What Does Your Clutter Say About You? |Divya Toshniwal|

A lot can be said about the person by looking at the company that he keeps. By company generally, we mean people that we spend our most time with but I believe it also applies to things we spend time with.

There was a time when I felt I never had enough space to keep all my stuff, but minimalism made me realize that I just had too much stuff for my space. Everything that I had was important and every day I had something new to add to that list. There was so much stuff in my home that I had no space to keep any extra stuff with me. When I went off to college I had so many bags. My room there was really tiny and I had just one table one little almirah and a single bed in that room. I really had no space to fit in all my stuff there but I did. My room was packed, every inch was utilized and I had everything.

But there were many who came to college with just one bag and that was just their clothes. Whenever they needed any help they would come to me. From sewing kit to medical kit I had it all. Now when I look back I realize that I have been afraid that something will happen and I will not be prepared. Not being prepared for the next moment is what my clutter spoke to me. I always had to have everything. I carried so many things on vacation even when I never used them. I had so many 'just in case' items with me. My clutter clearly said - " I am scared of not being prepared for tomorrow"

When I started researching minimalism there was a lot that I learned about my own behavior. Initially, I had begun by decluttering and throwing away stuff that was old and I would definitely not use but the tough part was not throwing things but not replacing them. Keeping your hands off from buying new things is really tough when you don't understand yourself well and you do not have a good relationship with your stuff.

Your clutter can say a lot about you. So let's start with the basic reason why your home is cluttered

Why is your home Cluttered?

1. You want to do it all. Whenever it comes to dealing with clutter you want to do it all at once and hence end up doing nothing. This dealing with clutter is mostly procrastinating because you don't have the time to do it all at once.

2. You are hiding behind stuff. The closet is full because you are not comfortable in your own skin. There is a reason you keep stuff even when you never wear them and that is because you bought them thinking they would change you. You wanted to be someone else other than you. Think why those unworn dresses are kept in your closet.

3. You are scared of bringing about changes. Your clutter holds you back from many things, many changes that you could otherwise bring in your life. So when you don't change you have something to blame it on. " I cannot shift to a new city, I have a house full of stuff." And that's how you stay in the comfort zone of your clutter.

4. You are hopeful for the disappointments of the past. You have books from the degree program you could not complete. you have gifts from your ex. You have clothes that don't fit you anymore. You are hopeful that someday things will be exactly how you need them to be. Seeing these things every day is, however, sucking up a lot of energy that you could otherwise use to create a better future. When there is too much from the past it is impossible to be clear about the future.

5. You are trying to cover up something. The reason can be your pain, guilt, or anything else. Parents nowadays end up filling the rooms of their kids with so many toys. The kid doesn't even play with these most of the time. They do it to overcompensate for the time they are not being able to give to their child. It is the guilt they are covering up. Many people cover their pain, loneliness, or sadness through retail therapy adding more to their clutter.

6. You have a fear of scarcity. You are scared that if you get rid of it today you might never find it when you need it. So you are stuck in the trap of 'What if '. 

Your reason for having a cluttered home can be anything . to identify it you need to spend some time with yourself and your clutter. Think about which is the most cluttered area in your home. What are the things you are keeping there? Why are you keeping these things? What if you don't have them? What stops you from clearing it? Such questions will help you reach the root of why you have a cluttered home and what your clutter is trying to say about you.