Understanding Clutter So We Can Declutter

In order to declutter we must first understand what clutter is.  Clutter, as seen by most people, can be things lying about untidy or a confusing or disorderly state or collection.  By that definition alone, I think we can see that we all have the need to declutter.  Another definition is; the acquisition of, and failure to discard, a large number of possessions that appear to be useless or of limited value, again the need to declutter!


Clutter means different things to different people.  Clutter comes to us in many different ways.  Once we realize what clutter is and how it is affecting us in our personal lives, we can then see that in order to get our lives back we must undertake the task to declutter.

Collectibles can be a lucrative and enjoyable hobby.  Many people start collecting specific things just for that reason.  In the beginning the collection is prized, displayed in a wonderful curio cabinet and looked upon with pride.  When the collection grows by leaps and bounds, we can’t find the appropriate space to display it.  We start stressing about where to put pieces of our collection.  It starts in one room and eventually spreads out over the entire home.  Our prized collection has now become clutter.  We may not see it that way, but anyone visiting the home would.  Now would be a good time consider that we may need to declutter our collection.

Family photos and heirlooms are full of treasured memories.   We start by loving these and they manage to always put a smile on our face when we look at them.  As the years go by the number of family photos and heirlooms grows.  If we don't have a proper way to store them, the very things that managed to put a smile on our face no longer have that effect.  We start stressing on where to put them because we’re running out of flat surfaces to display them on.  These have now become clutter problem and we must now find a declutter solution.

Clothes, shoes, purses, are items that create a ton of clutter of clutter in our closets and dressers.  When the closets and drawers are overstuffed, these items then spread out all over the entire floor space of the room.  We all tend to keep them for too long and we are constantly buying more.  Our space is no longer our own, they have taken over and we should now declutter Furniture can also become a source of clutter.  As we live our lives, our needs change and we accumulate furniture to fill those needs.  The problem is that we never let go or pass on the furniture that we no longer need.  We always find a room or corner to put it in.  The simplest solution for this problem would be to declutter. As you can see clutter comes in all shapes and sizes.  Whether or not we like it we must find ways to declutter.  To declutter means taking the time to do it and letting go of things.  It may be overwhelming when you look around; however taking it step-by-step, room-by-room will make it more manageable.

If you do have a large collection that you can't part with, then look for display units which are large enough to support your collection.  Be careful not to fall into the trap of furniture clutter however. 

Once you have finished the declutter task your life will be yours again.  When you look around and no longer see any clutter, you’ll really be able to enjoy and appreciate the things you have.