Eeeeeeek, how do you KNOW if clutter is winning the fight for clear, uncluttered surfaces in your home? Take a good look at these 7 warning signs and see who’s winning in your home:
Clutter Warning #1: Emotional Upheaval
- Discord amongst your family members about how the house is kept
- Frustration, anger & depression over the clutter & condition of your home can be red flags
- Your “stuff” has crossed the line from being a source of pleasure to an unwelcome source of stress
Clutter Warning #2: Clutter Overwhelm
- You may feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ‘stuff’ in your home and not sure how to begin to tackle it
Clutter Warning #3: Embarrassment
- You may feel embarrassed that your home in in disarray
- You may be embarrassed that you let it get that way
- You may be embarrassed to invite people into your home
- Your family members may be embarrassed to invite friends over so they go visit other people instead
Clutter Warning #4: Duplicate Purchases
- You may not be able to find items that you just KNOW you have in the house because they just plain aren’t easy to find. This will cause two problems:
1) You will repurchase the item causing you to spend money you didn’t need to spend
2) You will add to the clutter because now you have duplicates
Clutter Warning #5: Damage to Your Home
- Can your home breathe easy or do you have piles going up the walls that are causing dangerous mold to manifest?
- Is your stuff creating nice, soft, warm, cuddly homes for creatures that should be living outdoors (aka rats)?
Clutter Warning #6: Paper Pain
- Do you have large (not just a few, but large) stacks of old newspapers and magazines piled high?
- What about junk mail from 2003? Oh snap!
- Paying bills late because you can’t find them can sure be a sign. You’ll know for sure when the electricity is turned off.
- Are you losing money (cash or checks) or gift cards because they are buried under piles of paper? My biggest client find so far: $500 cash, that was a good day!
Clutter Warning #7: No Clear Surfaces to be Found
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No table top is safe because you find a space and you fill it up
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You can’t sit on the couch or sleep in your bed without moving piles
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You trip over stuff on the floor (not just a toy here or there, real stuff)
We all may have one of these signs here and there, but you need to really look at whether or not you have a pattern going on here, whether your home is functioning well and whether or not you feel good in your space.