In life, we are taught early on that the more stuff we have, the better off we will be. However, that simply is not the case.
Don’t get me wrong, I love having nice things as much as the next person. But, when I find myself surrounded by clutter I am farther from peace than I could ever be. There’s just something about it that stresses me out, and I am not alone in that. Studies have shown that clutter is linked to stress, anxiety, and depression.
Not only that, but too much clutter can destroy your productivity in life. If you don’t believe me, here are 12 reasons why.
1. It takes forever to get ready.
When you are trying to get ready, you can never find anything, because everything is scattered around. Your keys are buried in the mail, your clothes are piled up in the closet, and you cannot find the top you need, and everything is a mess. If you are always late because you have too much stuff, it’s time for a change.
2. You overlook your most prized possessions because they get buried in clutter.
In the midst of all of the stuff you own, your most precious belongings get lost. You can barely find what you need when you want to. And sometimes, you forget about things that matter to you, because they are buried in stuff that doesn’t.
3. You are wasting money on things you don’t need.
And because you cannot find things, you oftentimes end up buying something twice, only to later find it in your home. This is becoming such a burden, that you are spending too much money on things you don’t need.
4. It’s difficult to clean around clutter.
When it comes time to clean, it’s such a hassle because it’s so hard to clean around everything. When you do clean, you have to move everything around, and then the clutter just seems even more chaotic.
5. You can’t ever find anything when you need it.
When you are trying to find an important document or clothing item, you can’t because everything is all piled up. Even if you could find it, it would take so much time to do so, that you oftentimes give up.
6. You live in a constant state of chaos.
You have so much stuff, that it’s impossible to clean it all, find anything, and everything is just a mess. You feel like life is constant chaos and no matter how much you try to find relief from the chaos, it seems out of reach.
7. Sentimental items get lost.
You may randomly think about sentimental items, like pictures, or trinkets someone gave you that mean something to you. But, when you try to recall where they are, you can never find them, because they are buried in clutter.
8. You can’t focus due to all of the clutter.
When you are trying to take care of chores or tasks, it can be very frustrating or nearly impossible, because you cannot focus. All you can think about or see is clutter, and it’s making it nearly impossible for you to think about much else.
9. The clutter is slowly building.
While it may have started as a few items here and a few items there, the clutter is slowly building. Your closet is filled, your refrigerator is filled, your floors and shelves are filled, and it’s just too much.
10. You are running out of storage areas in your home.
When you begin running out of places to put things, you have too much stuff. This can hold you back because rather than having a specific spot to find something, everything just starts piling together.
11. You constantly feel stressed.
You live in a constant state of stress due to all of the clutter. You feel like you can’t get much done, and everything is too piled up to manage. When you try to tackle it, you have a hard time trying to find your way out.
12. You are easily overwhelmed.
Because of the stress of all of your belongings, you get easily overwhelmed. You may go to the closet to get an outfit, and have so much in there, that you want to shut down because it’s too much.
If any of these sounds like you, there is good news: you can declutter your life. Here’s a great video on how.