Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind

We have been getting torrential rains here in northeast Ohio lately - heavy downpours that dump a lot of water in a short amount of time.

Remember our neighbor's prolific maple tree producing millions of little helicopters? Not only does it mean that I'm constantly pulling little maple trees out of my garden, but they filled our gutters.

Combine that with the rain and we had a waterfall in one location which leaked into our basement. Ugh!

So what does all this have to do with clutter?

The water leaked into our office, which is in the basement. We had to pull the carpet up and run fans to dry it out, cut the padding and dry it out, and move furniture around to accomodate this area. So, we had an entertainment center in the middle of the room, one chair stacked on another, and other items out of place.

My husband, who can usually put up with a fair amount of clutter said he couldn't even function in that room because of all the clutter! I realize my example might be extreme, but the general principle is true - when our surroundings are in chaos, it's hard for our minds not to be chaotic as well. When we have too much visual stimuli we don't know where to focus.

Do you have a room like that - too much visual stimuli? Be kind to yourself - start in one corner or start with one surface and declutter. Save the drawers and closets till later - when you have clean surfaces, you will be motivated to tackle the hidden places.

Notice the satisfaction, peace and calm that comes from having uncluttered, nonchaotic surroundings. It makes you smile! And your productivity increases because you can focus on the task at hand without being distracted by the clutter.

Our office is now back in order other than having someone come back to reconnect the carpet. But it is functional for the moment. What a difference in our mindsets from a few days ago! If you are overwhelmed and don't know where to begin, get a kickstart from our Three Steps to Decluttering. Just click the title above.

Our hearts go out to those who are having to put their lives back together after the floods in the midwest. Our litle problem is insignificant in comparison!!