Even the word clutter is rooted in the word “clot.” According to an etymology dictionary the word clutter originated around the 1400’s and means “to clot, collect in heaps and to litter.” For example, when blood flow is stopped by a clot, especially in our veins, the formation of a clot can be life threatening. In the case of clutter, it can be detrimental to you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. At its worst, clutter can overwhelm and paralyze people when it’s out of control. At its best, clutter can be a nuisance.
You influence your environment, and it influences you. Environment IS a reflection of who you are and what is going on inside you. Your environment is an extension of you, and you can change it. When you change your thinking and build new habits, your environment will change too. Creating order isn’t simply overcoming external chaos but also discovering how you contribute to it and what it’s costing you.
Let’s start with how clutter negatively impacts your Life. It does so in 4 ways:
Time – looking for misplaced items.
Money – spent on items which you know you have but can’t find.
Health & Safety – risk of trips/falls, obstructed pathways, fire hazards, sanitation issues (improper food storage, dust/mold/air quality, pests/insects/rodents drop feces & spread disease).
Saps or depletes your energy
Conquering clutter is not the ability to get organized. Conquering clutter is the ability to let go.
~ Kathie Seedroff
Types of Clutter
We tend to fill everything - our houses, our cars, storage units, offices, phones, minds and hearts - with more than we can handle. We believe that having more will bring happiness, but instead, it only becomes overwhelming. This is why the word “clutter” is so common. However, clutter isn’t just about physical things. While it can refer to the physical items that overcrowd our spaces, it also includes digital, mental, emotional, and even spiritual clutter.
Kerry Thomas says there are 5 Kinds of Clutter:
Digital clutter includes all the emails in your inbox, whether it’s 50 or 50,000. How about a goal of only having 10 e-mails or less in your inbox at the end of every day? Sound impossible? Think again! The key is to take care of each e-mail when you open it. Don't go through your e-mails and open them all up without making decisions. Barbara Hemphill said, "Clutter is postponed decisions" and she is right! Make a decision on each e-mail the first time you open it. Take time at the end of the day to clear out your inbox and you'll come to work the next day ahead, not behind!
It’s also all the files saved on your computer without naming conventions, so you don’t know what they are, and you spend a lot of time looking for the ones you want. Harvard has some good file naming conventions and Clatch Library has a helpful worksheet. Digital Clutter also includes financial records and reducing paperwork.
Physical clutter is what usually comes to mind when we think of clutters – the overstuffed closets, garages so full the cars no longer fit, and the growing number of storage units that have turned into a billion-dollar industry in the US. It’s the piles of clothes we never wear, the boxes of old belongings we can’t seem to part with, and the household items that end up collecting dust. These physical objects not only take up space but can also weigh on us mentally and spiritually, contributing to a sense of chaos and disorder. The booming storage industry is a testament to our inability to let go, as we continue to accumulate more than our living spaces can handle.
Mental clutter is a state of mind that interrupts your ability to think. I like to say I have too many tabs open in my brain! It’s your to-do list, calendar filled with appointments, an overflowing email box you don’t want to address, the little black box in the living room blasting negative news, and even dreaming about all the above filling your head at night. Then you add in all the what ifs” wafted into your thoughts about your stuff: What if someone I know needs the knee scooter I purchased for that torn Achilles heel last year? What if my adult old son asks to see his childhood collection of Pokémon cards one day? What if I lose those extra 20-30 pounds and can fit in those old jeans stored in the attic? What if…? What if…? Ahhhhh!
Emotional clutter is the persistent, negative thoughts we have about ourselves, our lives, and others. Like digital, physical and emotional clutter, it weighs us down. It can be negative patterns, fears, and beliefs you don’t even realize that you’re carrying around.
It’s also a distraction like all those “I can’t” statements such as “I can’t lose weight” or “I can’t quit my job and own my own business”. We allow ourselves to feel negative emotions like pity, grief, or regret because these emotions trigger a reward system in our brains. Finding joy in life can be difficult, especially since depression is a widespread struggle for many. Our feelings, like our belongings, should be put away in neatly labeled boxes.
Veronica Clack, says her yoga instructor reminded class, “In order to address depression, or any negative emotion for that matter, we must first be aware of the feeling and identify it, give it a label, and put it in a box—not to repress, but rather to distance ourselves for a moment.”
Neatly labeled boxes? Who would’ve thought that the same thing that restores order to clutter could also create a more peaceful mind?
During this season of spiritual decluttering, of focusing on what is necessary for growth, learn to say ‘yes’ to what you love.
~ Charlotte Greeson
Spiritual clutter can be a lack of forgiveness or a lack of peace. Spiritual clutter clearing is about consciously navigating the big decisions in life that can affect your destiny. It is a willingness to make major course corrections if you find that any aspects of your life are not aligned with your higher purpose.
Dr. Hanley says, “The higher purpose of clutter clearing is to help clear the debris that prevents us from connecting to the high spiritual realms from whence we came and to which we will return. It is all too easy to lose the plot down here, get immersed in materialism, and come to believe that this world is all there is, when in fact being here is only a short interlude in the spiritual journey each of us is on.
Karen Kingston, author of Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui shares: “Clutter clearing in all its forms helps to restore clarity and simplicity. When you keep around you just the things you need for your personal journey instead of burdening yourself with things that obscure your way and hold you back, it makes it much easier for you to connect with your spiritual path. And when you have the sense of peace and purpose that comes with that, you will never feel the need for clutter again.”
You cannot have clarity in clutter. We are being invited to bring order/boundaries to our physical & energetic realm.
Those last two — emotional and spiritual clutter — can be very subtle, and they can also be the most paralyzing. Ask yourself, what’s really going on?
Psychologists explain how too much clutter holds you back, so it’s important to get it under control
Clutter in all its forms: energetic, spiritual, emotional, mental & physical, relationships, health, finances and more is stuck stagnant, low vibe energy that prevents you from creating the life you choose, desire and deserve. When you clear your clutter, you create the life you choose, deserve and desire.
Possessions keep you locked in the past. With a “Lack of” mindset or scarcity mentality, you’re coming from fear. When you perceive resources are finite, you are in a state of worry/anxiety, feeling like you don’t have enough…time, money, love, friends, support, or the lifestyle you desire. Rather than being grateful for what you do have, this is a fear of not having enough and it affects behavior and choices. The opposite of lack is abundance.
Abundance means things are constantly coming in and going out of your life. If you stop things from moving out of your life, you stop the flow of abundance. Give yourself permission to let go of things you are ready to release – beliefs, patterns, relationships and clutter. Be willing to trust that letting go opens space for miracles to happen. Say farewell to the clutter of your past and make room for new opportunities to come into your life! So, what will it be, are you coming from…Lack or Love?
When we remove clutter from our lives, we can discover our passions, lead the extraordinary lives we are all meant to live and share our gifts with the world. Practicing detachment with material things that just fill your space will allow you to slowly be able to do the same with bigger situations.
One of the top resolutions each year is to "Get Organized!" However, the top questions that follow are:
1. What do I get rid of and what do I keep?
2. Why do I accumulate so much clutter? 3. How do I start?
Are you going to make the hard decisions or are you going to walk away?
Why is it so hard to get rid of your stuff?
People don't always take into account the emotional roadblocks to organization. In other words, they don’t see their stuff as just stuff. Instead, the object embodies guilt, missed opportunity, broken promises, a reminder of past roles or people, etc.
In other words, we form relationships with our clutter
Externally it is an affirmation of our success; more stuff = more affluence. Keeping up with the Jones’ or whoever has the most toys when they die, the achievement trap…that’s ego.
Internally it identifies who we are and where we’ve come from. Our stuff reminds us of our history. Dr. William V. Haney in his Communication and Organizational Behavior illustrates that people who hold negative or dysfunctional self-images tenaciously hold onto them, feeling their very "identities" to be at stake.
Bottom line - all our “stuff” has value…either emotional, sentimental, or monetary.
“A time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away.
~ Ecclesiastes 3:6
Could your clutter be saying something about your life? Many times, clutter is representative of something in our lives; a symbolic representation of something that’s happened or where we are emotionally.
Sometimes the ripples we want in our lives must be self-generated and radiate from the inner to the outer — not the other way around.
Incomplete, unfinished items.
These represent parts of your life that are hanging in the balance, undone, and incomplete. These unfinished items represent being stuck. Do you feel like you’re not moving ahead in life? By completing or parting with unfinished objects, you can help bring completion to your life.
The Small Stuff
Are you living your life through hand me downs, cast offs or inherited items from another person? Not fully embracing your own life and your own feelings?
If you buy lots of second-hand items or lots of small stuff, you might want to ask yourself why you don’t feel worth the expense of new items. Many people justify buying lots of stuff because they don’t have the money for something big, like a house or a car. When you fill your life with all these small things, you don’t have room for accumulating the kind of money to buy something big. There’s scarcity mentality again. Plus, those items hold the energetic imprint of their previous owners. Be aware that that energy can affect you if you don’t clear & cleanse it first.
Broken items
Holding on to broken objects can represent an inner pain, feeling unloved, and a lack of self-worth. By removing flawed items from your life, you gain greater self-worth and appreciation.
Sources of pain
Holding on to items that are painful keeps you stuck in emotional turmoil. Holding on to uncomfortable items is like putting a bandage on a splinter instead of removing it. Remove the painful item and you can begin healing.
Your stuff doesn’t love you. Only you love it.
By removing the stuff, you have room for family & friends.
Chronic disorganization often leaves people feeling confused and overwhelmed, as the external clutter in their lives reflects internal chaos. This ongoing lack of order can create a deep sense of dissatisfaction and incompleteness, leading to emotional distress. In some cases, this turmoil manifests as hoarding, where the inability to let go turns into a compulsive need to acquire and hold onto possessions. As the line between necessity and excess becomes unclear, manageable clutter can spiral into a much larger issue, trapping individuals in a cycle of accumulation that reinforces feelings of disconnection and lack of fulfillment
Do you realize that 19M Americans are hoarders? Our stuff has a tremendous influence over us – our thoughts, our feelings, even our mental clarity, or lack of it, as evidenced by TV shows that portray hoarders. Technically, hoarding is a mental illness that stems from trauma and loss/lack.
I worked with one client who had 2 storage units plus a house overflowing with items from deceased loved ones. She couldn’t even see the excess and instead told me her stuff felt “like a hug”. I suggested that maybe she created a wall of stuff keeping her in the past rather than enjoying those still living like her spouse and child.
According to Katie Weber, “that’s because when hoarders over-accumulate, the hoarder no longer even sees the excess. What they see is an extension of themselves to the point they don’t see themselves anymore: they are one with the clutter. That’s why it feels like they’re cutting off an arm to remove all the junk.”
Hoarding – Trauma, Mental Illness & Disconnection
Hoarding can be caused by many different issues/traumatic experiences. There is large percentage of hoarders that have experienced significant loss (of death, home, possessions, etc.) Interestingly, some of the potential reasons can be the cause of hoarding, or the effect of hoarding, or both. One such reason for hoarding can be the result of the inability to let go and being stuck in the past. Hoarding could also be caused by a deep sense of loneliness or identification with the things you own. Sadly, there is 90% recidivism with hoarding.
"The clutter represents something in your life. For every person it's different. It may look the same, but every person's clutter means something different to them."
— Oprah
Perfectionism. It may seem like a paradox, but many hoarders actually suffer from perfectionism. You would think that a perfectionist likes to live in a neat, orderly environment and yet in this case, perfectionism translates to indecisiveness (aka delayed decisions). What should I keep, what should I discard? Hoarders keep everything and discard nothing.
Inability to let go. Someone who is stuck in the past, or holds grudges, or keeps dwelling on the same thoughts over and over again may struggle to forget the old and embrace the new. This can manifest in the material world in the form of hoarding or excessive clutter.
Identification. This can lead to all sorts of mental health issues. When deep inside you believe that the items you own are part of your identity (who you are), then the thought of discarding those items can trigger intense fear.
Loneliness. Most hoarders live on their own and can feel isolated from the rest of the world. Not to mention that true loneliness is being unable to connect with others rather than being alone. Piles of material items may make people forget about loneliness but it certainly doesn’t fix the root issue.
Uncertainty. Hoarding can be caused by uncertainty and the intense anxiety of worrying about the future as well as the obsessive need for control. For example, poverty in childhood (where the hoarder feels safer if they accumulate things). Being raised in scarcity is linked with behavioral and mental health issues because it literally changes your brain.
On the opposite side of the scale, some have suggested that consumption can be viewed as greed wanting more than their fair share (ayni). For example, I know a wealthy businesswoman who likes to “collect” and has the means to do so. And if the house gets filled, she buys another multi-million-dollar home. She fits into the achievement/ego trap of she “who dies with the most toys wins.” So perhaps it’s not about reducing clutter as much as it is about reducing desire.
Our outer environment is a mirror for our inner environment. And the inner world reflects the outer world. So, it can be difficult to identify the original cause of any issue and determine what led to what.
If it’s true that the material world is a reflection of the spiritual world and vice versa, then by extension the hoarder’s mind will also be filled up (at least in the sense that their thoughts will be consumed by the items they own). This is the greatest danger of hoarding from a spiritual point of view — identification and inability to grow and evolve.
“A man who identifies with anything is unable to remember himself. In order to remember oneself it is necessary first of all not to identify.
Freedom is first of all freedom from identification.”
~ Gurdjieff
Clutter fills a hole—Kathie Seedroff declares, “When we’re not feeling WHOLE, clutter fills the HOLE.” Symbolically, it would be you’re trying to fulfill a need. We all need to be whole. Without the wholeness we can’t enjoy what we have come here to do.
Energy
Clutter is low, slow, stagnant, and confusing energy that constantly drains energy from you (hoocha). It can also negatively influence, or even block, the flow of energy and events into your life.
Your living space is constantly being impacted by energy. Every person that comes and goes has an energetic expression, objects you bring in contain all the energies of those who have handled it since it was created/manufactured can be transferred to your living space, and you impact the energy of your space. This is why many lightworkers and energy healers cleanse/smudge their sacred space before and after doing their spiritual work. It’s called Space Clearing.
What is Space Clearing?
Craig MacLennan defines space clearing as “energy healing for your home, which has two primary aims: to remove negative energy and bring in positive energy.” If there are any energies that are not positive, affirming, or uplifting, they are stagnant and need to be restored to a more harmonious, higher vibration. Space Clearing includes blessing your home, land, office, vehicle, etc.
Earlier, I mentioned energy imprints on objects. Homes also retain negative energy over a long period especially if the living space contained stress, illness, arguments, and toxic relationships left by previous occupants.
Space clearing should be done on a regular basis, just like brushing your teeth or taking a shower. This ensures no lingering stagnant, low vibration energies. Space clearing tools that I use are things that make noise such as rattles, bells & singing bowls, but you can use clapping and even pots & pans. You want to focus on the corners of rooms which energy gets stuck and hidden places such as under beds, in drawers & closets. Once the stagnant energy is broken up, I will smudge…myself first to cleanse my LEF and then go room to room. I have used sage and other herbs like cedar, rosemary & lavender, but my favorite is Palo Santo, or holy wood, from South America. Be generous with the smoke! If you can’t tolerate the smoke, you can use essential oils to raise the vibration or place crystals (such as black tourmaline, smoky quartz, and shunghite) in high traffic areas for protection. Continue until the entire house is cleared, then repeat with your property perimeter.
“Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”.
~ Albert Einstein
Feng Shui
Clutter has become a major feng shui focus because it’s a source of stagnation. Feng Shui is an ancient technique used to influence the energies of the physical space by positioning objects and the contents of the house in relation to the environment. It is the study of energy flow.
Gayle Atherton says: “In Feng Shui, things are positioned into places so that it can change the flow of energy of the space. Inner Feng Shui is the same. We need to position the life elements we need into the right position within our lives so that we can fulfill our needs.”
The toxins of the house are:
1. Objects you no longer use.
2. Clothes you don't like or haven't used/worn in a while.
3. Worn or broken shoes.
4. Damaged or defective things.
5. Old cards & notes.
6. Plants that are dead/sick.
7. Receipts and old magazines/books.
8. Stuff that reminds you of the past or sad memories.
9. If you have children, toys that are not used, do not work, or are broken.
Removing these toxins allows for:
1. Better health.
2. Greater creativity.
3. Improved relationships.
4. More clarity and greater reasoning capacity.
5. Elevated mood.
6. More positive energy in your home.
Break the Clutter Cycle: Use it, Need it, Love it.
Letting Go
If you don’t use it and you don’t need it, why are you keeping it? It’s okay to LET IT GO! One of the questions I ask clients is “is it wall worthy?” If you wouldn’t hang it on your wall in full display, then maybe it’s time to let it go.
In his book, Weight Loss for the Mind, Stuart Wilde suggests that "letting go" is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks for a human being. People may hang onto books, magazines, cassettes, records, shoes, egg cartons, plastic jugs, bottles, reusable cans, etc. They justify themselves as “collectors”. If we keep these items long enough, we sentimentalize them, affectionately calling them antiques.
You are not the things you own. Have you figured out what's really beneath your clutter? Julie Morgenstern believes that if clutter is a problem for you, it may signify a deeper meaning in your life.
Questions to ask:
1. Why am I saving that?
2. Is it about me today?
3. How will I feel if I release that?
“Imagine what you could do without all this stuff weighing you down!”
Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, recognizes a painful truth: our possessions have more control over us than we would like. Her solution is to thank unnecessary items for their service, and then give them away. Finding reasons to be grateful for the things we have often helps to determine what is truly essential. By simply expressing gratitude toward all the things that truly matter, this creates space, both mentally and physically. I’ve said how important gratitude is to raise your vibration.
Express your gratitude by asking for loving, harmonious, and abundant energies to bless the space and your stuff. If you don’t already think I’m crazy, when I get in my car, I pat the dashboard and thank her for always protecting and getting me to where I need to be. I also visualize an invisibility cloak around us, creating a literal merkaba vehicle of protection. Recently, my brother borrowed the van, and it wouldn’t start for him. He yelled and cussed he would never drive her again. I pulled up and got in, turned the key, and she started right up. (More to this story about the car looking out for him and he ultimately helping her. Yes, cars are consciousness.) The power of love. Gratitude and intention are powerful! Decluttering with intention can be a spiritual practice and can bring great joy. When we are no longer controlled by the chaotic clutter in our lives, we can grow and change in ways that bring us in direct alignment with divine God/Goddess.
As one decluttering practitioner says, “Decluttering with a goal (40 Bags in 40 Days), helps us focus on what’s really important in our household. It shines a light on what is getting in the way of living life and what we have in excess that we can share with others”. This too, is a discipline that directs us to a fuller life. The clarity of a decluttered, organized, and decisive mind can bring us deep peace. When you clear your clutter, you can then share your gifts with the world.
Clutter is delayed decision (i.e. procrastination). When you delay decisions, you remain caught in a loop of distress. Clearing the clutter starts with a very important (and brutal) question: "If all of this were to be gone tomorrow, what would you miss?" Ultimately, the less you have, the fewer decisions you need to make. This means getting rid of everything that is not meaningful or useful to you at this moment in time. It goes back to…only keep what you love, use, and need.
Getting Started
We hear a lot about Spring Cleaning but there is also the Fall Purge. Inside cleaning is reflected outside. As we head inside due to cooler temperatures, are you ready to go inward in order to shift your outer environment and vice versa?
The easiest stuff to clear out/throw out is trash/garbage (anything old that is not a verified antique, broken, dirty/stained, or no longer relevant). That leaves the stuff you need to make a decision about.
The next decision is what you are willing to let go of. Separate and classify those items into what can be sold, recycled, or donated (charity, shelter, library, thrift store, gifted to a friend/family member, etc.). Use boxes/bags or whatever containers you have handy for organizing.
Now you are focusing with intention on clearing a space where the only objects left are the items that are staying and belong in that area. This includes items that you need (i.e. pots & pans, vacuum, and vital documents.) Make sure you're in a good mood and full of energy. Put on music that lifts your spirit and get moving!
Practically and necessity aside, now you’re left with what is “wall worthy” and you love. Start with the piles & pockets of clutter that are most obvious and cause the most stress...the stuff you’re attached to.
Keep in mind that it will be slow going at first, but you will get into a rhythm and there is a saying, "when on a roll, stay on a roll!" Most people are able to continue for 3-4 hours and that's just about the amount of time needed to tackle most small areas/space (i.e. your closet, desk or countertop).
Marie Kondo’s solution is “tidying up” – Sort, Ask, Discard, Spark Joy, Place. I like organizing using Marla Dee’s S.T.A.C.K.S. system.
Use the STACKS system to help with the decision making:
S - sort
T - toss
A - assign a home/zone
C - contain
K - keep it going
S – simplify & systemize
Take one step at a time. Each step has a purpose, and they build upon each other. Resist the urge to multitask and focus on the organizing project. Turn off the phone, email, etc. and get rid of the kids.
When it comes to paper, I like the RAFTS system for sorting through piles of paper/mail. Grab a garbage bag and label 3 boxes. The foundation is the big picture of how paper flows through your life. It starts with all incoming communication (where the only action needed = Read, Action, File; otherwise TOSS).
It’s time to sort all the incoming paper, mail and magazines. Sort with your vision in mind! You have only 4 simple decisions:
R - reading
A - action
F - file
T – toss
S – shred
NOTE: Unopened mail/paper…open as you sort, and you will rid ~ 50% of paper (toss junk & envelopes)
Now you can find what you need in 1 of 3 boxes instead of a paper mess!!!! Look at one box at a time.
There are also 2 systems I recommend for helping you get your paperwork in order now.
1. FreedomFiler is a great self-purging, color-coded system for documents.
2. Nokbox is a complete system to organize all your vital records for your loved ones.
I will be sharing more next month on organizing for end-of-life (EOL).
Leave Memories, not a Mess!
If you look at all the major religions & spiritual practices, they all have a common theme. Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Buddha, Laos, Ozu, the Hebrew prophets, the Muslim Sufis, the Catholic saints, the Hindu Rishis, Quakers, and Amish all embrace simplicity. Spirituality, simplicity and serenity seem to be a sacred Trinity.
When you clear the clutter, you can spend time in silence and contemplation since you don’t have stuff sapping your physical, mental, and emotional energy.
Letting go is a big part of the process. If you have clutter, it prevents you from surrendering. And there is something freeing about surrendering because when you surrender, you’re in the flow of life. It would be my pleasure to help you restore balance and get organized. I can help you get started STACKing and RAFTing. I am a certified, golden member of NAPO and can help you from the simplest to the most complex issues.
As you release and let go, watch what changes in you and around you. As you clean your physical house, you also place order in your mind & heart.
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