What If We Reframed The Problem
Professional Organizer and Business Owner, Amelia Franklin, is passionate about the transforming power of managing clutter and getting organized. She knows our spaces have a direct impact on how we feel and function in daily life.
Imagine living in a world where you had to unscramble every word you read or heard to communicate. The time and concentration it would take, the frustration it would cause; it would be tiring!
That’s what clutter is like for our minds. When our spaces are cluttered, our brains spend too much time unscrambling the space to find what we need. Clutter is taxing, causes frustration, and impacts our overall well-being.
If clutter has such an impact on our lives, why does it often feel challenging to manage? I think the answer to this is two-fold: we do not look at a cluttered space as a problem to solve, and we unnecessarily blame ourselves for the cluttered space, making the task of managing it that much harder to achieve.
Because clutter brings shame, embarrassment, overwhelm, and other negative feelings, it tricks us into thinking that we are the problem (which is often not the case!). When we feel like we are to blame, our drive and motivation to act is inhibited.
The truth is that circumstances we cannot control are often the cause of a cluttered environment. We don’t always have the time, capacity, or tools to manage our spaces. When we can identify that our spaces are not our fault, but rather are a problem to solve, and a key to our ability to thrive, the task of managing clutter becomes attainable.
Instead of giving in to the overwhelm of a cluttered kitchen, we can tell ourselves: “The kitchen is overwhelming. I will find a way to manage my kitchen so I can cook and eat in a peaceful environment.”
Instead of feeling frustrated trying to find what you need, decide: “I am usually frustrated trying to find what I need. I will declutter and create systems in my spaces to easily know what I have and where to find it.”
Instead of feeling like a failure, conclude: “I am busy with work and life events. I don’t have time to manage my home. I will hire help so my spaces remain life-giving in this busy season.
Most of us spend our days solving problems. A cluttered space that causes shame, embarrassment, overwhelm, and other negative feelings is just another problem to be solved. And one that we, if given enough thought and attention, are capable of solving!
Amelia Franklin, Professional Organizer and Business Owner
Professional Organizer and Business Owner, Amelia Franklin, is passionate about the transforming power of managing clutter and getting organized. She knows our spaces have a direct impact on how we feel and function in daily life. Her mission is to help clients navigate overwhelming spaces by bringing order to the chaos, creating systems to help them thrive, and offering encouragement and support along the way.
