The Mental & Physical Opportunity Costs of Clutter
March 5, 2009
Have you ever come home and looked around your house and thought; “what exploded in here?” Your closets are over flowing, your desk is piled with paperwork and your kitchen cabinets are stuffed with no real organization or sense.
All of this clutter and disorder takes a mental and physical toll on your body and mind. You have to work harder to function in this type of environment. Your mind is slower when thinking because you have to process all the information that your eyes see when looking at the clutter. The difference between a clean and organized desk and a cluttered one is immense. All of this contributes subtlety to your stress level and takes a physical toll on your body. I think most people have studied at least to a small degree the effects of stress on the human body. Here is a short recap = it’s not good.
An opportunity cost is the “cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action.” [investopedia.com] The alternatives that you are giving up are a clean and uncluttered home and a reduction in stress. You are also giving up a great deal of your time each second you spend searching for items you can’t find, shuffling items from one spot to another and generally dealing with the mess. That extra time is time you could spend on building your business, developing a new product, going to the gym or just spending more quality time with loved ones. Additionally you are giving up the potential money you could get from selling some items or the tax breaks you would receive for donating them.
The easiest way to start to unravel a home full of too many things is to start small. Pick the most important place in your house that you use all the time and clean it up. For most people this will be their desk. Then just begin to tackle other areas and get rid of the excess. You have to make room for the things you want to keep so that they can be organized and out of your constant field of vision. Think to yourself if I had to move tomorrow would I want to keep this, if not chuck it.
After you start this process you will be pleasantly surprised by the calm feeling that takes over in your body when you come home. You’ll be more efficient and effective and your mind will thank you.
Christina Helwig
www.GlobalSuccessILG.com
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