We’ve all heard that physical clutter leads to mental clutter but we recently learned another side of it. Physical clutter is somewhat common among some really creative people. Einstein and Steve Jobs are two such people who are known to be surrounded by clutter.
While Einstein and Steve Jobs are the rarest of rare, lets focus on the majority of us for now.
There are numerous studies suggesting that physical clutter leads to mental clutter and women were especially impacted by it. Just mentioning the topic of clutter raised stress levels among them.
So, if your living room looks like a playground on Sunday and your bedroom like public swimming pool minus the water, its time to take control.
Most times clutter is a manifestation of essentially three emotions. 1) I may need it again someday, 2) this reminds me of…. and 3) I live with a person who is just not organized or my kids just not learning to put things back. It all leads to physical and mental drainage and starts to build frustration over time. This becomes more prevalent as we age. Remember all the screaming from your mom? Also, not to forget, cluttered homes and offices are the hub for dust and molds.
What can we do to declutter?
- Something you haven’t used in more than a year is probably something you wont use in future too. Give it away.
- Neatly pack all your emotional belongings that you don’t use regularly in nice storage boxes and let them rest where they are safe. These are like old pictures. You only see them once in a while, smile, and get back to your present.
- Many people have this habit of using side tables, TV console table, bed, bedroom chair and anything they can see around as a platform for throwing towels, clothes, loose change, magazines, bags. Not to forget the shoes and slippers left on the floor. While making rules is easy, following them is as difficult. Try inventing games that suits best in your environment. A friend recently shared how she made a rule with her husband in which she kept 2 piggy-banks in the room and whoever left anything which is out of place, ends up putting in Rs.200 in other person’s piggy-bank. However, with kids, if they tidied up the space and helped each other, they earned a point and with those points they could buy a gift once a month.
- Try replacing small decorative objects with bigger ones. We know it’s frustrating when you place them around to make your space look pretty, only to find them everywhere but at their original places. Something that disturbs you daily has far more consequences than the beauty of it.
Good luck finding your own formula. If you have something that works for you, drop us a note at hello@vedahomes.in and we’d love to share it with our customers. Wellness is everyone’s right!