Center for the Advancement of Well-Being

Thriving Together Series: How to Overcome Clutter to Enhance Well-Being

Thriving Together Series

 

By: James Maddux, Ph.D., CWB Senior Scientist, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, GMU Department of Psychology

“Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor – it’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living.” – Peter Walsh

In my earlier articles “Wealth and Well-Being” and “Materialism, Debt, and Well-Being”, I noted that excessive materialism can diminish well-being in two ways.  First, the pursuit of material possessions for the purpose of impressing other people (conspicuous consumption) actually reduces well-being. Second, you put yourself at risk for going deeply into debt, which can wreak havoc with your well-being by putting you at risk for anxiety, depression, and even suicide. A third peril is that the excessive purchasing of “stuff” can lead to clutter in your home and work environment that can also lead to lower well-being. By understanding the causes of clutter and learning practical ways to manage it, you can create a more peaceful and efficient environment that supports your well-being.

What is Clutter?

Clutter has been defined as “an overabundance of possessions that collectively create chaotic and disorderly living spaces,” especially possessions that have lost their usefulness or meaning (Roster, et al, 2016). Of course, “chaotic” and “disorderly” have no precise definitions and are in the eye of the beholder. A teenager may view a messy, disorderly bedroom full of prized personal possessions scattered around haphazardly as an expression of their individuality, while a parent may view the same room as a disaster in need of immediate relief. You have to decide for yourself your own level of tolerance for messiness.

One of the ways in which clutter can lead to lower well-being is through its effect on your sense of psychological home, which is the attachment we feel to our living and working spaces. A sense of psychological home is a strong predictor of life satisfaction. Research indicates that clutter can lead to a reduced sense of psychological home and to lower life satisfaction and lower subjective well-being (Crum and Ferrari, 2019; Roster, et al, 2016).

Problems with clutter can occur not just in your living environments but also in your work environments. Office clutter can lead to lower job satisfaction and increase the risk of work-related burnout. A vicious cycle can be set in motion, in which greater work-related stress leads to greater clutter, which then leads to poorer job performance, lower job satisfaction, and emotional exhaustion and stress (Ferrari, et al, 2021; Malik, et al, 2022). 

Causes of Clutter

One clause of clutter is procrastination: putting off decisions to get rid of things that you no longer use or need (Ferrari and Roster, 2018). If you can’t make up your mind whether you should throw away those stacks of old newspapers and magazines or you keep putting off going through your closet to get rid of clothes you haven’t worn in years, clutter is bound to accumulate.

Another cause of clutter is excessive emotional attachment to objects that are no longer useful or meaningful and the anxiety associated with getting rid of them, sometimes out of concern that you “just might need that one day.” (Ferrari and Roster, 2018).

How to Prevent Clutter

Preventing clutter is easier than reducing it. You can prevent cluttering in the first place in ways like these:

  • Distinguish needs and wants: Avoid impulse purchases by assessing whether an item fulfills a genuine need or is merely a fleeting desire.
  • Avoid “conspicuous consumption”: Stop buying things to impress other people. People rarely notice or care as much as you think.
  • Pause before purchasing: Delay new purchases for a few days to evaluate if they are necessary. If shopping online, place items in a virtual cart or “wish list” and revisit them after a few days. Often, the urgency to buy will fade.
  • Reduce social media influence: Limit your exposure to “influencers” who make a living persuading other people to buy things they don’t need. 
  • Avoid recreational shopping: Don’t shop out of boredom or as a mood booster. Find other activities that fulfill you.
  • Think environmentally: Consider the ecological impact of fast fashion and other disposable items.
  • Be mindful of debt: Credit card debt can accumulate quickly and wreak havoc on your well-being.

How to Reduce Clutter

You can reduce the clutter that has already accumulated in your space by trying these ideas:

  • Read up on organizing and decluttering: Some helpful resources are The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, Organizing for Dummies by Eileen Roth, and Decluttering for Dummies by Jane Stoller.
  • Partner with a friend: Team up with someone to declutter together for mutual support and accountability.
  • Start small. Set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on a closet, a desk, a dresser drawer, or a corner of a room. Small successes build self-confidence and motivation.
  • Adopt a “One In, One Out” policy: For every new item you acquire, donate or discard an existing one to prevent accumulation.
  • Categorize by usefulness: Ask yourself if an item adds value to your life or if you’re holding onto it out of habit.
  • Digitize paper clutter: Scan important documents and photos to reduce physical clutter.
  • Reduce paper mail: Choose to receive your bills and other notices digitally rather than through paper mail.
  • Plan regular maintenance: Set aside time weekly or monthly to tidy up and prevent clutter from returning.
  • View decluttering as recycling: Give unused items, especially clothing, a new life by donating them to charity thrift stores.
  • Reframe decluttering as self-care: You can do this by reminding yourself of the benefits to your well-being, including greater productivity at school or work.

Finally, keep in mind what decluttering and organizing guru Marie Kondo said: “The question of what you want to own is actually the question of how you want to live your life.”

Additional Resources

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