Clutter. It’s the stuff that covers your counters, fills closets and cabinets and sometimes even makes its home on the floor. It’s not necessarily messy, but it crowds storage spaces, visual space and sometimes traffic zones in our homes, not to mention basements, garages and storage units.
Intuitively, most of us sense that clutter is detrimental in some way. But is it just social pressure? Is decluttering just a fad?
What is the true cost of clutter? Even if we assiduously avoid thinking about our collections, our stuff still has impact. Clutter can have impact in many ways. Here are a few:
- mentally, having excess stuff around you can take a toll. Piles of this and that, things out of order call our attention. At some level, we are aware of them. And that saps energy and causes stress.
- Lost time: The more clutter, the more time you spend looking for things and running late for appointments. You spend time hunting for the keys rather than running errands or enjoying the great outdoors or whatever you had intended to do.
- Clutter has health Impacts: Dust, allergens, and mold thrive in cluttered spaces.
- And finally, the big one: fall hazards. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms what we kind of know already:
~ each year, more than one out of four Americans over 65 falls.1
~ falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. 2
If you’ve got lots of stuff around your place - including furniture - that clutter can become a tripping hazard. And we do not want tripping hazards in our home!
But wait! Let me give you the happy news! Tidying up has so many pleasing benefits - mental, emotional, physical and even social.
- The very process of tidying up can focus your attention, which makes it a great activity when your mind is spinning. My YouTube friend, Carolyn Winkler, says that organizing is one of her go-to practices to get through depression and panic attacks. Organizing objects engages her mind and body. She uses her eyes to look at things, her hands to move them and her mind to select what to place where. The satisfying results give an emotional boost.
- Decluttering and organizing can restore a sense of control. The way my client Barbara put it, "I might still look for the keys, but they're gonna be in 1 of 3 places, not ‘oh my goodness, did I drop them in a clothes pile?" When you organize your space, you know where your stuff is and you can find your keys easily! Plus, you can direct others to find things.
- When spaces are clear, it’s easier to get around. You can navigate your home safely, and be free of those wretched tripping hazards.
- Finally, there can be social benefits. For those of us who’ve been embarrassed to have friends over, tidying up has a tremendous impact. When I feel happy about the state of my home, I’m more likely to invite friends over. And as we know, friendship is essential to well-being.
Clutter. We may want to disregard it, but it does have an impact on our well-being and even our ability to live independently in our own homes.
The good news is that decluttering doesn’t have to be overwhelming. It can even be fun. Especially when we engage others. We can tidy together!
- We can engage friends and family, and share stories about sentimental objects as we go.
- We can engage professional organizers - like me! I have many tips for how to manage and release clutter.
- We can employ the power of connection by joining a group for decluttering. I invite you to join my next Motivation Circle!
However you do your decluttering... your comfort, independence and pleasure are worth the effort!
I hope you're inspired to get started!
1. Older Adult Falls Reported by State. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data/falls-by-state.html
2. Keep on Your Feet—Preventing Older Adult Falls. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/older-adult-falls/index.html
