5 facts about clutter that everyone should know & 3 strategies for decluttering

If you're struggling with a flood of stuff or can't seem to get out the door because “something is missing again”, this article will help. Here are five facts about clutter that everyone should know & 3 strategies for decluttering. You'll then understand the impact clutter has on our minds and well-being, and be able to choose the right way to declutter your home and life. After reading this, you'll finally know where and how to start.

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Fact 1: Decisions you don't feel like making make a mess

The mess is caused by delayed decisions. Our minds can only handle so many decisions a day, and if that mental capacity has already been poured into other gainful or caring work or excessive housework, we simply don't have the energy to think any more. So we just leave the stuff out of our hands somewhere, and piles are created.

If you're constantly looking for things or feel like you've lost everything, you're not alone. On average, we spend five hours a month looking for lost items. That's 153 days of your life wasted looking for things.

And even more paradoxical: 75 % of the lost items are lost in our own homes.

I came across the concept of “clutter is postponed decisions”. So the junk, the piles of paper, the vague “I'll deal with this later” piles... they are really unfinished, undone decisions that we put off in the hope of feeling better.

We only have a certain number of decisions to make in a day, and when that capacity runs out, it really does. However, in a family with children, we cannot rest at this point, we have to carry on with the day even though our resources are already exhausted.

In everyday life, and especially in this time of abundance, we are constantly being asked to take more decisions. This consumes mental resources, and it is easy for things to get stuck where they happen to be.

Fact 2: Clutter affects perception and motivation

If you think strategically, getting rid of the chaos means reducing the number of decisions or reducing the number of rotating units. We cannot deal with this multiplicity in the middle of a peak year.

I think it's sad that the research:

• 46 % of people find it difficult to decide what to give up.
• 53 % says that disorganisation at work reduces motivation at work.
• 20 % feels that clutter has a negative impact on relationships.
• And up to 53 % think that a colleague's messy desk affects how they see that colleague.

That's pretty wild. So it's not just a problem for some, most of us suffer from these same challenges and feel it affects our relationships and how we relate to each other.

Fact 3: Mess, stress and elevated cortisol levels

Studies have shown that women in particular who find their homes messy suffer from elevated cortisol levels throughout the day. Even when they are not at home.

The study compared women who described their homes as messy with those who described their homes as serene. Women who described their homes as messy had significantly higher cortisol levels. The researchers suggest that this may be due to the social expectations that we experience that “the home should be tidy”, which is seen in our society as a particular responsibility of women.

The study did not find the same phenomenon in men, but that doesn't mean that clutter doesn't put a strain on men's brains and stress levels.

Fact 4: A messy workplace takes an hour of effective working time every day

If our environment were cleaner and our workplaces were more organised, studies show that we would gain more than an hour more of productive working time every day. An hour!

That means better work efficiency, less adjustment and less searching for things. I also think it means more time for life and leisure, because often our work involves big chunks of work that we can't just let go of, even when the official working hours are over.

This should be of interest to every employer, and to all of us.

Fact 5: Subsidies are caused either by over-abundance or vagueness

When I talk to people, a lot of them tell me that they don't have too much stuff, but the order is vague.

And sometimes it's true. In many homes, the problem is that there are no designated places for things. Even if there's not too much stuff, everyday life can still get stuck.

In other homes, there is a genuine overload of stuff - and it's easy to cut back. That's a good thing, because it makes room for the flow of everyday life and gives you breathing space.

Although many people think that “there's really nothing to cut back on”, the truth is only revealed when you start going through your home. That's when things come up that you no longer need.

Three ways to start decluttering - choose the one that's right for you

When you start decluttering, the goal is usually a smoother, more relaxed daily life. Fewer lost socks, less rushing around, more clarity. Remember this when decision fatigue hits or a lack of motivation threatens to pull the rug out from under you. Do this to enjoy your life!

Of these three strategies, choose the one that suits your personality and life situation.

1. Piece by piece - calm but steady progress

This is for you if you like control and gradual progression.

For example, you can take advantage of:

• Pomodoro technique - 25-minute qualifying moments
• Swedish death clean-up - go through one space at a time
• The four-box method, where you ask What
  1. to keep?
  2. to donate?
  3. to throw away in the trash?
  4. to sell?

The good thing about this style is that it's moderate and fits in with everyday life. The downside is the slow progression, as it can take a long time to get through the whole home. The end result is often very controlled and clear.

Get your home in shape with the Hushing the House method

2. Blasting - intense, fast and holistic

This is for you if you want a big change fast. Like NOW.

Methods that work in this strategy:

• KonMari - by category, the entire category of clothing or tableware is blown up at once
• Minimalist games - e.g. a 30-day game where you prune by the date of the game
• 80/20 rule - keep 20 % of the stuff you really use, and get rid of the rest

This strategy is powerful and fast, but in moments of chaos, it is enormous. So perfect for some, but understandably too much for others in everyday life.

3. Shortcuts - the fastest way to get results

This is the most efficient and easiest if you don't want to be left alone with the project. In this case you can:

• do the organising remotely with someone else at the same time (body doubling)
• Invite to help a friend for emotional support and extra hands
• involve professional organiser, allowing you to proceed with maximum efficiency

When I go to my client, I analyze the situation, estimate the workload and implement the decluttering process so that there is no chaos in everyday life. One area is completed at a time, and the blown-up site doesn't become a nuisance to the client's daily life. The next time, we'll pick up again, in an orderly and efficient manner.

This strategy brings the fastest results, because we benefit from other people's help, even remotely.

Start here: the most important secret of professional organiser

The organisers' age-old secret to a serene home is this: The most important thing is to start.

It doesn't matter if you start with a drawer, a shelf, a corner of the kitchen or a cupboard in the bathroom.
The most important thing is to start today.

One step and one day at a time. Don't be alone with your decluttering, tell a friend about the project and get help. Soon your everyday life will be very different and you'll be glad you started and, more importantly, kept going!

If this article helped you, please share it with a friend who is struggling with the same clutter challenges. If you want more tips on making your everyday life clearer, subscribe to the Ruuhkaton newsletter.