Do you struggle with clutter? Millions of Americans do, I know I do! What you, and they, may not realize is that clutter can affect your mind and body. The following information may be helpful in encouraging you to rid your life of clutter for the last time.

How does your home make you feel when you walk in the door at the end of the day? Do you feel peaceful and glad to be at home because it is your sanctuary? Alternatively, do you feel dread because there is a mountain of unfolded laundry in the chair, a stack of magazines spread all over the floor and a sink full of this morning’s dishes? Scientific reports claim the state of your house reflects the state of your mind. Disorganization and clutter indicate there is something out of balance. The trick is learning what is off-kilter and how to set it straight.

Living in a cluttered home is stressful – for everyone. Mom is constantly pulled from what she needs to do to help someone find his or her homework. Dad is late for work because he cannot find his car keys. As the pressure to find those things that are lost mounts, so does the tension. Before too long, something or someone snaps.

Think about how you feel when you have misplaced something. You may berate yourself for being careless. You may feel frustrated and ready to give up. When your child comes in to ask a question, you may not respond in a loving manner and feelings are hurt. Decluttering and organizing your home can help alleviate this problem.

Clutter drains you of energy and makes you feel tired. When you have to look at clutter, you most likely feel overwhelmed. You know you need to do something but you do not have the energy. Take time to clear the clutter from one small area. It can help you and your family feel more energetic and more inspired to work on decluttering in other areas.

Did you know clutter could be making you sick physically? No one wants to think about it, but clutter can be the breeding ground for germs, dust, mold and mildew. It could even hide a problem with mice. If you do not believe clutter can make you sick, think of the stress mentioned above. If you have too much stress, you may develop high blood pressure. Dust and mold can cause allergies or worse.

Clutter can also affect your body weight. People with clutter are usually sedentary while those with an uncluttered home are active. Part of this may be because the clutter in the home makes it hard for you to move. You may also be using clutter, like being overweight, as a means to protect yourself. Clutter keeps people at bay and so there is little chance that you will be hurt.

Now that you understand some of the ways clutter can affect your mind and body, consider what you are going to do about it. Will you take a step forward and begin decluttering, or will you let it continue to rule your life and that of your family?

• Go through your home and make note of anything in your home that is out of place, items that are piling up or things that bother you. Start with what bothers you most and begin going through the items, getting rid of things you no longer need or want. The goal is to clear small areas, one at a time, until you have cleaned the entire room. Go through each room until you have gotten rid of as much clutter as possible.
• Create a cleaning and decluttering schedule. Include chores for each member of the family so one person does not have to do everything. If you work on cleaning a little bit each day, it will make keeping your home clean much easier.
• Rather than stacking mail and other papers all over the room, create a specific area to handle mail and pay bills. This could be a desk or a shelf with an inbox. Be sure to place a garbage can near your mail area so you can throw junk mail out as you go through the mail. Along with the inbox and garbage can, it would also be helpful to keep a family calendar in the area. When you see paperwork that has an appointment or important date, you can write the information directly into the calendar and toss the paper unless you need to return it.
• Place a coat rack or shelf with hooks near the door you use most often. It is important to have everyone hang jackets and book bags here when they come into the home each day. By placing these items in the same place each day, your family will be less likely to lose things.
• You can use similar tactics to declutter your office or workspace. A clean work area can make your day more productive, which your boss will most likely appreciate. Develop a filing system so you can find important papers when you need them.
• Cut back on commitments. Part of having a cluttered life is having too many obligations each week. Families these days are busy – everyone is going in different directions with meetings, sports, band, volunteering or religious activities. Declutter your schedule by asking each person to give up all but one activity. This will reduce the amount of running and allow the family to eat together regularly.

Finally, if you are too overwhelmed with the amount of clutter in your life, give yourself permission to seek outside help. A professional organizer can recommend simple habits to keeping your life clutter free and will help you develop a routine that will work for your family.

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