Clear the Clutter and Boost Your Mental Health
When you see the word “clutter,” your first thought might relate to items strewn about the house, stuffed in the garage, or hidden away in closets. Physical clutter can definitely weigh you down, but so can emotional clutter. And, as you might suspect, the two are connected. To help you cope with stress more effectively, it might be time to clear the clutter. Here are some tips that may help.
Why Do We Let Stuff Build Up?
Becoming Minimalist offers some observations:
- We think a lot of stuff will make us happy.
- There might be a need to impress other people, especially if we’re envious of what they have compared to us.
- We’re more prone to believe advertisements than we care to admit.
- We think stuff makes us more secure.
- We’re trying to overcompensate for something.
Clutterers Anonymous (CA)—yes indeed, there is such a 12-Step group!—zeroes in on other aspects. “Clutter is anything we don’t need, want, or use that takes our time, energy, or space, and destroys our serenity. It can be outgrown clothes, obsolete papers, broken toys, disliked gifts, meaningless activity, ancient resentments, or unsatisfying relationships.”
This brings us to what Genesis Medical Scheme (GMS) defines as emotional clutter: “It’s not always the physical clutter that makes you stumble in your search for simplicity. It’s ‘emotional clutter’—the subconscious mental ‘rubble’ that stands in the way of our peace of mind.”
How Clutter Affects You
The tie between physical items and our emotions is strong. Scientific American states that “these objects are utterly reliable, always present and under our control. We can count on them.” Research points to numerous factors for our attachment to objects, such as:
- An insecure attachment style, which usually starts when we’re young.
- The items serve as a “psychological salve,” whether for comfort or self-esteem.
- A concept known as “contagion,” where we consider our belongings as extensions of ourselves.
- Items become a substitute for human connection, especially if our favorite humans aren’t available.
- A mental health disorder relating to obsession, like obsessive-compulsive disorder.
CA also points out that some people have certain traits that prompt this attachment to objects, such as finding it difficult to throw away items, feelings of perfectionism that lead to procrastination, or putting other people’s needs first.
GMS suggests that our emotional clutter starts to increase because we have endless stimulation from our external environment. “Our inability to slow down or shut off and deal with unresolved emotions literally builds up like physical clutter does. And it’s made worse by uncertainty about the future, past regrets, or guilt.”
By removing unnecessary items, you create a more peaceful atmosphere that fosters calmness and clarity. A cluttered environment bombards the senses with stimuli, making it harder to relax and concentrate, and also impacts working memory. This constant state of sensory overload often makes us feel anxious, depressed, frustrated, and stressed—which compounds emotional clutter.
Ways to Clear the Clutter and Boost Your Mental Health
CA provides this handy questionnaire to help you thoughtfully assess your relationship with physical things. This is a good way to approach the subject, consider why you hold on to certain items, and why it matters. Then, piece by piece, you can start to clear away things. Becoming Minimalist offers this step-by-step guide. CA also provides support in various ways, such as with a 12-Step guide, meetings, and additional resources.
To manage your emotional clutter, GMS has a few ideas, which we provide verbatim:
- Reorganize your highest priorities and re-evaluate your commitments.
- Allow yourself to let go of the past to make room for new things to enter your life.
- Commit to making decisions you’ve been putting off.
- Challenge limiting beliefs about yourself and about how things should be.
- Reframe your attitude about what happens to you. Think positively even if you’re having a hard time. Pair a negative feeling with a positive one.
You might need to review these with a trusted friend, loved one, or professional therapist, especially if they relate to unwanted physical clutter.
Discover Progressive Wellness at Fair Oaks
At Fair Oaks Recovery Center in Sacramento, California, we’ve earned the status of a licensed Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital, issued by the California Department of Public Health to addiction rehabilitation and dual diagnosis treatment facilities that provide high-level acuity care. If part of your journey to relieve yourself of clutter involves better management of a dual diagnosis, talk to one of our admissions specialists today.
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