Depressed? De-clutter!

by Renée Belisle

As I stepped into a prospective client’s cluttered and disorganized living room recently, she sheepishly said, “Welcome to the inside of my head!” I laughed, but knew exactly what she meant. A cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. It’s difficult to separate the two. For most people, about 80 percent of their clutter results from disorganization, not a lack of space.

How you treat the space you inhabit says a lot about how you feel about yourself. The good news is, taking action to de-clutter your home or office can renew your focus. To that end, consider getting organized today.

Tanya Feinberg is a Scottsdale-based psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of depression, anxiety and ADD/ADHD. Dr. Feinberg says that the clutter in the home or workspace reinforces the negative labels individuals place on themselves. “If there is a lack of confidence in their own decisions, there is a lack of confidence in deciding how to tackle their disorganization,” says Feinberg. “They often feel overwhelmed so they don’t even try. They have put labels on themselves such as ‘messy’ or ‘ADD’ and these become their identity.”

As a professional organizer and self-proclaimed “clutter therapist,” I see this often. Clients feel as if they should be able to organize themselves on their own. Sometimes, they’ve even read books on the subject—which we often find buried as we sort through their things! Nevertheless, they look to me to give them permission to let something go.

My clients may know that they have no use for old cookie tins or chipped dishware, but they hold onto these items. In large part, my role is to help them to face the issues that prevent them from systemically de-cluttering. I also help my clients to reach solutions to clear out their spaces.

You may not realize it while in the midst of it, but clutter takes a toll. Searching for items amidst a sea of life’s souvenirs zaps your energy, leaving you feeling down. When you clear the clutter from your space, you experience an emotional and physical lift. You feel empowered, in control of your environment and at peace in it. You might even experience a deeper, more restful sleep, resulting in more energy during the day.

Case in point, just weeks after de-cluttering a recent client’s bedroom, she shared with me that she now wakes up in a positive mood every day. This can be your result as well if you take action and let go of clutter. With so many potential benefits, why not start today?

Renée Belisle is a Certified Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant. Her company, Clutter Rehab, LLC, works with residential and business clients to bring order to chaos.