What causes us to have clutter in our lives? Why are we afraid to throw something away? Why is it so hard to acknowledge that we own things we don’t need?
We found this very interesting article on CNN about a writer’s personal struggle with clutter in her home. She is honest and open about her "pack rat" tendencies. As she surveys her accumulation of stuff over the years, piled in corners around her house, she realizes the two main reasons we hold onto clutter: "you either fear the future or are attached to the past." This psychological drive for resisting the garbage or local donation site applies to all of us.
The problem is, regardless of whether we love reliving memories or actually do need things in the future, the mass of clutter lining our hallways, closets, and floors becomes incredibly stressful. It takes up space and energy- physically and mentally. We need to learn how to part with items that we simply don't need.
A worthwhile read in understanding why we acquire so much clutter and how we can begin to simplify.
