Preview

Our Life Is Affected by Excess Clutter That Weighs Us Down

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2359 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Our Life Is Affected by Excess Clutter That Weighs Us Down
It was a necessary realization to me how much living among excess clutter could harm my health, physically and emotionally. We may think it is just a cleaning process, but the depth of the problem will open our eyes to realize how and why the effect of clutter weighs us down. Why it is hard to unclutter? Why can’t it be organized? Why is more clutter mounting up? Emotionally attached objects are hard to get rid of. New attractive items are found in markets all the time. Consequently, clutter can easily mount up in one’s life.
Clutter and disorganization impairs productivity. By knowing these facts as problems, we can start searching for the solutions to make our life so much easier. I wanted to find solutions as I was living with excess clutter! I will be introducing a practical method to end excess clutter called “Danshari.” Danshari is a new notion of de-cluttering that has been prevalent in Japan. The idea includes the concept of removing the emotional burden that comes with having too many items. Furthermore, Danshari teaches people to let go of their burdens and make clear plans for a better future.

We need to understand that clutter is created by unorganized people who are creating physical and mental danger for themselves. Physically, if one lives in a cluttered house, one probably doesn’t eat well, because the kitchen isn’t functional. The person most likely doesn’t even know what is in the refrigerator and whether or not their food is contaminated. People start to realize the need of de-cluttering when there is a distinct element of danger due to the excess clutter. However, unless one is highly organized, one would most likely understate the problem. People may think it is an issue of space when they approach the problem of de-cluttering. However, this subjectively viewed space problem can be solved by organizing accordingly by acquiring trash bags and containers. According to David F. Tolin, Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at



References: 1. Black. D. "A review of compulsive buying disorder" ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. World Psychiatry. 6 February, 2007. Web. 24 April. 2012 2. Tolin, D. F., Frost, R. O., & Steketee, G. "Buried in treasures: help for compulsive acquiring, saving, and hoarding." Oxford University Press, 2007. 3. Holdbrook, M. B. "Consumer Value: A Framework for Analysis and Research” Taylor & Francis e-Library ed. Routledge. 2002. 4. Francine, J. "Minimalism around the World: Danshari." Miss minimalist, 11 Aug. 2011. Web. 19 April 2012. 5. Kupfermann, J. "The hoarder fights back." Solo Syndication Ltd. News Paper article. January 2, 2011. 6. Tolin, D. F. “A Clutter Too Deep for Mere Bins and Shelves.” Nytimes.com. The New York Times, 1 January, 2008. Web. 28 April. 2012 7. Steketee, Gail & Frost, Randy. "Compulsive Hoarding and Acquiring: Workbook." Oxford University Press, Nov 2006. 8. Yamshita, H. “Danshari – Hideko Yamashita official site.” Danshari.com. Keiei Kagaku public, co, ltd. 20 April, 2010. Web. 26 April. 2012

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pack only essentials to reduce clutter in your dorm. A crowded dorm room is ...…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many people now do not get satisfied by buying just a couple items. Anna Quindlen discusses in her essay “Stuff Is Not Salvation,” how people are obsessed with buying unnecessary things. I agree with her that many of us now spend so much on useless things, and the less families buy the happier they seem to be. There seems to be plenty of people addicted to shopping now. They buy and buy even if they cannot afford it.…

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Baldridge, I. (2001). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychology and Mental Health, Vol. 2 (pp. 465-472). Pasadena, CA: Salem Press.…

    • 3128 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Anna Quindlen, a novelist, social critic, and journalist wrote an intriguing essay “Stuff is Not Salvation” about the addiction of Americans, who splurge on materialistic items that have no real meaning. The ability to obtain credit is one of the main reasons to blame for society’s consumption epidemic. However, Quindlen feels the economic decline due to credit card debt is insignificant compared to the underlying issues of American’s binging problems. Quindlen’s essay gives excellent points regarding the differences in America’s typical shopping habits. Additionally, she mentions how people acquire all this “stuff” but seem to never realize, “why did I get this?”(501). Quindlen makes her audience visualize a world where we acquire our needs versus our meaningless desires. Yet, she fails to mention people who could live a life of happiness through the possessions they acquire.…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Research Paper SUB606

    • 2721 Words
    • 9 Pages

    El-Guebaly, N., Mudry, T., Zohar, J., Tavares, H. and Potenza, M. N. (2012), Compulsive features in behavioural addictions: the case of pathological gambling. Addiction, 107: 1726–1734. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03546.x…

    • 2721 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The writer in this essay describes the difference between Neat People and Sloppy people, and how their attitudes toward things every where. However, sloppy people are usually messy and they can’t get things done because of their sloppiness and they save everything, planning someday to file, order, and straighten out the world. But while these ambitious plans take clearer and clearer shape in their heads. But, neat people as the writer “Suzanne Britt” says that the only thing messy in a neat person’s house is the trashcan. Neat people are bums and clods at heart and they have all their ideas in place making the thought process more simply. Therefore, the writer gave examples of a lot experiences of each kind of neat or sloppy people.…

    • 272 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    When a person is told about one of his habits, he will have denied. They may not know because they have never paid attention to them. Once he analyzes his habit carefully the person see what his habit is. One of his habits is keeping organized. He sees this habit developing when he was young. He had to make sure that his room is organized before he when to bed and before he when to school. As he grows up he kept on doing this on his own because he was so used to it. His role model of this habit was his mother and aunt. She always made sure that her house is well organized before leaving anywhere. Even when she is home she made sure everything was clean and in order. Seen this behavioral from his mother made it more of a habit. He has tried to break this habit when he married. He has left the organizing to his wife. Is very hard for him do release trying to organized just because he felted it need to be done by him. That because to go from one way to a totally new way is unnatural. It comes as a shock to his mind, body and soul and they will fight fiercely to return to a way that is familiar to them. Changing a habit is not as easy as people think it is. His habit of been organized stared young. By seen and been told to keep his room organized. As he kept on doing what, he was told do to, his habit of been organized become part of his personality. As he develops a…

    • 1066 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Compulsive hoarding is the impulse to hold onto unnecessary items due to the idea that they hold some sort of emotional value. It is a severe problem that affects the United States and it can lead people to awful and unfortunate situations such as illness and even homelessness. Studies have shown that one in four people are hoarders with the leading causes being depression or loss of a loved one. It is also apparent that a large amount of the homeless population was evicted from their housing due to it being condemned from hoarding. For instance, my neighbor Sheila was evicted from her house due to her unfortunate hoarding problem and is now what society considers as homeless.…

    • 427 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Zen Of Housework

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages

    It is a fact of life that everyone will need to do housework, even if there are a million other things they would rather be doing. For some people, it seems to be a miserable or tedious endeavor. Perhaps it would be more enjoyable thinking about housework as an opportunity to lose us in another new world. “The Zen of Housework” by Al Zolynas is a wonderful poem about finding the sacred in those most ordinary tasks. Seeing the kind of sacred in Al’s housecleaning also requires a great sense of humor. The poem captures the moment of the author’s dishwashing to be the most enjoyable and extraordinary moment in life.…

    • 964 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Rising affluence is a key factor in today’s increase in waste and rubbish. In today’s society the majority of people are able to afford the higher standards of living and more luxurious items. Take a television for example; in the 1950’s televisions were regarded as a luxury. Those families that had a black and white television were regarded as wealthy or rich. However, skip to today’s society and everybody has a television and they are now seen as a necessity rather than a luxury item regardless of a families’ on individuals’ financial capacity. As well as the increase in households there has also been an advance in technology; we are now seeing plasma, HD or 3D televisions as the luxury item to be had in households (Making social lives, P. 109, 2010).…

    • 1554 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many people suffering from hoarding disorders. Even though some people view hoarding as a personal issue that an individual has, it is a mental disorder. Today shows such as “Hoarding: Buried Alive” have brought attention to this disorder that many still do not understand. Hoarding disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty in parting with possessions, resulting in severely cluttered living spaces, distress, and impairment (Solomon & Mataix-Cols, 2014, p. 2023). The behavior that a hoarder displays can cause negative consequences to their lives. Hoarding can cause physical, emotional, financial, legal, and social problems for hoarders. These effects can also negatively impact a hoarder’s family as well.…

    • 670 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hoarding is a brain disorder. The primary reason that causes hoarding is unknown, however researchers have determined that hoarding is most common in individuals who have a family member who is currently or was a hoarder. Genetic research has been tested showing that gene variants convey a significant risk for hoarding. Severe brain injuries have also been linked to cause patients to experience symptoms of hoarding. Due to a hoarders unusual brain activity it can become apparent in other aspects of their life such as, avoidance, attentiveness, indecisiveness, procrastination, and perfectionism (Matthews). It is common for individuals who suffer from hoarding to live a very low quality life. Hoarders often lack a fixed and functional living…

    • 198 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    However, I somewhat agree with this part of your post, but I think that your response to this question relates more to the psychology part of the Hoarding and the Sociology of Consumption article. According to the author of the Hoarding and the Sociology of…

    • 300 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ikea Strategy

    • 3434 Words
    • 14 Pages

    19. Belk, R.W. (1988). Possessions and the extended self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15, 139–168.…

    • 3434 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Tidy Desk

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Jayne Morris, life Coach from NHS, said that messy desk shows the owner's mind. People who work around mess less likely to finish their work, and to be successful later. It can happen too if your house and office also messed up, and just put your house in warehouse.…

    • 336 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays