By Patricia Diesel
Emotional clutter isn’t something that’s talked about much. It’s easier to focus on the physical items in our homes that we can see. However, the feelings we hold onto impact every area of our lives, so it’s important to talk about emotional clutter.
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What Is Emotional Clutter?
Emotional clutter is that stuff that hangs around, taking up precious mental space, and generally makes us feel negative about ourselves, our lives and others. Like physical clutter, emotional clutter weighs us down. Emotional clutter can be complex. It can take many forms, including persistent thought patterns, emotionally charged physical clutter, cycles of destructive behavior, and unrealistic standards.
The Emotional Disguise
Like anything that’s been in our life for a while, emotional clutter can feel good to have around. It can give us the excuse not to start or to hold back on the things we know are good for us. Emotional clutter tends to dress itself up as something that’s there for all good and no harm. It can be sneaky like that. Emotional clutter can trick us into thinking we are doing just fine because it gives us a sense of familiarity. Some of these things serve functional purposes or may have at one point in the past, which can increase the difficulty of recognizing and addressing them. The truth is, just like physical clutter, we need to release it in order to move in a healthier direction.
The Emotional Work
We are complex emotional beings with a fondness for patterns, stories, and collections. We tend to not always be rational or objective. This combination of traits leads most of us to spin tales and develop thought patterns, and other emotionally charged habits. We carry this psychic backlog around like heavy baggage – sometimes unknowingly and other times because we think we don’t have a choice. With conscious effort, over time, we can decrease the backlog we carry and learn how to let go of the excess clutter.
6 Steps To Emotionally Declutter
- Tune in to the emotional state
- Identify the emotions
- Catalog The Triggers
- Set Goals
- Build a Support Network
- Create New Habits
Invest In Personal Growth
Clearing emotional clutter makes more room for us to listen to ourselves, experience our own growth and find joy in the things that make our lives uniquely ours. Emotional decluttering is an investment in our well-being. The rewards are life-changing.