Clutter drains your energy
Clutter drains you of energy so that you do not bother to clean up. We all experience times in life when we do not have the energy to do much more than just care for ourselves. During these times just getting up and making a bit of food is a challenge. Clutter definitely does not make a situation like this better. Quite the contrary.

Clutter smells
Are you aware that mess smells? When things have been hidden for a long time and they have not been exposed to fresh air, they start to smell stale. When you clean up, it is therefore a good idea to air your things out.

Clutter endangers health
When you are surrounded by clutter, you lose sight of the bigger picture. When that picture is gone, we seem to become stressed easier. When we are stressed, a particular hormone is released in the body that weakens our immune system over time. Dust, dirt, debris, and other filthy things also thrive in and around clutter because disorganization can prevent you from cleaning.

Clutter makes you feel guilty
We all know that we should start cleaning up, but we keep on postponing it. As a result, we get frustrated and disappointed for betraying ourselves, and all the while we are still not able to start the project that could turn all of the negative feelings around. There is nothing like a bad conscience draining us of energy.

Clutter makes you embarrassed
While the struggles attached to clutter drain your energy down to zero, there is also an embarrassment attached to the problem. You become ashamed of yourself and cannot look yourself in the eyes. And because you are so ashamed of how bad things have really become, it becomes unthinkable to let others see your struggle. This makes it difficult to invite guests over because you worry about what they will think!

Clutter strains relationships
If you and your partner cannot find something else to argue about, you can always argue about who makes the most mess and who has not cleaned up. While you are at it, why not also criticize the children, the dog, or the mother-in-law? Clutter can cause fuses to be short and can add to preexisting relationship issues.

Clutter requires attention
Are you aware that you are storing information about everything in your home? You know something about everything that you own. Now, here comes the really bad part: If you are surrounded by clutter, your memory is constantly working overtime. For example, you have to remember that the papers from the landlord are in that pile, the bill that you need to check from the utility company is in that pile, the thing for repairing is in that pile over there, and so on. You even know something about all of the things that you have put away. It is no wonder that you are feeling tired and exhausted and have no energy to begin cleaning up.

Clutter costs time and money
When we do not know where things are in our homes, we are obviously not aware of what we own. We keep adding new possessions instead of finding the ones that we already have. When we go to the store, we randomly buy bits and pieces because we think that they will transform our living room into a dream. The truth is that it will only contribute to the clutter because too many things are already adding to the confusion.

The good news is that once you start confronting your stuff, and cleaning up, you make a carefree environment. There are no hidden issues giving you a bad conscience. You are free to do what you want. You do not have to waste time looking for lost items. Your time can be spent doing something nice. Once you have order and a real grasp on your life and belongings, you can take charge of your own life and save a lot of money. With the money and time that you have saved, you can simply focus on having a wonderful life. You will have time to be free. You will have time to Hygge.

Some text taken from my book, ‘Goodbye Clutter, Hello Freedom: How to create space for Danish Hygge and Lifestyle by cleaning up, organizing, and decorating with care’