De-Cluttering: How and Why to Spring Clean Your Life

declutter-your-life | Marriage Counseling Los Angeles |Los Angeles PsychologistAs we enter into the month of April, several things are frequently associated with this time of year: warmer weather, flowers regenerating, and spring cleaning or what I call “DE-CLUTTERING.” In general, the concept of “clutter” is very interesting. I describe clutter as a collection of unnecessary, unused, and/or obsolete items, which may be kept in a haphazard, often excessive way beyond what would seem logical.

Clutter often can be found in places such as one’s home, workspace, and car. To me, the really fascinating part about clutter is that it can EXTERNALLY reflect a person’s INTERNAL EMOTIONAL CLUTTER. (By “emotional clutter,” I am referring to such things as unresolved feelings, thoughts, and conflicts with oneself and/or with others.)

Examples can include the following: A generally messy, chaotic home, workspace, or car can symbolize one’s INTERNAL chaos and confusion. Having EXTERNAL closets packed with stuff often can reflect how stuffed away and closeted one’s own FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS may also be. Having uncluttered and presentable FRONT rooms of one’s home, while the non-public BACK rooms are a mess, may indicate how a person shows a more polished image of oneself to the world, while covering up a less “together” part.

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