EP 71 Let It Go

Having lived with clutter for almost twenty years, I know first hand what it's like to live in a house that overwhelms you. It affects your energy levels, your mental clarity, your mental health even and tends to isolate you because you refrain from letting people come to your home.

So let me start these show notes that I am approaching this episode with zero judgment. If I come across as judgmental nevertheless, then I want to apologise. Please let me know how I can do better. I know, for example how some people who struggle with organisational skills have it harder than others and executive function can also take its toll.

I am setting the intent that you will receive the energetic push that you need to get started and maybe the confidence that you can do it, from listening to my episode. I also highly recommend listening to the Declutter Hub Podcast, which has been instrumental in helping me get my house ready for sale in 2024. And also Karen Kingston's small and easy to read Clear your clutter with Feng Shui.

Clutter is any collection of things that is untidy... according to the Oxford dictionary. It can also be broken items, unwanted or disliked gifts, meaningless activities, friendships that have run their courses, containers with missing lids, lone socks... in no particular order.

Clutter can happen for a variety of reasons but most of them pertain to our mental or emotional state. Though the fact that where I live capitalism is rife does not help. Who had not been lured into buying unwanted things because they were a good bargain and sounded like a good idea. Or the famous Black Friday offers. Mostly, though, clutter happens due to a small number of reasons:

1. Fear of not having enough
2. The belief that the more things we have the happier we will be
3. The lack of respect for our home
4. Wanting to do only fun things in life
5. Over-consumption

I want to explore in particular the overconsumption that derives with the capitalistic model of consumption. It's big. It's in our faces constantly. It's been an underlying message ever since the industrial revolution that started between the 16th and the 18th century. So much so that it is sometimes hard to see it for what it is: a model that destroys our planet and creates more problems then it solves. Capitalism is based on the need for us to constantly want more. Sadly it has also created social harm, pollution, inequality, inhumane treatment of workers, and oppression through slavery, colonialism and imperialism.

I finish the episode by giving you a couple of tips on how to get started.