The Psychology of Having Too Much Stuff

Clutter is Distracting and it Can Hurt You

If nothing else, all this clutter and all this extra stuff can be very distracting. When was the last time you spent more than a couple of minutes trying to find something among all the extra things you’re keeping around “just in case”? Think about the time you’re wasting searching for stuff, or shifting things around to get to the item you need. That’s time you’re not getting back.

Even when you’re not actively looking for something, the clutter can be disturbing. You may not think that you’re noticing it, but you are. You’re keeping mental tabs on everything around you and that can cause stress in  your mind.

It’s much more relaxing and a lot easier to focus in a relatively clean and clutter-free environment.

Hanging On

Clutter can also keep us from moving forward. Keeping stuff can be a coping mechanism that keeps us stuck in the past; and it all has to do with why we hang on to so much stuff in the first place.

Why do we hang on to it?

Some things we keep because of the memories attached to them. Others we hold on to because it might cause us too much pain to let them go.

Many of us have an old t-shirt or stuffed animal hidden in the back of the closet that we’ll never wear again, or snuggle with. We hold on to it because it reminds us of our childhood or youth. You may hold on to other things that either remind you of your own past, or that belonged to a loved one that you can’t make yourself part with.

Letting go of things and getting rid of physical items that we’ve grown attached to can hurt. But sometimes facing that pain is part of the overall healing process, allowing us to move forward with our lives.

We hold on to notebooks and paperwork from that failed business opportunity, or the treadmill we bought to get into shape.

Letting go and getting rid of either feels like we’ve truly given up on the idea. The common reaction is to just procrastinate making a decision to part with it.

Clutter Affects Your Brain

Actually, clutter can muddle your brain. It’s much harder to focus on anything from simple household chores to doing your taxes, finishing up an important report for your boss, or writing a paper.

Clutter makes it harder to process information; so everything that’s going on around you in a cluttered environment takes a lot more brain power. That in turn leaves you with less energy for the fun stuff.

Last but not least, clutter stresses us out. I’m sure you’ve noticed this yourself and it’s the reason most meditation or yoga spaces are sparely furnished and never cluttered. We’re a lot more stressed when we’re living in a cluttered space.

I’m sure part of it has to do with, again, the fact that we have to keep mental tabs on all the extra things surrounding us.

Add to that the clutter of our own thoughts and the digital clutter we’re dealing with on a regular basis and it’s no wonder we’re so stressed out. With that come all sorts of stress related illnesses. Who knew that part of the solution could be something as simple as decluttering?

How to Beat Decluttering Overwhelm

The philosophy of minimalism is being embraced by people everywhere. It’s appealing to consider simplifying your life by getting rid of unnecessary physical possessions and concentrating instead on the experiences that bring fulfillment.

But thinking or worrying about decluttering can be overwhelming to your mind.

 
Let’s make things more manageable and take a look at some specific ideas for how to handle decluttering overwhelm.

1 Be Mindful First

Think about just why you want to minimize your home and life. Understanding your reasons for wanting to live a more minimalist lifestyle is crucial to success.

 
First realize that decluttering will not help unless you are mindful about it.

Decluttering on its own is a fruitless effort. Without personal evaluation and insight, any progress you make will more than likely be undone.

Getting rid of stuff you haven’t used in the last year or donating an item of clothing for each new piece you bring home are short-term fixes.

For decluttering methods to stick, you must evaluate your reasons for the decisions you make regarding your possessions.

You must actually consider the personal motivations for your attachment to the stuff you own.

For example, do you hold onto things because:

• you fear being without?
• saving things is a habit from your past?
• you are afraid you will have a great need for certain things down the road?
• you feel your accomplishments will be forgotten?
• you feel guilty that you haven’t used some of your things?
• you remember how much you liked an item, even though you have no real use for it any longer?

Now why do you want to de-clutter? Here are some common reasons:

• So you won’t have to think about excess stuff anymore
• Your home will be more spacious
• You will gain peace of mind
• You will be able to keep your home more organized and tidy, saving you time and energy
• Other reasons

Also, you may hope that decluttering can help you raise some cash by selling your unwanted things. However, without examining your motives for acquiring so much stuff and evaluating your priorities in life, you’re practically guaranteed to buy more items to take the place of those you’ve sold.

Mindless decluttering is only temporary. Your clean and organized environment is merely a facade that isn’t likely to last. If you want to change your life by implementing healthy changes and making positive strides, you first must do the work of introspection to find your motives.

Your decluttering motives must be stronger than your compulsion to keep your stuff. It can be a bit of a mind battle, but believe me, letting go will feel much better in the long run.

2 Have Wiggle Room

The second step to getting a handle on your feelings about decluttering is to understand that the job does not need to be accomplished overnight.

Set aside a general amount of time for the project, knowing that your timeline can be extended slightly, if necessary.

Having a time frame provides structure, but allowing wiggle room takes away the pressure, and that will ease your mind.

3 Map it Out

Having a plan is critical to the smooth completion of any goal you hope to accomplish. It only makes sense that mapping out your steps to decluttering would also be beneficial.

Write down things like:

• the order in which you wish to tackle your clutter
• how many rooms or areas you would like to complete each week
• the manner in which you may want to sell valuable items
• where you will donate the rest.

This proactive planning step can go a long way toward making it all seem more manageable.

4 Visualize

One more thing to do before actually getting down to the business of decluttering is to form an idea in your head of how you’d like your finished space to look.

It may even help to jot down some drawings and notes. Doing so will help you decide what to keep and what to discard because you will have a better idea of whether a particular item will complement your vision.

Physical Clutter vs. Digital Clutter

The clutter we have to deal with psychologically isn’t limited to just physical clutter.

With the advent of computers and mobile devices, we’ve gotten very good at holding on to digital clutter as well. Since it doesn’t take up a lot of physical space, it’s even easier to accumulate this digital clutter.

Take a few minutes and figure out where exactly you’re keeping your digital clutter. Places to start looking are your computer, external hard drives, laptops and tablets, and your phone.

Then there are digital storage solutions that don’t take up any physical space at your home like your cloud backups and email accounts for example.

You may not think much about the 587,097 emails sitting in your inbox, but it’s all digital clutter that adds up. You don’t even realize how much that full email inbox is weighing on your mind until you make the effort to clear it out. It is incredible how freeing that feeling is.

You’ll realize first-hand that digital clutter impacts you just as much as physical clutter does.

Mind Clutter

Clutter, be it physical, digital, or even the clutter of ideas and dreams in our head, takes up room. It takes up physical space, digital space, and most importantly it takes up mental room in our brain to keep track of it all.

Start thinking about how you can reduce that clutter to leave more “headspace” for the important stuff. Something as simple as a brain dump exercise can be a great place to start.

Not only will it help you declutter and organize your thoughts, you will notice that you have a lot of annoying thoughts about all your physical and digital clutter!

Doing a “brain dump” is very easy to do. It can be a bit exhausting while you do it, but the end result and the peace of mind you get from it are well worth the effort.

Grab a notebook or a few pages of scrap paper and a pen. Then start writing down everything you need to or want to get done. Write down as many major thoughts and feelings as you can.

Write down your dreams, aspirations, and goals. Write down appointments you need to remember and chores that need taking care of.

Don’t edit, don’t second guess yourself. Simply focus on getting it all out of your head and onto the paper. When you’re all done, take a deep breath and notice the freeing and calming feeling.

Later on, you can go through the list, organize it, cross out items you don’t really need. Use this exercise as a starting point to organize and declutter your life from physical, digital, and mental “stuff”.

Finding Your Clutter “Sweet Spot”

There is one more psychological aspect of clutter that we need to talk about before we wrap up, and that’s finding your own clutter “sweet spot”. Here’s what I’m talking about:

Some people thrive in a very sparse and clean environment with no unneeded item in sight and everything in its place. Others need a quite a bit of organized clutter around them to feel calm and comfortable. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle.

It’s important to realize that your house doesn’t have to be Architectural Digest perfect at the end of the day. It simply has to work well for you and your family.

This means you don’t have to work from a blank desk, or that the books on your shelves have to be perfectly organized by topic, author, or size.

If you work better at a desk that includes a couple of family pictures, a notepad and assortment of pens, and a stress ball, then go for it.

Just be careful that you don’t let the clutter take over. It has a tendency to multiply.

The key is to find your very own sweet spot when it comes to clutter and how much stuff you have laying around. Finding the spot can be a little tricky.

 
To find it, spend the time and effort to declutter, clean, and organize until you’re left with a space that’s as minimal as you can make it. Don’t strive for perfection, but do the very best you can for your personal situation.

For example, if you’re living with young children, your house will never look like a model home and there will always be toys around. That’s ok. Give it your best shot, and use that as your starting point.

If you’re comfortable there, great. If it feels a little cold and uncomfortable, start adding a few more personal items here and there. Add a comfy blanket to the couch or put a scented candle on your desk. Put a few personal items here and there and see how you feel about your space now.

Repeat until you find your very own sweet spot when it comes to “stuff” and “clutter”. Then do your best to keep it there.

Keep this in mind as time goes by and adjust as needed.

Sneaky Clutter

Also keep in mind that clutter will sneak up on you. I’m sure you’ve experienced this first hand. You start out with a clean dining room table, put one item on it and before long the table is so covered that you can no longer see the surface.

Clutter attracts more clutter and you have to stay on top of it or it will start to take over.

One of the big appeals of minimalism for many of us is that we worry less about clutter taking over. You don’t need to be a super minimalist. You simply need to be aware of the phenomenon and deal with it as time goes by.

Here’s a method:

Give your home or office a quick scan once a week and see if there’s an area where clutter is accumulating. Take care of it by returning items to the place they belong or getting rid of them.

If you find the same spot attracting clutter week after week, see if you can come up with a solution. Maybe there needs to be a new house rule that nothing can be left on the dining room table, or maybe you can put a pretty table cloth and some candles on it in an effort to avoid the clutter attraction.

Decluttering Will Give You a Positive State of Mind

Clearing out the clutter does more than just make your home look neater or more spacious. Decluttering can actually be a life-transforming process. Here are five ways de-cluttering can boost your state of mind!

1 You’ll Gain More Time

Think of all the time you waste searching for things in your messy environment. Consider how often you don’t feel like doing much or going anywhere because your cluttered surroundings have left you feeling depressed. Investing the time to clean out and organize your living space will pay off in all the hours of your life you take back.

2 You’ll Be More Focused

A messy environment leads to a disorganized mind. Being surrounded by clutter makes it hard to concentrate and zaps your energy. You can’t focus with brain fog. An organized space can truly rejuvenate you.

3 You’ll Sleep Better

By clearing the clutter, you are making more room for energy to flow freely about your bedroom. It’s true that human beings are made up of energy. Being surrounded by energy that can circulate without obstacles allows for deeper and more restful sleep.

4 You’ll Have Room for New Ideas

By removing physical items from your home, you’ll be making more space to move around.

Some creative reorganization or consolidation of your possessions could lead to having an entire room free to put to a new use.

For example, you could start a hobby you’ve always wanted to pursue, or set up the space as a guest room to host family and friends. What about a media room, or a playroom for the kids?

5 You Will Have More Peace

Don’t let clutter rule you. Instead, make smart choices and surround yourself with items that you love and that make your life easier, or more pleasant.

Remember, less is more, but how little you want to surround yourself with is entirely up to you.

Find that sweet spot between minimalism and clutter.

Not only will you create a more comfortable home for yourself and your loved ones, you will also greatly reduce the level of stress you’re under.

It’s hard to put into words that peace of mind that comes after purging and organizing your possessions be they physical, digital, or mental. I think it has to do with a sense of control and well being. A nice aha moment!

Conclusion

I hope you’ve found this short exploration on the psychology of clutter helpful. If nothing else, it should inspire you to examine the spaces you live and work in and make you think about how comfortable you are in those spaces.

Decluttering can be challenging, but it is well worth it when you get done and find yourself taking control of the spaces you occupy. It’s also worth it for the peace of mind and time savings you’ll find in a cleaner, more organized place.

As you can see, there’s so much more to decluttering than you ever realized. This process can lead to countless positive outcomes if you just open your mind to the possibilities.

Hopefully, you’re feeling more motivated to start creating your optimal living space!