When we think of someone having a clutter problem, generally the mental image is a home full of possessions strewn about, endless piles of paper, overstuffed closets, and cars parked in the driveway because there’s no room in the garage. Now, imagine the same amount of stuff tucked inside storage tubs, filing containers retaining an unending number of papers, or stackable organizing drawers maxing out the space behind cabinets and so on. Logically that doesn’t seem like a problem.
However, one can be highly organized and at the same time have an overabundance of possessions. Just because all these things are organized, doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t a clutter problem. In fact, these containers make it easy for us to keep mountains of stuff we don’t use or like. Hiding a plethora of office supplies in tidy plastic bins or well-folded clothes that actually fit inside a dresser is not necessarily indicative of over-owning.
Truth be told, home organizer’s phones aren’t ringing off the hook by people who frequent the storage bin aisle of big box stores. Why would they need a professional organizer if there isn’t an obvious mess? I see their point. But let me offer these observations.
- Out of sight, out of mind! Possessions stored so far out of sight that we purchase the same thing again and again, unable to take stock of what we already have on hand. Financial woes are a possible consequence.
- It’s much easier to fill a box than empty it. Decision making, difficulty parting ways, or thinking it’ll be useful in the future are all roadblocks to addressing the clutter. Putting the stuff in a container is far easier.
- How many times have you been asked “How are you doing today?” and your response is “I’m good.” When in reality that is not the case. We all wear masks. I’m not talking about the masks that make up our current pandemic reality, but rather the masks we wear to give others the impression that we have it together. We put on masks to protect us from what is really going on inside. Organized chaos is showing the outside world that we have our stuff together by putting it neatly in containers. In reality, the stuff inside the boxes are items that need to be addressed and cast away.
- Blocked energy. The practice of Feng Shui suggests that decluttering helps to remove blockages from your life because it stops the flow of energy. Think about nesting dolls, a set of wooden characters that decrease in size and are placed within one another. Similar to a highly organized person who has stuff within containers that are then contained in another space. That is a lot of pent up energy. When spaces are cleared out there is more flow and freedom in a space.
It takes courage to come to terms with clutter, even more so for those who are not tripping over their possessions. Bottom line, overabundance needs to be addressed. A skilled professional organizer will work with you in a non-judgmental way to reduce clutter comfortably and compassionately.
Photo © 2011 J. Ronald Lee, CC Attribution 3.0.
