What Your Clutter Says About You

If you open your wardrobe right now, how many things do you see that you haven't used in the past year? Probably quite a few. And if I ask you why you don't get rid of them, your answer will sound rational: "It was expensive", "It was my aunt's", "Maybe I'll lose weight".

But the truth is those aren't logical reasons — they're emotional blocks. Cleaning is mopping the floor. Cleanfulness is understanding why we make a mess and why we hoard.

The 3 types of material attachment

The clutter in your home usually falls into one of these three time frames. Identifying yours is the first step towards peace of mind.

1. Clutter from the past (nostalgia and guilt)

These are objects you keep for what they were, not what they are. University notes from 10 years ago, gifts you never liked but feel bad throwing away, clothes from another era.

You're afraid of forgetting or feel guilty about "betraying" whoever gave it to you. But remember: your memories are in your mind, not in the object. The object just takes up space and gathers dust.

2. Clutter from the future (fear and anxiety)

These are the famous "just in cases". Empty appliance boxes, 4 open shampoo bottles, clothes that don't fit.

This reveals anxiety and a lack of confidence in the future. You believe you'll be short of something tomorrow. But living surrounded by "hypothetical futures" doesn't let you enjoy your "real present".

3. Clutter from the present (stress and procrastination)

This is the daily chaos: clothes on the chair, unopened letters.

It's a symptom of exhaustion. Your mind is so overloaded that it postpones small decisions (like putting away a coat). The problem is that visual clutter feeds back into your stress.

The therapy of "letting go"

Cleanfulness isn't about having a magazine-worthy home — it's about having a home that gives you energy back. To achieve this, you need to change your relationship with objects.

The "transition box" exercise

You don't have to get rid of everything today. Try this:

1. Get a box
2. Put those doubtful items in it (the "just in cases")
3. Seal the box and give it an expiry date (e.g. 3 months)
4. If in 3 months you haven't opened it, don't open it. Donate the contents directly

Why donating is better than throwing away

Many people struggle to throw away something useful (and rightly so). That creates guilt. But when you use Waki to part with that lamp or those books, you're not "losing" them. You're transforming them into help.

Knowing that object will have a second life in a neighbour's home turns the pain of letting go into the joy of giving. You free your space and help your community. It's the perfect closure of the Cleanfulness cycle.

Conclusion

Your home is a temple, not a warehouse. Every object you hold onto out of fear or guilt is charging you emotional rent. Are you ready to lighten the load?