The Connections Bernards Ridge Edition June, July & August 2021

theconnectionsnj.com HOME & DESIGN PAGE 56 Exp. 9/7/2021 Is your home a cluttered nest or a min- imalist Zen zone? Do you subscribe to the golden rule: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or be- lieve to be beautiful?” Or do you love your stuff—every useless bit of it? Have you ever wondered why so many people have clutter and why they are so attached to their stuff? When I look at a person’s clutter, I can tell immediately where that person is emotionally living - usually, in between an unhealthy bond to the past and an exaggerated fear of the future. The problem with this deep attach- ment is that it robs them of their happi- ness in the present. So what are emotional attachments and why do we have them? An emotional attachment is de ned as a strong affective bond between a person and their posses- sions. The emotional attachment to ob- jects is associated with positive emotions such as pride, comfort and pleasure for valued possessions, but also with nega- tive emotions such as anxiety and distress when there is a risk or trigger of loss. Such objects provoke speci c emotions related to the intense closeness we feel. Here’s an example: “According to a new study, the aver- age American woman has 103 items of clothing in her wardrobe. But she consid- ers 21% to be ‘unwearable,’ 33% too tight and 24% too loose (Survey of a 1000 wom- en). A further 12% of the wardrobe is oc- cupied by new, unworn clothing, leaving just 10% available.” Yet, this study con- cludes that these women nd it dif cult to let go of their unused wardrobe. Why? Emotional attachment! Think of it this way: Clutter is an out- ward expression, mirroring back what is going on emotionally for a person. It is the reason why I developed Mindful Tools For Organized Living. In my program, I show you how to launch safely into the present by emotionally detaching from your clutter in a healthy, productive manner. Fear, overwhelm, procrastination is replaced with understanding, accep- tance and action. The program walks you through six mindful tools that begin with the under- lying root cause of your clutter and moves on to the recovery and maintenance of clutter-free living. Countless people are nding success with it and I am con dent you will too. To learn more, click the link below. Why not make today the day you start un- packing and begin living in the now! https://mindfulness.patriciadiesel. com/mindfulness Think of it this way: Clutter is an outward expression, mirroring back what is going on emotionally for a person. Is your home a cluttered nest or a minimalist Zen zone? Do you subscribe to the golden rule: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful?” Or do you love your stuff— every useless bit of it? DO YOU LOVE YOUR STUFF TOO MUCH? UNPACKING THE EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO OUR THINGS By Patricia Diesel