Maybe it’s a metaphor

Sometimes, decluttering can be a bit like treasure hunting. Within the rough and rugged landscape hide forgotten gems and riches.

A client and I recently sifted through many layers of papers and items that had accumulated in a kitchen drawer. We identified the things that had expired, needed to be relocated, or could be grouped with similar items. Toward the bottom of the drawer, we excavated a small collection of newspaper and magazine clippings that turned out to be meta-clutter!

“Neuroscientists at Princeton University found that physical clutter in your dwellings diverts attention from tasks at hand,” one of the clippings starts. “The result is decreased cognitive performance and increased stress level. In other words: Clutter may make you distracted, scatterbrained and stressed out.”

We corralled the clippings and labeled them “Info & Inspiration.”