WHY HAVING LESS CLUTTER IS GOOD FOR YOU
The less you have, the less you have to manage
Nothing in your home comes rent free – it all requires space, plus effort and attention to maintain. So remember, everything you choose to keep – either consciously or by default through postponing the decision – costs time and energy to clean, maintain and repair.
Living with clutter is like living with debt
Like monetary debt, clutter charges its own type of interest: the time and energy expended on stressing about unfinished business from the past. The good news is, once you clear the physical and mental clutter, you can instead invest your time and energy in your future.
Your home is your flight deck
Have you ever been in a plane cockpit and seen that huge array of dials, buttons and display panels? Imagine if they were all buried under the pilot’s old bank statements, utility bills and laundry. Would you feel confident about taking to the air? Well, it’s the same with your home, the place from which you manage your life. So, organise it properly, allowing you to have easy access to the levers you need to pull in order to stay in control.
Beneath every pile of clutter is a story to be told
When we appreciate that our homes hold our stories, and that the meanings we attach to our possessions are the key to a greater sense of self-integration, we can work with, rather than against, our living spaces. I say this knowing that for some there are deeper traumas that need attention. Look at your home with new eyes, but let those eyes be rooted in care and compassion.
The Secret Life Of Clutter (Piatkus) by Helen Sanderson is out 12 May