Clutter is one of those things that will not go away by itself. It not only takes physical space, but it also takes mental space.

Little by little I have been decluttering my living/working space, but it feels that I have so much more work to do.

The curious thing is that as I declutter my living/working space, I am also decluttering my mind.

The typical causes of clutter are, of course, not taking the time to put things in their proper place. But the principal cause of clutter is having too much stuff.

Many of us have a scarcity mentality. “I have to hold on to this or that object because it cost me xx dollars.” or “I have to hold on to this or the other because I might need it one day.” And the excuses pile on and the amount of stuff around us continue gathering dust.

Some of the benefits of decluttering are:

1. Clarity of thinking. By not having too many loose ends in your mind, your thinking and the creative process becomes more fluid. You can concentrate better, you can come up with new ideas, your imagination is allowed to wander and look for different patterns, different combinations, different possibilities.
2. More energy. Once you come up with a new idea, or once you have a clear mind to work on your regular projects, you will have more energy to carry on. You don’t have to think about your messy bedroom or the dirty dishes, you can just chug alone and do your work.
3. It reduces stress. There is always some level of tension when your place is cluttered. By having an organized place your stress level goes down.
4. You don’t feel embarrassed when your friends come over. I always fantasized about a friend dropping in and I invite them to come into my organized space. On the other hand, I feel horrified someone stops by and my place is a mess.
5. It allows you to think bigger. If you can not keep an organized working/living space, how can you hope to achieve higher goals? By achieving smaller goals, you create space to achieve bigger goals.
6. Better relationships with the people who share your space. Imagine you live with someone, your family, your spouse, your roommate. Or that you share your working space with someone. Having a messy living/working space is going to create some tension. On the other hand, sharing a decluttered space can make all those tensions go away.

Techniques to declutter

1. Think twice before you bring a new object into your space. The best way to avoid clutter is by having less. If you think about the consequences of bringing a new item into your space, you may be able to stop yourself before you bring it in.
2. Say no to gifts you know you are not going to use. It happens every Christmas. Someone with good intentions gives you something that you will never use. The best thing to do is to request that people don’t give you physical things. If they do, then give it back. If you don’t give it back, the same scenario is going to play itself every Christmas, every birthday, every anniversary.
3. Don’t have more stuff than your space can handle. If you only have a small closet, just have enough stuff to fit in that closet. Don’t get a bigger closet, just have less stuff.
4. Always question your possessions. Maybe you have what you need right now, but a year from now your life might change.  What was essential today may become unnecessary six months from now.
5. Get in the habit of putting things in its place. Maybe you cooked and you don’t feel like doing the dishes right away, but let’s say you work for two hours on your computer and you need to step away from the screen, that would be a great moment to do the dishes. You get organized while you give your mind a break.

And you?

Do you think having a decluttered space helps your creativity and productivity? If so, what are your techniques to have a clutter-free space?

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