De-clutter to improve your life

By DONNA PEACOCK, Extension Cords
Published October 18, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Kathleen Flynn | Times] This packed desk would benefit from this month's national Get Organized Week. Disorganization is the cause of most clutter.

If you're like me, you waste a lot of time looking for items that somehow get lost in the clutter of your home or office.

This month, in recognition of national "Get Organized Week," I set out to de-clutter file cabinets in my home office. De-cluttering my entire house would involve cleaning closets, which would require much longer than a week.

Why do people clutter? Some folks just don't know where to put something, so the item is set aside. Some people intend to use it soon so don't want to put it out of sight. Another common reason is not being able to part with a piece of the past. There actually can be a mental illness associated with clutter, but we won't attempt to deal with that here.

The dictionary defines "clutter" and "cluttering" this way: "to litter or pile in a disordered state." Too much of anything in one area can appear as clutter. Whether piled, jammed into a closet, or spread about on a surface or the floor, clutter takes different forms.

Research shows disorganization and clutter can cause stress. Have you ever felt a release of stress after cleaning the garage or a closet? People who don't accumulate "stuff" lead a more simplified life. There are professional businesses that can help someone downsize, or you might call a family member to help if you have difficulty getting started.

Clutter can be classified

Travel clutter: Do you keep souvenirs of every place you visit?

It-once-was-important clutter: Do you have keys, clothes or toys that were part of another period in your life? Some items actually may be obsolete, such as old electronics, phonograph records, computer software and floppy disks.

Inheritance clutter: All of your grandmother's linens fit that category. Why don't our children want their great-grandparent's "stuff"?

Bunny clutter: Doesn't some clutter just seem to multiply? Collections and craft items grow.

Get-to-it-someday clutter: Are you really going to finish all those craft projects someday?

I-might-use-it-someday clutter: Do you have garden tools, appliances or furniture stored in the garage that you will use if you have more time or move elsewhere?

Memory Lane Clutter: Every piece of paper and item has its own story, and you're not ready to give it up.

Garage sale clutter: Those boxes in the garage are going to be ready when you have another garage sale.

Valuable clutter: The silver and crystal that were wedding gifts. When was the last time you used any of your sterling silverware when entertaining?

To-look-at clutter: All the figurines, collectibles and pretty items that are displayed but need constant dusting cause clutter and eat up precious time.

Mystery clutter: There is a drawer in many homes that is full of items or parts from items that no one in the family can identify.

Disorganization, not lack of space, is the cause of clutter in most homes. Organizing and getting rid of things may result in less housework and more leisure time for you.

A challenge for many people is realizing that life does have a time limit. One of the saddest stories is of a lady's family who, after she died, rented two trash bins and cleared out her entire home in one day. Stuff is valuable to some people only if they can use it. Family members may not place the same value on your stuff as you do.

Here are two questions to ask: Does our "stuff" benefit or hinder our quality of life? Will organizing, simplifying or downsizing add time and enjoyment to our life?

If you answer "yes" to those questions, I challenge you to get organized.

As soon as I organize my files, I am going to attack my closets. There are at least 10 empty boxes in my garage. The "stuff" is going to a thrift shop, not to storage. I promise!

Donna Peacock is a family and consumer sciences agent and the director of the Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service. She can be reached at donnap@hernandocounty.us.

[Last modified October 17, 2007, 21:10:47]