Yesterday's phone client was in the midst of the cornucopia of her closet when she sighed. She said that it was too much for her. She said, "I get overwhelmed!" She said normally at this point she would quit and go downstairs and eat a bunch of food and watch TV. Then she got down on herself for feeling this way. She felt her behavior was inappropriate. Then she found a 2004 date book and said it's title summed her up: "It's so involved being me."
I asked my client to stop and sit quietly. I said we're more sensitive than we know. We think we can push our way through things. But we have our personal thresholds. There's a point where things are too much. It's hard for us to admit it. You can see this same quality in little kids. When they are tired they sometimes fall and roll around on the ground and cry. It okay to admit we're tired and frustrated. To try and fight this feeling is exhausting.
I said these are the symptoms of living in the midst of clutter. To blame ourselves for experiencing the harsh side-effects of clutter is like beating ourselves up for beating ourselves up. It's good to stop and notice what the clutter is making you feel and do. Pain is a good motivator.
My client saw what was happening and she got some peace of mind. She want back to looking at one thing at a time and making a decision. Then she said, "I can see a section of my floor, it's so exciting!!"