Page 13 - Voices-2022-02

Declutter Your Life

Eldred Brown, DTM- District Director

felt as if the clutter in your life was holding you the work of moving much of it into an external
back from being more effective at home and at storage space. Maybe this doesn’t work for you,
work? Many people have, so you’re not alone. and you must sell it or throw it in the trash to get

rid of it. What are some of the things you can do?
Why is regular decluttering important? Your cognitive
resources—your attention, concentration, and 1. Don’t worry about how much you paid for
focus —can be compromised by exposure to it. If it doesn’t have any value for you now,

cluttered and disorganized environments. get rid of it.
According to Procrastinators and Clutter: An 2. Get rid of duplicates. If you have five can
Ecological View of Living with Excessive “Stuff” | openers, decide which one you want to keep
SpringerLink, excessive clutter even contributes and discard the rest.

to chronic procrastination. A lot of clutter can 3. Identify pieces of clothing you never wear
make you feel as if you have no control over your and donate them to Goodwill.
environment, which causes stress, anxiety, and 4. Make your bed. It’s hard to see reduced clutter
even depression. Your clutter can be hazardous when your messy, unmade bed is staring you

to your health and safety if it includes tripping in the face.
hazards such as power cords or homes for dust,
bugs, or rodents. A messy kitchen may also drive I know this lecture on decluttering may look
you to eat unhealthy snacks because you don’t odd in a magazine devoted to Toastmasters,

feel like cleaning off the range top so you can but I can tell you that decluttering your life can
cook something healthier. make you more effective as a Toastmaster. You
might find the needed evaluation of a speech
How to Declutter Your Home: If your home is so you gave two years ago. You might find that, by

cluttered that it’s hurting your cognitive and reducing the clutter in your mind, you’re able to
emotional well-being, there are some things think more clearly in preparation for your next
you can do about it. One thing I did was identify Pathways project. Who knows? You may even find
those items I don’t need frequently and get rid of a long-lost love letter that serves as the inspiration

them. That didn’t mean giving it all to Goodwill for your next speech. So, if you find your life too
or throwing it in the garbage, though there was full of needless clutter, try getting rid of some
a lot of garbage for me to throw away. For me, of it, and let me know how that works for you.
getting rid of my unneeded belongings included

VOICES! | FEBRUARY 2022 13