Did you know that there’s a link between clutter and confidence?
As I’ve said before, “Physical clutter leads to emotional clutter.” It tanks your confidence. It makes you anxious. And it can even make you depressed.
Researchers a UCLA recently discovered a direct link between symptoms of depression and a cluttered home.
Specifically, they found that women’s stress levels (and cortisol levels) rise when their homes are cluttered, while men don’t seem bothered nearly as much.
(Surprised, anyone? š )
Actually, my hubby’s probably bothered by clutter even more than I am. But I digress…
The UCLA study also found that, while many people want to declutter their homes, many feel “emotionally paralyzed,” unable to part with items of sentimental value or perceived monetary value.
Read more about this study here.
Clutter and Confidence
While clutter can cause depression and stress, it can also be a symptom of it.
It can also be a symptom of low confidence.
You made fear letting go of items because you don’t trust your judgment. (“What if I really do need it someday?”)
You may fear other people’s judgment. (“What if my mom finds out that I got rid of Grandma’s china?”)
Or you may simply be paralyzed into inaction by difficult decisions. (“I don’t know the best thing to do with it.”)
When your confidence is low, you may hold onto sentimental items as a way to stay connected to a time in your life that brought you joy. A time when you felt more confident. Or a time when you felt loved.
What to do about it
In my book, Get Organized This Weekend: How to Declutter Using the A.C.T. System for Home Organizing, I lay out a strategy for dealing with sentimental items.
Ask yourself if the actual, physical item enhances your life – today! – or if it’s the memory you hold dear. The reality of the event still holds true, even if you no longer have the item that reminds you of it.
Often, a picture of these items evokes the memory as well as the physical item. You can frame the picture or add it to a scrapbook.
Consider keeping just one favorite piece of a collection, and letting the rest go. A single treasure, lovingly displayed, often has the same emotional appeal without the guilt and stress caused by clutter.
Paper sentimental items often lend themselves to easy storage solutions in the digital age.Ā If you decide you absolutely must keep every paper you wrote in elementary school, scan them into your computer and keep digital copies instead of the real thing.
Then, when you wish to wax nostalgic about your third grade āWhere the Wild Things Areā essay, simply open up the computer file and reminisce to your heartās content.
Likewise, digitize photos, certificates, and other paper ephemera.
Declutter to boost your confidence
Take advantage of the link between clutter and confidence. Use it to your benefit. If clutter can cause – or reflect – a lack of confidence, then decluttering can improve it.
The more you declutter, the more you realize the following truths:
- You can trust your judgment.
- Most mistakes are not the end of the world.
- You are not your possessions.
- Your past does not define you.
- You don’t need stuff to validate you.
You are Worthy By Design, and nothing can change that.
Get more tips for building your confidence here and here.
Get great tips on organizing and decluttering, including how to deal with sentimental items, in my book, Get Organized This Weekend: How to Declutter Using the A.C.T. System for Home Organizing
