Yikes! The Clutter Syndrome

by

Lauren Roberts

Clutter chaos is a common problem, not surprising given our culture’s emphasis on "consumer-ship." Numerous workshops, consultants, books, magazine articles, columns, recognized authorities, web sites and social studies are devoted solely to it. There is even a retail industry that thrives off our clutter: storage locations, closet designers, organizing supplies.

If you are tired of yours, then Let Go Of Clutter (McGraw Hill; $16.95) by Harriet Schechter is for you. This book, more than any other I’ve seen, is workable for all but the most determined (read: needs psychological help) clutterer.

Schechter is one of the top experts on organizing and de-cluttering. Let Go of Clutter is her third book, and it is nothing short of fabulous. She doesn’t emphasize how to organize clutter but how to "de-clutter," to get rid of the stuff that clogs up your life. It is a unique approach goes beyond the simple throw-it-out-and-you’ll-feel-better philosophy that plagues so many of these books, and encompasses the psychological, societal, social, physical, mental and emotional aspects of clutter and cluttering. To address that, Schechter begins with a look at three social-emotional reasons humans have for collecting and hoarding.

Our urges to acquire and hang on to stuff are instinctive, going back to the gathering and hoarding of food by our first ancestors. When the food cycle ran from the extremes of feast or famine, accumulating was an essential tool for survival. But the instinct necessary for survival then has become a burden now. Even persistent clutterers admit this fact. But going from acknowledgement to action is where the pain lies for clutter addicts. This is where the second and emotional aspect of cluttering comes in: regret. "Not only are we biologically wired to acquire stuff," she writes, "we are also psychologically programmed to hang onto it. I believe our compulsion to keep things is rooted in fear, especially the fear of regret. Because regret is such a painful emotion, we try to avoid it. This fuels one of the biggest excuses for keeping clutter."

Another type of regret is the regret over spending money on the item. Money spent often equals a sense of value that because it cost money it must therefore be important. If you get rid of it, then you have in essence told the world (or at least yourself) that you made a bad choice. That can be quite painful too. It is possible, however, with the right approach. "Part of the process of letting go involves changing your mind, making choices—conscious choices—that are different from the ones you’ve been making unconsciously."

The third reason involves our socialization process. We grow up in a country where consumership has outpaced citizenship, where credit and debt are actively encouraged, where a celebrity-obsessed media rather than our neighbors has become the measuring stick for our success, and where a sophisticated advertising industry pounds our brains. It’s difficult to resist these lures, and clutter (among other problems) is often the result.

Fortunately, this book does not assume a one-size-fits-all attitude with regards to de-cluttering and organizing. Using specific steps, exercises and actions, readers will unearth their own awareness and feelings as well as the larger influences that promote their acquisition-and-accumulation behaviors.

"Organizing and de-cluttering are related," Schechter said in a phone interview. "De-cluttering has to do with letting go of excess; organizing is learning how to put things that are left in an order that works for you. It’s a two-part goal: being able to find things in 30 seconds or less and having them in an order or arrangement that is pleasing to you.

"Choosing to be choosy is probably the important thing I emphasize. If you can develop an anti-clutter mindset, you will not be fighting the same problems constantly. If you can look at things without needing to have them and realize what your real needs are, then you won’t constantly be struggling." (Personal note: Of course, this may not apply to us bibliomaniacs who equate books with oxygen. Less oxygen? I don’t think so.)

The actual de-cluttering process begins with defining and confronting "energy enemies." These are the emotions that stand in the way of the action of de-cluttering such as fatigue, hopelessness or resistance. (Clutterers or not, we all experience them.) Her maxim—"Life is 5 percent joy, 5 percent grief, and 90 percent maintenance"—is the foundation for her motivation processes designed to banish the energy enemies and lead a clutter-free life.

You visualize in specific ways the outcome of de-cluttering, then you "visible-ize" it. She recommends and provides a form for a Focus Plan. She also adds deadlines and rewards, even sound effects for the process.

The majority of the book deals with various types of clutter. The paper chapter addresses piles, "paperosis," records, filing systems, the art of tossing, "subscribitis," paper hangovers and shredding. Also addressed are stuff (passive, active and perpetual), space, sentimental clutter, future clutter and, most interesting of all, mental clutter or things to remember (to-do’s and information) and things to forget (worries and grievances).

"A consequential step in letting go of clutter," she notes, " is learning to use your power of choice to set limits." This, more than any other aspect, is what sets her book apart because the role of choice is hidden from us most of the time. Unconsciously, we manage to say yes to considerable clutter "just because." Just because it’s a good deal—airline mileage and frequent buyer programs, supermarket savings cards, coupons, rebates, gift-with-purchase and buy-one-get-one-free deals all add clutter of one sort or another to our lives. Schechter doesn’t advocate getting rid of all or even any of them. Rather, she teaches us to see their clutter potential, and gives us the insight needed to make a conscious choice about them. 

Since her childhood days of Mother Goose, Lauren has been giving her opinion on books to almost anyone who will listen. Lauren shares her home with several significant others including three cats and nearly 1,000 books that, whether previously read or not, constitute her to-be-read stack. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it