Yes, You’re Probably Drowning in Stuff, and Here’s Why
I’ve recently been writing and posting a lot about decluttering. I mean, a lot, a lot: like here, here and here.
The truth is, I’ve had a bit of a revelation when it comes to my clients, our society, and why people need so much support from professional organizers. It’s because WE ALL HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF, and it makes decluttering very challenging.
Did you know that, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the average household contains 300,000 items?! And, that article is from 2014, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the number is now higher 12 years later.
Why Do Folks Collect Clutter and/or Hoard?
The reasons seem endless. We grew up in a scarcity environment/mindset. We shop to make ourselves feel better and then think “I spent good money on this so I can’t get rid of it.” We think that we’ll need it some day, even though we purchased it years ago and it’s still unboxed. Or we form an emotional attachment to an item and can’t bear to part with it.
And that’s just folks with chronic or challenging disorganization. Hoarding disorder, or the tendency to essentially keep everything, often results from trauma and can exist alongside other conditions such as major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and ADHD.
These reasons may just scratch the surface. It’s no wonder people struggle to declutter!
I Also Tend to Keep “Stuff”
I went through a lot of changes in my personal life a few years ago. My partner and I separated after almost 12 years. After moving out, I first rented a room in someone’s house, then I moved into a small studio space, and for 2.5 years I had five large 70-quart totes still unpacked. I was just carrying them from space to space because I didn’t have room to unpack everything, but I had room to leave the bins stacked in the corner of my space.
Let me tell you that I didn’t really miss or need those items. When my living situation finally settled about 6 months ago and I opened those bins, I got rid of about 90 percent of the items inside.
I know first hand how easy it can be to keep things without good reason. If I had only been intentional from the get-go, and spent time going through those items and making decisions, I could have saved myself time and money in moving those bins from place to place.
How Can We Declutter?
There are many decluttering methods or questions to ask when deciding whether or not to let go of an item. For example:
- Marie Kondo asks “does the item bring [you] joy?”
- The Minimalists created the 20/20 rule. If you are holding onto an item but are unsure if you need it, ask yourself if it can be replaced for less than $20 in under 20 minutes.
- You can “Declutter Like a Tourist,” where you imagine what a stranger would think were they to look through your cupboards and drawers – simple as.
- And the list goes on.
Letting go can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. If you’re struggling with clutter and “stuff,” reach out to a professional organizer for support.