Part I: How does clutter impact you?

By Jessica Hoelzel

Having physical and energetic clutter in your space can impact you in a number of ways. Its effects can be unconscious - the clutter subtly affects your energy and life circumstances without you being consciously aware of what is happening, and without pinpointing the source of the unbalance or negative circumstances. Or, the clutter can be affecting you in a very apparent way – when you see it, you are conscious of the fact that it is there, and it nags at you, making you feel upset. Whether you are conscious of clutter or not, you are attached to everything you have with an invisible line of energy. It is an extension of you.

1. Clutter creates unnecessary stressClutter can make you late, miss appointments, get behind, lose focus and lose things. It can cost you money, having to pay late charges or pay to replace things you’ve lost, which is stress on your wallet. These occurrences can in turn frustrate you, make you angry, or flaw your reputation. Clutter out-of-hand can cause you to lose your job, damage or ruin your relationships. Delaying decision-making about clutter and taking steps to alleviate it can actually create more work for you, causing you to be increasingly burdened by responsibility.

2. Clutter creates more housework
When you have to move and shift things around to clean, it takes more time and effort to get the job done. And, when things are in the way, for example, in a kitchen or entry/mudroom area, they can get dirty themselves and need cleaning. Knick-knacks, picture frames and collectibles collect a lot of dust, as does extra furniture. These things become obstacles to what should be a simple task. You may put off housecleaning because it seems too daunting of a task, dealing with pockets of clutter here and there, but postponing it makes the job even more overwhelming and verging on unsanitary.

3. Clutter embarrasses you and makes you feel uncomfortable
Clutter can deter you from inviting friends and family into your space, or when they do visit, you might feel embarrassed because so many things have accumulated, they are in disorder, or when there is no place to sit comfortably. You may feel uncomfortable yourself when you are in your space, amongst the clutter. When you look around your space and see piles of things to put away, sort or do, it is difficult to relax and be at peace. Feelings of inadequacy, ineffectiveness and helplessness may abound.

“There is no place you can put your clutter where it will not affect you. Even if you take it out of the house and stash it…it is still there and still having an effect on your life. The one and only thing you can do with clutter is take responsibility for it and clear it.”
- Karen Kingston, Creating Sacred Space With Feng Shui

Stay tuned for more to come:
Part II: How does clutter impact you? More ways…
Dealing With Clutter
Top 5 Things to do to Reduce Clutter