Over my last few columns I have suggested various ways to begin to deal with the clutter we accumulate – but what exactly is clutter?
Let us face it, we cannot begin to declutter and organise our homes and work spaces until we can define what it is we should be looking for.
Perhaps it is easiest to describe clutter as the stuff we do not use – after all, as William Morris famously said: "Have nothing that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
But let us get a little more precise because clutter can lurk in all sorts of places in many different guises!
So, I believe the possessions which can be described as clutter are:
Things you never use.Things you don't like.Things that are broken.Things you don't know you have.Things you have lost.Things you don't know how to use.Things that make you feel unhappy or uncomfortable.Things that are out of date/obsolete.Things that "may be useful again one day"
These "things" are clutter and not only take up valuable space in your home but can also end up making you feel stressed, disorganised and out of control.
This may sound a little melodramatic but how many times have you felt a boiling fury and frustration because you cannot find your car keys or your wallet and you are already running late for work?
Clutter causes this distress by holding your home and life hostage, making you less able to achieve your goals and undermining your self confidence.
But once you begin to recognise the clutter in your home and start to organise it you can take back control of your life.
Then harmony, order and a sense of well-being should be just around the corner.
