I’m inclined to start by asking, “Do you have too much stuff?”  However, I already know the answer.

All over the news and media, we are bombarded with headlines reminding us of the epidemics facing Americans: obesity, diabetes, heart disease.  Our addictions to unhealthy foods and our sedentary lifestyles are making us sick.  That’s nothing we haven’t heard before.   Then, right after a commercial for the latest pharmaceutical, or infomercial for the world’s best workout, we are attacked by advertisements for the next new thing, the latest and greatest in technology, housewares, furniture, clothing, toys.  And the saga begins, the story of too much stuff.  This clutter, as we’ve mentioned before, can lead to stress-related health problems, just as too much fast food can lead to poor health.  How bad is it, and what can you do about it?

In a September 26, 2013 article in the Star Tribune, titled “Your clutter or your life”, Howard Mansfield states that “There are 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space in America, or more than 7 square feet for every man, woman and child in the country.”  This abundance of storage space illustrates how not only do we have too much stuff in our homes, but we also literally cannot even cram all of our possessions into our living quarters. It’s so hard to part with our objects that we would rather pay to have them sit in a shed away from our homes and our lives, than to simply get rid of them.  That’s just one example of how bad the clutter epidemic is.

Mansfield also points out this mildly disturbing statistic, “23 percent of Americans admit to paying bills late because they can’t find them, and…25 percent of people with two-car garages have to park their cars outside.”  The article also notes that it’s not just our personal items taking over our lives.  More and more people are taking their work home with them, leading to piles of papers, additional electronic equipment (cords, cords, cords), and e-mail inboxes cluttered with files.  In addition to household stuff and work stuff, Americans now have more entertainment stuff than we could possibly need.  Mansfield’s article states that according to the Council for Research Excellence, “adults are looking at screens…8.5 hours a day.”   Compare that to the “14.5 minutes a day of actual conversation between parents and children.”  Ouch!

Now that we know how bad it is, let’s get onto the “what are we going to do about” part.  Mansfield’s advice is “don’t clutter your life with preparation and endless lists” in order to declutter.  It sounds counter-productive, right?  He then quotes a decluttering coach, “who calls herself ‘FlyLady’: Grab 27 things and remove them.  Repeat.”  If that works for you, wonderful!  For many of us, however, parting with our loads and piles and years of stuff isn’t so easy.  There is help, though.

At Can the Clutter, we can help you logically arrange the things you see and use, and help you get your home back.  Whether your problem area is a bedroom, playroom, home office, basement (or everywhere), we can help you come up with a system that works for you and your family.  Closets will always have clothes, kids’ rooms will always have toys, and basements will always have, well everything, but we can help you make sense of your space, giving you more time to spend making memories in your home.

–Can the Clutter/ CTC Productivity: Home and office organizing in Eugene/Springfield, OR and Minneapolis/St Paul MN