What Kind of Clutter is Killing Your Vibe?
“Clutter isn’t just the stuff on the floor. It’s anything that gets between you and the life you want to be living.”
Peter Walsh
This is one of my absolute favourite quotes about clutter. I like it because it makes you think about what kind of clutter is in your life and how it might be getting in your way.
Here we look at what clutter could be lurking in your life, how it’s affecting you and how you can get it under control.
Home Clutter
What it looks like.
Clutter in your home is anything you don’t love, use or need. Read that again. Now look around the room. What stuff do you actually love, use or need? Be honest with yourself. Maybe not as much as you’d think?
Why it’s bad.
Clutter drains your energy, sucks up your time, makes you late, makes you feel stressed, frustrated and overwhelmed. It’s a straight up vibe killer.
What you can work on.
Decluttering, being more intentional about what you buy (or what you bring into your home).
Life Clutter
What it looks like.
In a word, life clutter is busyness. It’s too many appointments or commitments in your calendar. It’s spending time with people you have nothing in common with or who drain your energy. Or, it’s saying yes to invitations, events, causes, experiences, projects or opportunities that don’t truly bring you joy or align with your goals.
Why it’s bad.
Time is our most valuable resource. Filling your time with people and experiences that bring you down directly takes away from the people and experiences that lift you up. Wouldn’t you rather spend more time flyin’ high than feelin’ low?
What you can work on.
Time management, setting priorities, setting boundaries (yikes), learning to say ‘no’ unapologetically (double yikes), your disease to please.
Mind Clutter
What it looks like.
Mental clutter shows up as negative self talk, you know that bitchy inner critic that chimes in whenever you’re about to try something new? It’s your deep-rooted limiting beliefs (that you may not even recognize yet). It’s the story you tell yourself about why you could never run a marathon or learn a new language or go on safari, or start your own business or do whatever super awesome thing you really want to do.
Why it’s bad.
A cluttered mind will keep you stuck. It’ll keep you from crushing your goals and going for your dreams. It’ll leave you full of “I wonder what would of’s” and “I wish I would have’s.”
What you can work on.
Noticing your negative thoughts in real time (and consciously correcting them), changing your subconscious soundtrack (affirmations are awesome for this), taking action toward one of your biggest, scariest goals.
Heart Clutter
What it looks like.
Emotional clutter feels like frustration, anger or emptiness. It’s staying in blamey, victim-mode. It’s those pesky unresolved feelings that just keep festering and festering…unless they boil over. This is the stuff we love to avoid by eating, drinking, Netflix binging, scrolling, shopping or anything else that seems like a fun distraction.
Why it’s bad.
Emotional clutter makes it really hard to be happy. True happiness comes from within, after all. (FYI, it was actually Brian Weiss who came up with that little gem, not me.)
What you can work on.
Really diving into how you feel, exploring what’s triggering you and why, taking ownership of your actions and circumstances. A daily meditation or journaling practice can help you figure things out.
Disclaimer: The content I share and the programs I offer are based solely on my own experiences, research and ideas. I hope you find my content helpful, but it’s not meant to replace advice from a certified counselor, psychologist or mental health professional.
Have some clutter to clear, but don’t know where to start?
Grab your FREE guidebook, Seven Steps to Livin’ Minimal-ish, for some awesome tips and action steps to clear out the clutter for good.
