By Jessica Hoelzel
When faced with the task of dealing with clutter, oftentimes people either:
1) Deny that clutter exists
“I don’t have that much stuff, really.”
“Oh, I know what’s in there…I think.”
“I need all this stuff.”
2) Conveniently “forget” about it, or push it out of awareness
“Clutter, what clutter?”
“I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.”
“Oh, is that where that stuff went? I forgot I had it.”
3) Put off dealing with clutter until a “better” time
“I’m going to organize that when I’m off work this spring.”
“As soon as I get caught up on housework, I’ll get to it.”
“One of these nights after I get the kids to bed, I’m going to tackle that.”
4) Do not know how to deal with it, and are paralyzed by it
“I have no idea where to start.”
“There is just so much to go through.”
“I can’t do this on my own.”
Do any of these comments sound familiar to you? When you embark on a clutter-clearing endeavor, the first step is realization – realizing what you are actually doing, compared to what you want to be doing. Knowing that, and wanting to change something is the start.
Break out of old patterns and begin anew!
Here are some sure-fire ways to break out of these clutter patterns, take action, and regain some control over clutter.
HINTS:
Start with one room at a time. Go through the steps below for each room, then start over with the steps again and go through them all for the next room.
If you want BIG results, and are feeling “gung-ho”, choose the most cluttered area first.
If you are unsure and nervous, begin with an area that’s not-so-bad first to ease into it.
Keep an electronic or paper journal to keep all you reflections, assessments and plans in one place – and don’t bury it under a pile of clutter!
Do some reflection
After reading the styles of dealing with clutter described above, think about what your tendencies are in a particular area:
Is your style similar to one or more of the categories described?
Do you want to deal with clutter in a different way? How so?
What is your payoff? What is your compelling reason for wanting to change?
How will your life – your home, family, work, etc, you be different if you deal with your clutter in a different way?
Do some assessment
To get clear on what specifically in your environment may be affecting you in negative way, unconsciously or consciously, step into that area and ask yourself:
How do I feel when I am in here?
What do I see around me?
What is bugging me or making me uncomfortable?
What do I want to do – what is my vision for the space?
What support do I need to make it happen?
How much time will I need? (HINT: Then double your estimate.)
Design your reward
Design one big reward, or small rewards along the way as you make progress. These will give you added incentive, and are a nice way to nurture yourself. What appeals to you? Reward yourself with a night out, a good book, dessert, a new electronic or new pair of shoes, for example.
Do some planning and set up your time
Get your calendar out. Find a few three-hour chunks of time. Make an appointment for yourself and your clutter. Remember, this is for you – so adjust your perception around it to be that of commitment. And you are going to honor your commitment to yourself. If you have trouble sticking with the dates you’ve scheduled, go back to your reflection and assessment notes for motivation. If necessary, make your reward bigger or more enticing.
Three-hour chunks of time work best to make a lot of progress and not get burnt out. If you feel inspired to go beyond that – by all means do so – your momentum is likely to build once you see changes being made, so channel that drive. Starting is the hardest part, but begun is half done!
Stay tuned for:
More...Dealing with Clutter
Top 5 Things to do to Reduce Clutter
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Part II: How does clutter impact you?
By Jessica Hoelzel
“The use of space, and the degree of cleanliness or clutter all impact and collectively determine your home’s energy flow. And this flow (or lack of flow) affects you continually, conditions your experience in your home and workplace, and significantly influences your future for good or for ill.”
David Daniel Kennedy, Feng Shui for Dummies
More ways clutter impacts you…
4. Clutter drains your energy
Clutter can drain you because it is stagnant energy. If you have things sitting around in boxes or shoved in corners, closets, drawers or storage areas, untouched and unattended to, their energy has in essence been abandoned. They are left to sit and fester, like water in a gutter.
Since all your things – outdated and unnecessary paper records, articles of old clothing, or broken electronics, for example – have ties to your energy, if they are not being used they serve no purpose. Their old, abandoned, stagnant energy can pull you down with it. You might feel tired, unmotivated, hopeless or empty.
Another way clutter can drain your energy is when it collects on surfaces, unattended to. The main culprit: PAPER. Do you have piles of papers stacked up, strewn about or covering your office or kitchen counters?
If you answer yes, and also say you are quite sure you don’t know exactly what is there, then your paper clutter could be draining your energy as well. Every piece of paper you have is demanding something from you. It is saying, “Pay me!” “Call me!” “Reserve me!” “Plan me!” “File me!” or “Recycle me!”
So, when you have a lot of papers, all crying for your attention, that is a big pull on your energy. It can make you tired just imagining it. Now, how does it feel to look at that clutter every day, passing it several times a day? How about when you try to focus and get work done or cook a meal amongst it?
When you multiply these factors, the drain on your energy becomes substantial. The absolute worst place for paper clutter to be is in your bedroom. If you have a desk in your bedroom that accumulates paper, beware. It can affect your sleep, your mood and overall feelings of well-being.
Another type of clutter that can occupy surfaces is “the unnamable”. It doesn’t have a clear-cut category that it falls into, because it is many things from many categories. So, random stuff, this ‘n’ that, junk, crap. It is enough to make you exhausted just thinking about how long it will take to put back (if it has a home) or also tiring to contemplate where it’s home should be in the first place.
I’m talking about stale pieces of candy from Valentines Day (maybe somebody will eat them), the popsicle-stick sculpture your kid brought home from school three years ago (my kid will hate me if I move it), the electrical cord thingy (I have no idea what this goes to), that cute photo someone gave you (that’s now curled up, smudged and spattered on), different odds ‘n’ ends of a project (or two) you started (I will get to that, it could be in my next life…but I will), a book of your neighbor’s (it’s sitting there so I remember to give it back)…all of this, plus, of course, change, gum wrappers, paper clips – WHATEVER!
This stuff can drain your energy much like the paper can. It needs your attention. You pass by or you try to function around it, all the while trying to convince yourself it’s not bothering you, but it probably is. It’s subtly pulling you down with its decaying energy. Yes, it’s true, anything that sits there long enough will start to decay.
5. Clutter makes you feel stuck
Besides lovely thoughts of decay, what clutter is also doing is making you feel stuck. It’s simple: it is sitting there, in your space, not moving. And your space reflects your life. Your home and everything you have in it is an extension of you.
If you have a lot of things that haven’t been dealt with, and are piling up – stagnating – they can make you feel like you’re also stagnating. You might find yourself stuck in the past or like you can’t move forward. Or like you’re repeating the same patterns over and over. What is happening here is that the stuff – your clutter – is weighing you down and keeping you there.
Clutter often has a heaviness that’s unnamable, because it is low energy. As it is draining you, like I described above, it pulls you down and keeps you there. No wonder you can’t get ahead. The energy of the old, abandoned things are keeping you right there with them. How could they not? They are in your space. Their energy field is mixing and melding with yours.
Life may not present you with new opportunities because the clutter is taking up too much space. It is like a cement dam, blocking up the open space that represents creativity and possibilities.
Stay tuned for:
Dealing With Clutter
Top 5 Things to do to Reduce Clutter
“The use of space, and the degree of cleanliness or clutter all impact and collectively determine your home’s energy flow. And this flow (or lack of flow) affects you continually, conditions your experience in your home and workplace, and significantly influences your future for good or for ill.”
David Daniel Kennedy, Feng Shui for Dummies
More ways clutter impacts you…
4. Clutter drains your energy
Clutter can drain you because it is stagnant energy. If you have things sitting around in boxes or shoved in corners, closets, drawers or storage areas, untouched and unattended to, their energy has in essence been abandoned. They are left to sit and fester, like water in a gutter.
Since all your things – outdated and unnecessary paper records, articles of old clothing, or broken electronics, for example – have ties to your energy, if they are not being used they serve no purpose. Their old, abandoned, stagnant energy can pull you down with it. You might feel tired, unmotivated, hopeless or empty.
Another way clutter can drain your energy is when it collects on surfaces, unattended to. The main culprit: PAPER. Do you have piles of papers stacked up, strewn about or covering your office or kitchen counters?
If you answer yes, and also say you are quite sure you don’t know exactly what is there, then your paper clutter could be draining your energy as well. Every piece of paper you have is demanding something from you. It is saying, “Pay me!” “Call me!” “Reserve me!” “Plan me!” “File me!” or “Recycle me!”
So, when you have a lot of papers, all crying for your attention, that is a big pull on your energy. It can make you tired just imagining it. Now, how does it feel to look at that clutter every day, passing it several times a day? How about when you try to focus and get work done or cook a meal amongst it?
When you multiply these factors, the drain on your energy becomes substantial. The absolute worst place for paper clutter to be is in your bedroom. If you have a desk in your bedroom that accumulates paper, beware. It can affect your sleep, your mood and overall feelings of well-being.
Another type of clutter that can occupy surfaces is “the unnamable”. It doesn’t have a clear-cut category that it falls into, because it is many things from many categories. So, random stuff, this ‘n’ that, junk, crap. It is enough to make you exhausted just thinking about how long it will take to put back (if it has a home) or also tiring to contemplate where it’s home should be in the first place.
I’m talking about stale pieces of candy from Valentines Day (maybe somebody will eat them), the popsicle-stick sculpture your kid brought home from school three years ago (my kid will hate me if I move it), the electrical cord thingy (I have no idea what this goes to), that cute photo someone gave you (that’s now curled up, smudged and spattered on), different odds ‘n’ ends of a project (or two) you started (I will get to that, it could be in my next life…but I will), a book of your neighbor’s (it’s sitting there so I remember to give it back)…all of this, plus, of course, change, gum wrappers, paper clips – WHATEVER!
This stuff can drain your energy much like the paper can. It needs your attention. You pass by or you try to function around it, all the while trying to convince yourself it’s not bothering you, but it probably is. It’s subtly pulling you down with its decaying energy. Yes, it’s true, anything that sits there long enough will start to decay.
5. Clutter makes you feel stuck
Besides lovely thoughts of decay, what clutter is also doing is making you feel stuck. It’s simple: it is sitting there, in your space, not moving. And your space reflects your life. Your home and everything you have in it is an extension of you.
If you have a lot of things that haven’t been dealt with, and are piling up – stagnating – they can make you feel like you’re also stagnating. You might find yourself stuck in the past or like you can’t move forward. Or like you’re repeating the same patterns over and over. What is happening here is that the stuff – your clutter – is weighing you down and keeping you there.
Clutter often has a heaviness that’s unnamable, because it is low energy. As it is draining you, like I described above, it pulls you down and keeps you there. No wonder you can’t get ahead. The energy of the old, abandoned things are keeping you right there with them. How could they not? They are in your space. Their energy field is mixing and melding with yours.
Life may not present you with new opportunities because the clutter is taking up too much space. It is like a cement dam, blocking up the open space that represents creativity and possibilities.
Stay tuned for:
Dealing With Clutter
Top 5 Things to do to Reduce Clutter
Monday, October 12, 2009
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
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
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