Clutter. It conjures up a picture of a pile of something or too many possessions in one space. Some may shiver at the mental picture and some will feel comfortable.
I believe clutter and life go hand in hand. Everyone will have a different tolerance of clutter and will require different organising outcomes because no two people, homes, spaces and needs are the same.
BUT, one thing is the same. We all have the same amount of time.
So I ask the question. Is clutter consuming more than space?
Yes, I believe it is. The consequences of clutter consume our time, money and energy. As a Professional Organiser it is quite often for these reasons I’m called upon to help.
So, let’s take a closer look at the Clutter Consumers.
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Time will be spent loosing and finding, moving, storing and cleaning items.
When we can’t find what we need quickly, time is spent in the pursuit of the item. Sometimes this will leave us late for appointments or places we need to be. In the search for an item we will move the clutter around. Often time is spent storing clutter in the hope that it will be easier to manage. Cleaning will take longer in a cluttered space, or may not be done at all.
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Clutter costs money.
Once we have spent money on the initial purchase cost, our items still cost us money. We pay for the power to use it, maintain it and when it is no longer useful, we pay to discard it when we use our local Recycling & Waste Transfer Stations or hire a skip. If we can’t find what we need in a cluttered environment we will go buy another and so, the cycle of Clutter Cost continues.
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Clutter uses physical and emotional energy.
Physical energy is used to buy, move, maintain and loose. Clutter will not allow air to flow and does impact on the energy of a room. Clutter can take a heavy emotional impact on the users of a space.
I encourage you to think about your own clutter tolerance level and consider what impact clutter has in your home.
If clutter is creating anxiety the Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria has a great resource called the 3 c’s: clutter, clots and clogs. I like the definitions as they are realistic and clear to understand.
For further blog readings drop by Less is more.
I’m always happy to chat and answer questions about all aspects of organising, so feel free to contact me.
