It’s the first new moon of 2018 and I’ve decided NOW is the time to clear out my clutter.  I have made forays into clearing out and cleaning up before but this time I plan to dig deep and really clear my space.

One of the principles discussed in my training as a Kinesiologist is “What is in your universe (environment) is also within you”.  Meaning a cluttered home could indicate; a cluttered mind, an overweight body, inability to live in the present moment and/or not happy with the person you are.

Clearing clutter is an emotional process, but if you follow through when the frustration and overwhelm kicks in, it can be a life changing activity.  To help keep me motivated I have done some research into the benefits of clearing clutter so I have something positive to focus on while I work through my “stuff”.  I am sharing them here…

When you are feeling “blocked” creatively or your work or personal life feels stagnant, clearing the confusion of clutter can be a great way to unearth and be open to new ideas and opportunities.  Your thinking becomes sharper, more decisive and creative when you are not weighed down by clutter, you will be able to see the way forward more clearly.  Clutter creates stress and frustration when you can’t find what you need when it’s needed.

Reducing clutter lightens our load physically and emotionally.  Often people lose weight as a side benefit to clearing clutter.  Think also of the effect on your physical body when you no longer need to reach or step around clutter.

Clutter keeps you stuck in the past, by releasing it you will feel more present and free.  Keep in mind that clutter isn’t necessarily about the quantity, sometimes it can be about its emotional weight e.g. holding on to gifts from an ex-lover can hold you back from finding a new relationship.  Holding on to belongings from deceased loved ones doesn’t truly honour their memory, select a few meaningful tokens and move the rest on.

Clutter can affect your self-esteem by reminding you of things (thoughts) that no longer serve you well.  Clutter can remind you of unfulfilled aspirations e.g. holding onto unused baking trays for years, after not following through with a desire to only give your kids homecooked biscuits.  Unfinished projects can indicate a sense of failure. “It will never be perfect, so I may as well not finish it”.  Thoughts like, “I have to hold on to this because I may not be able to buy another when I need it” indicates a lack of faith in yourself.   Let clutter go, to make way for new, different and exciting things.  

Clutter indicates you are not enough.  Consumerism encourages us to buy things in the hope that it will make our lives better – love, self-improvement, efficiency.  Problem is that it is only fleeting and soon leaves you feeling unfulfilled again and the cycle starts again.

Clutter isn’t only junk.  It can be; clothes that don’t fit or you don’t like, an overly full email inbox, papers/magazines/books.  Clutter often represents things that need to be handled, but you haven’t wanted to confront.  What you don’t confront drains your energy, increases anxiety and promotes procrastination.  It’s like a bad memory you are trying to suppress instead of dealing with.  By confronting it you can be less anxious and more productive.

Step by step, start clearing your clutter; re-cycle, up-cycle, file, store, or dispose.   Set a daily or weekly goal to clear a bench/drawer/cupboard or do it by category e.g. shoes/handbags/ crockery/ books.  Then create new habits to regularly clear clutter to prevent the clutter building up again.  Don’t let your home be a container for your stuff, make it a place that expresses who you really are.