Feng Shui and Everything Fancy

I recently watched the TV show “Hoarders” from the Biography Channel about real stories of people hoarding a lot of stuff that fills literally every space of their house. It wasn’t a happy show but I like watching it because it makes me aware that though I’m not a hoarder, it gives me the determination to make my surroundings free from clutter. According to Mayo Clinic:

Hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them.  Some people also collect animals, keeping dozens or hundreds of pets in unsanitary conditions.

Hoarding is a mental disorder, also known as compulsive hoarding and compulsive hoarding syndrome. It’s not clear what causes hoarding. Some researchers believe that hoarding occurs on a continuum — some people may simply be considered harmless pack rats, while others have a much more severe form of collecting that is life-threatening. The condition is more likely to affect those with a family history of hoarding, so genetics and upbringing are likely among the triggering factors.

Though this post is about the Ten Commandments of Clutter, I can’t resist to include the topic about “hoarding” because these people also need compassion and understanding. Instead we should help them organize their stuff. If that won’t work, help them seek professional help.

So without further ado, here’s the “Ten Commandments of Clutter” from HMR that will help all of us in maintaining order and organization in our life:

1. Stop procrastinating. Decide what you are going to do with the next piece of clutter you pick up.

2. Quit making excuses. You are only fooling yourself.

3. Use it or lose it. If you’re not going to use it, get rid of it. Period.

4. Learn to let go. For every square foot of space filled with clutter, there is one square foot of living space in your home that is lost.

5. Be a giver. Poor, needy, friends, relatives–everyone benefits more from a giving person than a pack rat.

6. Set limits on the amount of space allocated to any kind of clutter. Limit closets, bookcases, and filing cabinets. When one space fills up it doesn’t mean you should buy more space ( another house).

7. Use the In and Out inventory rule. When something comes in, something goes out.

8. Less is more. Less = more time, money and energy. Also = less stress.

9. Keep everything in its place. For example, the blender doesn’t belong in the bedroom or the mail in the bathroom.

10. Compromise. Stop letting perfectionism keep you from doing what needs to be done, or from letting someone help you dispense with your clutter.

Functioning efficiently is better than functioning perfectly.

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