Top 3 Reasons Why Clutter Accumulates
Are you one of those people that can never get rid of things? (No judgment!) ! Do you ever wonder why you accumulate so much clutter? (Don’t we all.) Do you always feel like you have too much stuff? Does having clutter out on the counters give you anxiety?
You aren’t alone.
It is very common in today’s society for people to continuously accumulate things. It is also very common for people who have a lot of items to experience higher levels of anxiety. What is not common is the practice of editing or decluttering personal items. So, more often than not, we end up continuing to add on top of what we already own. We just get more and more stuff and think we need a bigger space instead of editing our belongings and living within the spaces we have. You don’t have to be a hoarder to have clutter in your lives but you also don’t have to be a hoarder to want to clear up the clutter!
People accumulate clutter for a number of different reasons. So, I want to take a moment to dive into that a little bit and explain the top 3 reasons behind why clutter accumulates.
Top 3 Reasons Clutter Accumulates
1. Emotional Attachments
A lot of the things we hold onto, we do so because they have meaning or sentimental value for us. This is often exacerbated by life changes and trauma. Having a child, going through a breakup, experiencing death of a loved one, or other losses are all events which can lead us to attach meaning to items. However, most of the time the item itself isn’t valuable. The meaning that we attach to it gives it a higher value. And sometimes we do this to the point of being a little irrational.
Just to be clear, it is okay to hold on to sentimental or meaningful items. Having physical things to look back on and bring back memories is a natural desire. However, not every single item you own falls into that category and it’s important to recognize the difference and think about what items will be valuable to us later in life.
2. Keeping fashion…just in case
This reason clutter accumulates involves a lot less psychology and emotional baggage but might be just as common. People love to hold onto clothes, shoes, and other accessories “just in case”. Just in case the style comes back… just in case it will fit one day… just in case someone else will want it. When it comes down to it, “just in case” isn’t a good enough reason to keep an item. Especially for clothes and shoes, our bodies and personalities change and those items might not reflect who you are anymore. In addition, that style might not come back, or it might come back with a slight difference. Is it worth keeping an item for years and years just waiting for that chance? Is the item worth more than the space it will be taking up for that time?
The “just in case” factor also links back to some trauma we discuss earlier, especially for women. Women often hold onto clothing with the hope of fitting into it again at a later date. Wishing for a past version of yourself isn’t necessarily realistic or healthy. The practice of accepting where you are now and building for a better version of who you are now is much healthier.
3. Everyday items
The third most common reason clutter accumulates falls under the umbrella of daily use items. This includes the keys you grab on your way out the door, the remote for the tv, the glasses you put on to read the morning news, the coffee mug you use everyday. These are the items that you potentially leave out because you use them too often to formally put them away. This also includes the items you leave out as a reminder that you have to do something (the mail on the counter that includes the bills you have to pay).
Remember that clutter is a natural part of life. Everyone has a different threshold for clutter and you just have to remember that there is a healthy level of clutter to have in your life. Living within the means of your space is one of the most important ways to maintain that healthy level of clutter in your life. Decluttering for a few minutes each day can help keep your space peaceful and serene. If you can make a habit of spending a few minutes each day making small choices about what to keep and where to put it away, I can guarantee you will not feel overwhelmed.
Stay tuned for our next blog post where we will discuss tips on how to manage these three different types of clutter! In the meantime, make sure to connect with us on Instagram!
