Clutter appears on many levels. It’s not exclusive to our physical environment. Clutter is as much a psychological problem as it is a physical one. Our physical environment is an expression of our own self showing in the material world. It’s the manifestation of our energetic environment as well. Physical clutter is not separate from the other unseen planes active in your existence. Beneath the surface, clutter is established on the mental and emotional levels as well.

Mental and emotional clutter need to be cleared in order to restore energy flow. Being unable to let go of “stuff” that drains our energy allows clutter to take hold. This stuff we hang on to can sometimes take the place of meaningful life experiences.

The limiting belief of lack based on fear is the root cause of clutter.

Why is clutter unhealthy?

Clutter keeps people disconnected from their true creative power. Physical clutter, along with emotional and mental clutter, create blockages to energy flow that keep a person in a perpetual loop of recycling disempowering thoughts and behaviours. Although it’s beneficial to reflect on one’s life circumstances now and then, clutter creates a tendency in people to focus on issues that are behind the clutter itself. This type of contemplation can bring feelings of despair and hopelessness, feelings that we are stuck, or that nothing is resolvable.

When physical clutter has become hazardous to health, it may be necessary to hire qualified professionals to help clear and clean the space. The assistance should not end there though. The underlying causes of clutter may be hidden and difficult to transform without help.

Clutter often carries over to the workplace, and this can potentially negatively affect our work performance. Individuals who are overweight can be indicative of having difficulty letting go, and releasing unnecessary burdens such as grievances, disappointments, and other disempowering thinking.

Letting Go

Mental and Emotional Clutter

Inability to let go of ill-feelings, people, and things

This can be interactions with people and activities that leave us feeling drained. Feeling anger, envy, resentment and such towards others not only are disempowering preoccupations of the mind, they rob us of our own peace.

Scheduled Busy

Not setting downtime outside of work commitments, family obligations, and necessary activities of the day-to-day overwhelms and clutters the mind. Always keeping the mind in a state of busyness is a major factor in cluttering our life.

Suspended Intentions

Having things up in the air such as unfinished tasks, unkept promises, not following-up on matters, are all sources of clutter on many levels including the subconscious. These not done or dealt with tasks pop up and preoccupy the mind, often at the most inopportune times like when we are trying to sleep.

It’s not only important we recognize how these things tug on our energy; we have to start dealing with them. In turn, this will help clear our mind so we can see more clearly what actions we need to take to clear clutter. Making physical space by clearing items we’re emotionally attachment to clears the head and opens the heart as well.

As we address physical decluttering, we’ll create feel-good feelings that will build as we start clearing and learning to let go.

Tips for clearing emotional & mental clutter

Adopt decluttering habits

Make decluttering part of a regular habit. Start by finding a useful place for everything, and putting things back where they go immediately after you’re finished with them. These simple steps take only a moment to do, but can save a great amount of time sorting them out later. Decluttering frees us to enjoy life. Wasting time looking for sonneting is time that is lost forever. We can free the mind of clutter by staying mindful of how we think and act.Anxiety relief

Anxiety—like worry—prevent us from enjoying the moment. Anxiety occurs when our head is wrapped up in future interpretations. Let go and let life unfold as it is meant to. Being anxious or worrying is wasting powerful energy resources that would best serve us when applied in present and productive action. Stay in the present moment.

Do not avoid

Clutter is often a sign people are avoiding dealing with issues they find uncomfortable. Avoidance is not separate from anxiety People feel anxious about getting rid of things that no longer serve them. Keeping super busy is another sign of avoidance by staying distracted from the issues we need to confront. Deal with life as it happens. Putting things off creates mind clutter.

Forgive and let go

Forgive and let go of ill-feelings associated with perceived shortcomings or wrongdoing. Sometimes how we perceive a certain situation is overblown by feelings we harbour based on limiting beliefs and past conditioning. There’ll be times when swallowing our pride will serve us better than keeping emotional baggage that clutters the mind. Forgiveness grants us great freedom and healing.

Honour commitments and promises

It’s important we honour the commitments we make—not only to others—but to our own self too. Not following through drains our energy. If for any reason we think or feel we won’t be able to keep our word, we should not commit or we risk being overwhelmed and stressed. Don’t be too quick to accept. Take a moment to ponder before committing.

Procrastination Awareness

This step requires a bit of self-analysis. Take the time to write a list of the things you procrastinate about. Some things we put off will be more prominent than others, often pointing to a recurring theme such as health. Go down the list and write down the reasons why the procrastination. Is it a valid reason or simply an excuse?

We then need to be brutally honest and reasonable to fine-tune this list. What on the list can we let go of, and what should we tackle? Make those things identified as worth tackling a priority and get going.

Say No

It’s not uncommon for people who have people-pleaser personalities to get bogged down with clutter. Again, choose commitments wisely. We don’t want to get overextended and stressed.

Don’ be afraid to say no to people and activities that drag you down. Saying no in these instances is actually a form of self-respect and maturity.

Tips for clearing clutter

Break it down

Look around your environment to Identify spaces in need of decluttering. Starting with the spaces that require the least clearing help us feel encouraged as we work up to the spaces in most need of decluttering.

Ask three questions

Answer these three questions truthfully while sorting each item. “Do I love it? Do I need it? Do I use it?” If the answers are all no, it’s a clue the item no longer has space in our life. It’s time to donate it or thrash it.

If we answer yes to all the questions, then the item still brings value to our life.

If we answered yes to only some of the questions, we may need to check again with this item a bit later. The objective now is to keep things moving. Stick to the first answer that pops up if you are answering truthfully. Don’t second guess your answers.

Sorting it all out

Practice sorting digital and physical things out on a regular basis. Storage areas such as closets and basements need to be decluttered on a regular basis, at the very least every 6 months. Items that haven’t been used in over a year are clutter. What can be recycled or donated, and what can be thrown out?

Storage folders on electronic devices such as Mail need to be deleted, or filed.

Finally

We are the ones who decide what we hang on to. Does it empower or does it disempower our creative potential? We approach clearing clutter like we do we do anything else we want to learn . or when we want to make significant life changes. We have to understand, it may take some time. We take it one step at a time until being clutter-free is our new lifestyle.

Unravelling The Many Layers Of Clutter