The Connections Bridgewater-Somerville Edition Sept/Oct/Nov 2019

theconnectionsnj.com Patricia Diesel, CPC 908-642-1226 www.Patriciadiesel.com Stress-Free Lifestyle Tools * %* " & " ( # $ ( " % # "! * ( % ' ) Want To Spread The Word About Your Upcoming Events & Promotions? List them on our website SAVE THE DATE theconnectionsnj.com/my-calendar/ IS CLUTTER REALLY IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER? By: Patricia Diesel As a clutter coach who specializes in hoarding, I take heed for good reason when I hear the statement, “clutter is in the eyes of the beholder.” The above statement references that for some there’s a level of comfort they find with their messi- ness and what one may consider messy another may not. Now, if we are talking about households that periodically get out of order, or people who are not so organized but their disorder doesn’t interfere with the quality of their life, then yes, the statement carries weight. Different people are comfortable with different degrees of clutter. How one chooses to live their life is their business, one may say, and although I would tend to agree, I would also have to argue that this is true up until a point as it pertains to clutter. I say this because exces- sive clutter does interfere with the quality of one’s life and loved ones. Clutter can be dangerous and a hazard for tripping and falling. Mold and toxins grow beneath and on the clutter and are released into the air that cause breathing and health problems. And clutter can prevent a person from utilizing their home in the way it is sup- posed to be intended, i.e., cooking in the kitchen, sleeping in the bed, bathing in the bathroom. Now, there are many reasons why people have extreme clutter and that can depend upon a varying degree of circumstances, however, studies do show that hoarding affects up to 6 percent of the pop- ulation or 19 million Americans. To see if any red flags are raised for you, ask yourself questions like these: • Do you buy many of the same things over time, because you can’t find what you already have? • Does your stuff prevent you from having people over? • Are you late paying bills because you can’t find your bills? • Does someone complain about your stuff? Does it cause family fights? • Are you able to utilize your rooms the way they are designed to be used for cook- ing, sleeping, bathing? • Are there narrow “goat trails” in your house to walk through between tall mounds of stuff? • Are you experiencing financial hardship due to excessive shopping? • Has your hobby of collecting turned into an obsession of acquiring? People often tell me that after they de-clutter (which can include their space, desk, office, home, etc.) it comes back. What I tell them is that “it” isn’t the problem – your habits are. So if your clutter is returning you need to figure out what you’re doing that’s causing the clutter to begin with. If you find yourself struggling with clutter or know of a loved one who is, getting support is the first step to the road to recovery. Please feel free to visit me at patriciadiesel.com to learn more and see how you schedule a FREE appointment with me. O RGANIZE THAT PAGE 28 Health & Wellness