The link between physical and emotional "clutter"

Several years ago I worked as a consultant for an organizing service dedicated to helping individuals gain control over their personal and professional spaces. I was called in to sort out garages full of boxes, clean out messy kitchen pantries, and to attempt to understand the root causes of each individual's disorganization.

Many of my clients had suffered with this problem their entire lives, and were desperate not to fall back into their old habits. But it seemed that no matter how sophisticated - or simple - an answer I provided to their organizational dilemmas, the clutter always returned. Several weeks later they were again trapped under piles of paperwork, or mounds of clothing on the bedroom floor. It wasn't until I took a good look at the broader definitions of the word "clutter" that I began to teach methods to my clients that would support long-term change.

I found that my clients were only able to successfully maintain an "uncluttered" environment once we addressed the non-physical "clutter" in other areas of their lives.

When you really think about it, clutter is so much more than a pile of papers on your desk or a hall closet stuffed with things you no longer need. Clutter is the million different distractions we are all presented with in our daily lives. Unhealthy relationships that drain our energy and spirit amount to emotional clutter. So do negative beliefs about ourselves that gnaw at our self-esteem, and the horrible self-talk so many of us engage in throughout the day.

It is difficult (if not impossible) for a natually disorganized individual to remain tidy when suffering through a period of depression or anxiety, for instance. It simply takes too much energy. Many chronically disorganized individuals (not the creative types that thrive in these environments, but the ones who continually long for and attempt organization without success) have emotional obstacles that - once addressed - make addressing their physical environments far easier. For some, addressing the underlying emotional obstacles is the ONLY way to create lasting change in how they keep their physical surroundings.

If you have a problem with physical clutter and disorganization, you may have other "clutter" issues in your life that are worth investigating.

Even if your spaces are perfectly organized, you can benefit from taking steps to make your life easier and more meaningful. There is ALWAYS something beneficial to gain (free time, storage space, increased peace of mind, greater meaning in life) from simplifying.

Begin with a simple awareness of where you put your energy each day, and consider ways to make your life easier. Cut yourself a break, even if you've been conditioned to think you don't deserve one!

Small changes can have huge results, and with each step you take on your journey you will be rewarded with an increasing sense of calm and (very likely) an increasing sense of control over the mess around you!