Out and About STYLE Mag Issue 3 Vol. 2

CLUTTERING AND ITS LINK TO ANXIETY
While there are a few who thrive in chaotic spaces, the
majority of people do much better when they’re in a
decluttered, clean, organised and tidy space. They can
focus better, and achieve more as their space ignites the
creativity within them.
Moreover, clutter or too many possessions can make you
feel overwhelmed, as psychologists have linked the need
to hold on to possessions to an anticipated pain of loss.
A study in 2012 found out that the two parts of your brain
associated with conflict and pain overreact whenever
you try to throw the things you’re emotionally attached
to. Another study discovered that mothers had elevated
levels of stress hormones whilst sorting out their things in
their homes. Research also discovered that individuals that
have more physical clutter in a disorganised environment
are less productive and more distracted.
Now that you know how clutter can impact your wellbeing,
let’s take a look at how to tackle the decluttering
process.
START SMALL:
For some people, they’ve been hoarding and compiling
for so long, that they don’t know where to start. It’s
important to start small.
• Look around your house and choose one room you
would like to work on. For example, your kitchen.
• Then take a look at your kitchen and choose one
area to work on; a smaller project to work on, such
as your fridge.
• Put aside a couple of minutes and go through the
fridge. Have a recycling and waste box nearby.
• Take a look at the expiration dates and throw out
anything that is expired (If possible, recycle their
respective jars & bottles). Then try to create mini
spaces; a section for the fruits, a section for the
vegetables, a section for dairy products and so on.
This shouldn’t take more than half an hour.
• Once you’re done with that, move on to another miniproject
in your kitchen, such as your condiments
and medicine cabinet and re-organise it to your
liking and convenience.
Do not try to do it all at once. Whenever you have some
free time, work on one mini-project at a time, day by day,
week by week. Slowly, over time, those mini-projects
will complete your large project, and in this scenario,
your kitchen is completely organised, decluttered and
tidy. Once you’re done with one whole room, move on
to another room in your house. It didn’t get cluttered
overnight, so don’t expect to declutter it within a night
either. Take your time and be patient.
Tip: Tackle your wardrobe and bedroom last. We tend
to have more emotional attachments to our personal
belongings such as clothes, jewellery and books. If
you try to declutter your wardrobe first, you might feel
discouraged to continue.
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