May 22, 2024

How to Know if You Have Too Much Clutter

It’s clear that you want to avoid having clutter around if you can help it. Do you wonder whether you have too much clutter? Answer these questions honestly. It may help if you look at things from the perspective of highly respected people, such as your spouse or a close friend. They should help you decide if you have become “clutter” blind and need to take action.

Now, to the questions.

• Do I Have Any Clear Counter Space or Table Space? – If you must clear surfaces before you can do anything it adds a lot of extra work to your task. You should have clear surfaces that are designated for doing specific tasks each day.
• How Long Does It Take to Find Things I Need? – If you spend a lot of time, more than five minutes, searching for items that you need such as your shoes, wallet, keys, hairbrush and so forth you, may have too much stuff piled or cluttered together.
• Have I Ever Bought a Replacement Then Found the Item Later? – If you’ve done this, it’s likely due to poor organizational skills and an excess of clutter. This is such a waste of money and can cause a significant amount of anxiety, stress, and guilt.
• Do I Know Where Things Should Be? – You’ve heard the phrase, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Everything in your house should have a “home” of it’s own, whether it’s a specific drawer or in a particular room. You should be able to tell someone where most items can be found in your home. If you can’t picture where the item should be, you probably need to make some changes to your setup or methods.
• Does Your Family Know Where Things Should Be Kept? – You’re not the only one who should know where things are. If you have things the entire family uses, everyone should know where those things live. In addition, a firm rule should apply regarding returning items to their proper place immediately after the task or project is finished.
• Do I Own a Storage Unit? – This is not necessarily a sign of clutter on its own; but, combined with other things it can be a huge hint. In addition, how well you’ve organized the storage unit is an important consideration too. Whether this unit is on commercial property or just in your backyard, the same rules apply to clutter and organization, just as it does within your home.
• Do I Have and Use my Garage for My Car? – If you have a garage but you cannot fit your car in there because you keep large equipment or out of season items in there, such as lawn and garden tools or the Christmas tree, you may need to reduce your clutter or organize your items differently.
• Do I Feel Embarrassed to Invite Company Over? – If your house is so messy and cluttered that you don’t have company over, due to the vast amount of work needed to get things ready and presentable, you definitely need to make decluttering and organizing plans a top priority. However, you need to make both plans part of your daily routine to achieve and maintain your success.
• Do I Make Excuses About How My House Looks? – If you find yourself making excuses about how your home looks, you may have an issue. Has the thought crossed your mind about how embarrassed you’d be if rescue or first responders saw your house in this state? Would they even be able to get the gurney or stretcher to you? If this is even remotely a concern, you need to get busy decluttering so you can reduce your anxiety and make things easier for emergency personnel, should they ever need to come in, unexpectedly. It could literally be the difference between life and death.
• Is my Family Embarrassed by the Home? – Has your family expressed feeling embarrassed about their home? Is there an “understanding” among you that guests should be kept away from certain rooms or areas because of the clutter? Does your family play “hide the junk” by hiding things in closets, drawers, or unused rooms rather than putting things in their correct spot on a daily basis? This is a sure sign that the whole family needs to make changes, starting with a mindset adjustment that resolves to make decluttering a priority to enjoy a better less hectic life.
• Is My Stuff Stored Carefully, Safely and in a Loving Way? – Many people with clutter will claim that they can’t get rid of the stuff because of its emotional importance. When things are important, you take care of them. The problem is that some people confuse valuing items with avoidance to change, so things are often just stacked together haphazardly, rather than carefully protected and stored.
• Do I Feel Uncomfortable in My Home? – When you’re all alone in your home how do you feel about it? Are you able to get comfortable? Do you feel safe, cozy, and serene? Do you feel stressed out about all that needs to be done?

These signs of too much clutter may not be cause for concern if you only have one or two of these issues. However, if you have three or more, you probably should do something about confronting the clutter in your home or place of business, as soon as possible. You’ll improve your own life and possibly even people around you, without even realizing it.

dhf

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