Ask Unclutterer: Why do people struggle with clutter?

From the site: Unclutterer

Reader Juliette submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer :

I know why I fight clutter: After a long day at work the last thing I want to do is housework. But is this the same reason as everyone else? Are we all working too hard and too many hours to take care of our stuff?

After years of doing what I do, I've found that most people who struggle with clutter fall into one of the eight following categories:

1: Overwhelmed by the task, don't know where to begin. Feeling overwhelmed can be paralyzing. When you are plagued with anxiety, it can be tempting to ignore the problem and just hope it goes away.

2: Fear of being forgotten, their stuff is the only proof they have lived. As humans, we know we're mortal but wish we weren't. Since the beginning of human history e have been looking for ways to be remembered. People who fear their mortality often have issues with this, expecially sentimental clutter..." More


Answers by: Erin Doland, Editor-in-Chief of Unclutterer & author of "Unclutter Your Life in One Week"