Clutter can affect your mental and emotional health
Clutter is junk we accumulate in our houses or offices and it is important to declutter and tidy up. Physically it helps our houses look tidier. Mentally and emotionally it also gives us the satisfaction of a clean environment creating space for new experiences in life. Clutter is about keeping things you no longer use or have outgrown. Sometimes it can be hard to let go of things from the past or to find the motivation to start sorting through what seems like mountains of junk but if you start one section at a time it soon becomes easier.
Reasons we keep clutter
It may help to first work out why you have accumulated so much clutter. There are three main reasons why people tend to end up with so much clutter, the first being because they have an attachment to the object as it reminds them of either a person, place, happy times, or someone special. By throwing away these things you could feel as though you are throwing away the feeling or memory attached to the item. That is not true because the memories are with you forever, especially if you have pics of the event or object you once loved.
The second reason is because we have the personality that won’t let us throw away anything that may come in handy one day, even if that one day never comes.
The third reason is because of aesthetics, some people organise objects and become collectors or artists but other people collect them because they are beautiful but don’t organise them properly so they just becomes clutter.
What clutter to let go
Choosing what clutter to get rid of can be hard for some people and if we declutter all at once it can become quite painful so better to do it slowly. You need to slowly train yourself to make letting go of things a habit.
As you let go of the clutter you make way for new things to energetically enter your life
As you let go of the clutter you make way for new things to energetically enter your life.
To help with the process of letting go of the objects you can take a photo to keep instead. Photos are easier to store and there is no need to find a place for them as these days you can store thousands of photos on a USB, computer or external hard drive and they will store easily. So if you want to remember a gift or event you can label your photos and look back on them.
When deciding what to keep ask yourself, “Do I use it? Do I love it? Does my house need it?” If the answers are no then either give it away, throw it away or put it in a maybe pile. If after 6 months you still have not touched the maybe pile then dispose of those also. You need to set yourself a reasonable time frame in which to clean up the clutter in your house or office and work towards that one room or section at a time.
When you are going through your belongings remember also that you can donate them if they are still in reasonable condition instead of just throwing it all away
When you are going through your belongings remember also that you can donate them if they are still in reasonable condition instead of just throwing it all away. Knowing that someone else will get some use and joy out of the things you are releasing may make the process a little easier as well.
Mental and emotional health
Mentally and emotionally getting rid of items you no longer use makes room for new things in your life. You may be letting go of an old lover or the memory of a job which was good when you worked there but now is way behind where you are on the success ladder. Keeping the item may be keeping you locked in an energetic wormhole of the past.
Is it time to throw out the clutter and make room for travel, a new lover, a new house, a new job? What do you need in your life right now to help you move forward? Although getting rid of the clutter can be a bit draining and hard work you will find when you are done you are surrounded by things and memories you really cherish instead of what you have outgrown. If you are uncomfortable with where you are at in your life it’s time to let go, get rid of the clutter and move on. For more information on having a healthy environment consult my previous articles on creating sacred space.
