as a digital or paper notebook. Make a habit of recording insights, ideas, or things you need to do as you think of them. If you know the information is in a safe place where you can access it as needed, your brain will be able to relax and focus on the things of greatest current relevance. Try to utilze one specific system for recording things you want to remember. Random bits of paper are not a safe way to retain information. 
• Reduce distractions. Distractions only add to mental clutter. Limiting them increases the ability to focus.
• Declutter your physical environment. Studies show that physical clutter engenders feelings of stress and reduces our ability to focus because our brains register clutter as something that needs to be dealt with. 

Emotional Clutter

Emotional clutter comes as a result of negative thoughts and feelings that weigh us down and limit our progress. Guilt, fear, anger, resentment, self-doubt, jealousy, anxiety, and grief are some of the biggest culprits. Despite their damning effect on us (or perhaps because of it), we often cling to these emotions, and the sources from which they spring, with self-destructive determination. 

What are the sources of emotional clutter? Some examples include:

• unhealthy, one-sided, or toxic relationships
• comparisons to others
• perfectionism
• inaction 
• unrealistic expectations
• clinging to the past
• holding onto hurt or injustice
• harboring negative thoughts 

The key to overcoming emotional clutter is to develop emotional resilience, or the ability to adjust or recover when faced with change, setbacks, disappointments, and other challenges that life presents. 

​Clearing Away Emotional Clutter:

• Think positive. Each thought creates a pathway of sorts in our brains. The more we focus on a particular thought, the smoother and clearer that pathway becomes. One way to train your mind to take the positive path is through affirmations. 
• Take care of yourself. Negative thoughts often lead to negative behaviors (and vice versa). Things that are good for you physically such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and plenty of fresh air and sunshine, produce dopamine in our brains. One of the effects of increased dopamine is mood enhancement. Thus, taking care of our bodies is also a good way to increase emotional health.
• Seek positive methods of stress relief. Develop constructive ways of reducing stress that build you up and strengthen your resiliency. Examples include meditation, yoga, exercise, or any activity that relaxes you and brings you joy. 
• Look outward. One of the best ways to improve your outlook is to help others who are in need. Service makes you feel good - about yourself and your situation. By serving others, especially those whose circumstances are less fortunate than our own, we are able to put our problems in perspective and better appreciate the good in our lives. 
• Practice gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal or just make a goal to thank someone every day for something they have done for you. Before you know it, you will be looking at things in a much more positive light. 
• Build strong relationships. Positive connections to other strengthen and energize us as humans. By fostering healthy bonds with others, you create a source of both joy and support in your life. 
• Focus on the future. No one can change the past, but we can impact our future through the choices we make and the things we emphasize. 
• Learn and grow. Focus on something you want to do or to learn and begin working toward that goal. This will help to develop a sense of purpose and foster feelings of self-worth. It will also keep your focus on the future. 

Spiritual Clutter

Integrity is often associated with honesty. That is certainly an important aspect of integrity, but there is more to this concept than mere veracity. Integrity also means whole, sound, undiminished, unimpaired. When applied to one's character, I think a good way to define integrity is living in such a way that your actions are consistent with your beliefs. In other words, integrity is being true to yourself.

When we make choices that we know are not an accurate reflection of how we believe we should live our lives, our integrity is weakened. Much like a building that is structurally unsound, poor choices can leave us feeling unbalanced, out of alignment, and just off. It could be as serious as committing a crime or breaking a vow or as simple as being unkind or eating something that's bad for you. It all depends on what matters to you and the person you want to be. Whatever the case, the more we live out of sync with the things we believe to be right, the more spiritual clutter amasses in our lives. 

Clearing Away Spiritual Clutter:  

• Forgive yourself. None of us are perfect, and dwelling on our failings only drags us down. Instead, practice giving yourself grace. When you fall short of your own expectations, rise up and try again. Remember that forward progress is progress, no matter how small. 
• Forgive others. Few things can weigh a person down more than holding a grudge. If you are harboring hard feelings toward someone who has wronged you, recognize that you are only harming yourself. Letting go of hurt is the only way to truly heal. 
• Seek forgiveness. If you have wronged another, apologize. As hard as it may be to face someone you have hurt, it's nothing compared to the spiritual burden resulting from feelings of guilt and remorse. Admitting mistakes isn't always easy, but it is invariably liberating.
• Define what right looks like. Take time to reflect on the person you want to become and outline for yourself what it means to be that person. How does such a person behave? What does he or she value? 
• Embrace defining affirmations. Create simple, positive statements that emphasize who you are striving to become such as I am a person who treats others with respect and kindness, or I am a person who values health and well-being. As such, I continually strive to care for my mind and body. 
• Emphasize the positive. Instead of saying, I can't eat carbs or I can't drink alcohol, say I don't eat carbs or I don't drink alcohol. This simple variation in word choice makes a huge difference in behavior. The word can't implies that something is being forced upon you against your will. Whereas, the word don't indicates a choice. Studies show that people are far more likely to stick to a new habit if they emphasize don't over can't. 
• Set attainable goals. Speaking of new habits, the best way to build them is through simple, managable steps. I highly recommend James Clear's book Atomic Habits for an interesting and insightful look at the science behind forming habits and an easy approach to applying that science successfully. 

It Doesn't Matter Where You Start

Clutter can be overwhelming. When it comes to physical clutter, clients often tell me, "I don't know where to start." The same can be true for all forms of clutter, be it mental, emotional, or spiritual.

My response to this statement is always the same, and it holds true no matter what type of clutter you are dealing with. It doesn't matter where you start. Just start, and in doing so, you will build confidence and momentum that will carry you through to the end.

I wish you every success in uncovering and conquering your clutter. It is worth the effort. You can do it. I believe in you. 

If you're feeling nervous about uncovering your clutter, contact me. The process is always easier when you have support.