Clutter isn’t something you can avoid in your life. It’s the consequence of living in an affluent society with so many things available to us and so much stuff flowing in and out of our lives. However, because we live such hectic and busy lifestyles, the level of clutter we have to deal with on a day-to-day basis can become problematic. We all know it’s bad, it gets reported often enough in the media, on television shows and in newspaper articles. However, what rarely gets mentioned is why exactly clutter is so bad. It’s a topic that hardly gets discussed except in the vaguest of terms (“It gets in the way, what more do you need to know?” was one such example I came across) but how can you really take control of your clutter if you don’t know why it’s so bad in the first place? Understanding the problem is the first big step to dealing with it effectively, so over the next several pages I will detail the key reasons as to why excessive clutter is such an issue nowadays. You may be able to relate to some points and you may have no connection with others, but do understand as you read them that they all play a part in our lives.

It’s a distraction

Clutter distracts you. It’s important to understand that a room full of clutter will pull at your mind as though it were a fish caught on a hook. Ultimately, we as humans crave some semblance of organization and whether you are aware of it or not, your mind will always exert a little of its energy on the disarray that is your home. Clutter represents something that is incomplete in your life and even if you don’t think much of it at the time or even if you don’t actively care about doing something about it, subconsciously your mind will still be thinking, “I need to do something with that…” It’s because of that reason people go into denial about their clutter problem in an attempt to silence that inner voice. However, when you go down that road there is nothing to stop you from letting the clutter get out of control, making the whole problem harder to deal with.

It wastes time

We’ve all been there. Having to dig through drawers looking for the spare keys, up-heaving boxes and piles of paper to find that letter you urgently need to reply to… it’s so frustrating and stressful. In some ways it might not make sense that you can save time by de-cluttering because what’s quicker than throwing a bill into the nearest drawer or just tossing your clothes into a corner after a hard day at work? However, as I can vouch from my own personal experiences, in the long term (a lot of the reasons we clutter at all is due to short term thinking) the time-saving benefits of being de-cluttered are perhaps the most apparent of any other. To know exactly where everything is and being able to find it straight away is incredibly satisfying and a lot less stressful. Fortunately there are short-term solutions that facilitate good de-cluttering practise, which I will discuss in later chapters, that are just as time-saving as tossing stuff into piles but without any of the disadvantages.

It costs money

One of the misconceptions about throwing away all your clutter is that it can cost you money but if you find that that is really the case, you’re not doing it right. De-cluttering is not about throwing out as much as possible or taking chances on whether you’re going to need something or not. If you are de-cluttering properly and using this book as a guide, you will save a lot of money because you will start being more frugal and careful regarding what stuff you bring into your home. Why add to all your existing junk by buying more unnecessary stuff? Being cluttered is what will really cost you money, because you won’t be able to find half the stuff you need and that’s even assuming you actually know what items you possess. Then there is the whole storage issue. How many boxes, drawers and other storage devices do you have to buy to store all that clutter? What about the cost of renting out that garage to keep stuff in? How about having to buy a bigger house because you think you have no room. Think that sounds far fetched? Most people are surprised how much space they really have when they are smart with it and get organized.

It’s bad for your health

Some of you might think I am stretching it a bit here. How can clutter that on the surface is little more than a nuisance really affect your health? Well you’d be surprised. For one you can cut out all those potential trip hazards by getting stuff off the floor. Then there is the fact a de-cluttered home goes hand-in-hand with a clean home, which means less dust and germs. Also, try cooking and preparing healthy food in the kitchen when all your ingredients are stuffed in cupboards and your fridge is overflowing with out of date goods. It ends up becoming easier to just throw burgers and chips in the oven or even just order a takeaway. Many psychologists also argue – as I touched on previously – that a messy, cluttered life can create excessive stress and that having little organization in your life is a drain on your energy and peace of mind.