The Ripple Effect of De-Cluttering!

The one thing I know for sure…how you live on a day to day basis in a home looks very different than when you go to sell it! When a home is market ready all the bills, toys, books, papers and clutter are put out of sight and in their proper place. Having worked with many sellers over the years I hear time and time again how they LOVE the feeling of a cleaned up, clutter free home and want to try to incorporate that into their daily lives.

Getting organized is unquestionably good for both mind and body. “If you can’t find your sneakers, you aren’t taking a walk,” said Dr. Pamela Peeke, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and the author of “Fit to Live” (Rodale, 2007), which devotes a section to the link between health and organization.  In fact the average person spends a minimum of 45 minutes a day trying to find something in their home…..time for frustration, resentment and anger to build up!

But experts say the problem with all this is that many people are going about it in the wrong way. Too often they approach clutter and disorganization as a space problem that can be solved by acquiring bins and organizers.

“It isn’t a house problem.  It’s a person problem. The person needs to fundamentally change their behavior.

One suggestion I read years ago has become invaluable to me. “Handle a piece of paper once. Read it, file it, deal with it. Don’t set it aside to be dealt with later as then it will become a pile. I know this is not easy but I am really trying to put this into practice.

Every item in your home has an energy to it.  When you clean out a drawer or your closet, the next time you walk in the room it actually feels lighter, even tho you cannot see what you have decluttered!

So here is some good news.

Letting go of what no longer serves you and setting limits on what you allow into your life is about having and doing less, while accomplishing and enjoying much more.

 Most people think that clearing out their space to stop clutter will take a lot of energy, but the exact opposite happens. What I’ve seen is that as you let go of each thing that is no longer serving your life, your energy level goes up immediately and dramatically.  

Stop thinking of clutter-clearing as a chore, and start thinking of it as one of the cheapest and most effective self-improvement tactics available to you. Every magazine and piece of paper you recycle, every book you give away, every knick-knack and item of clothing you release to a new owner creates space in your life for new insight, energy, joy, and experiences to come in!