I hope you enjoyed today's video! Get 50% off your first order of CookUnity meals - go to cookunity.com/connoisseur and use my code CONNOISSEUR50 at checkout to try them out for yourself! Thanks to CookUnity for sponsoring this video. Thank you for watching, everyone. I would love to hear about your clutter journey in the comments below. Love, Jennifer
“People in cluttered environments make poor food choices” as I sit in my cluttered kitchen eating a doughnut watching on my phone 🙈 I feel called out 😂😂
Raised in a cluttered home, I can testify to the side effects you mentioned - stress, physical and emotional chaos, depression...all of it. Clutter can also make you feel unsafe and out of control. I'm proud to say that I no longer live this way. My home and I are still a work in progress, but overall I've learned to own my stuff, not let my stuff own me. When I need motivation, I watch decluttering videos from some of my favorite UA-camrs. Thank you for this video and including so much research, since clutter greatly affects our psychological well-being. ❤
All of this is 100% true. Perhaps tidiness is a personality type? I can think of many ladies whose homes are very neat and clean, their appearance is also very neat and attractive, their at a healthy, slim weight. I think it suggests discipline.
I know a very tidy person who raised tidy people and they are all chock full of anxiety. They cannot function with any conflict, even healthy and calm disagreements. This person used cleaning and organizing as a way to cope and then made it seem like it was their personality, when really it was a compulsive desire to control. Instead of peace, they just constantly ran from conflict of any kind. (Now I do totally agree that clutter isn’t good! Just that I’ve seen it taken to both extremes and neither is healthy. I used to be so envious of all the tidy people. Now I realize that everyone is just coping with life, sometimes we choose healthy ways to deal and sometimes we don’t. I’m trying to declutter because it’s good, while knowing it won’t fix the sad truths of life and death.)
I lost 50 pounds in 2018 and the first action I had to take was to rid our kitchen of the foods that were going to be counterproductive to weight loss. I've realized that when my food storage areas are streamlined, decluttered and organized, I'm more successful with healthy eating. I enjoyed this video! Thank you!
I guess because you know exactly what you need. And if you have healthy ingredients to cook with in you kitchen, it makes it so easy to gravitate towards that path.
This ties right into why studies have shown that we are so relaxed in nice hotel rooms---they're clean and very uncluttered. Our minds can relax. My weight definitely correlates with seasons of tidiness vs. untidiness in my apartment.
One person gave me some advice about an area in my home that was overwhelmingly stuffed with STUFF. She said to ONLY start with one small area and separate the items into 2 piles {one pile of thing you can easily say, "Yes, I will keep that." and the other pile is a "No, I don't need that." She said with the yes pile, "Don't think about where you are going to put it because that will come later." The "No pile" are things that are leaving the house either to a charity shop or to the trash bin. I can proudly say that the area is half way done and I feel like a ton has been lifted from my soul. Thanks for sharing.
I was raised in a very cluttered home, because my mom didn't like to throw away anything. I learned as an adult it is actually good to declutter, donating and throwing away things that don't fit in my space or have no use. I love having a declutter house, and also am constantly working on keeping it that way. Sometimes I will spend an entire Saturday decluttering my bathroom (make up and other supplies) and creating order, and it the feeling of opening organized drawers is a long lasting gift I give to myself.
We recently put our home on the market and so we had to depersonalize and simplify our home and remove absolutely all clutter. I was worried how I was going to keep the house clean for showings and open houses, but it has been so much easier than I expected! I'm going to take this into our next home, and have already begun deeply decluttering all the stuff we stored away for showings. I want to take this peaceful and easy maintenance feeling with me to our next home!
Great inspiration! I homeschool our three boys in a small home, so it’s a constant challenge. But I love the feeling of triumph when the house is all neat and clean and orderly. Also you look fabulous in that blouse with that necklace! ❤
I do have a monthly cleaning service come in to deep clean our condo. But I weekly keep up vacuuming, change of bedsheets, toilet/bathroom cleaning, etc. Yet the monthly deep-clean REALLY encourages me to “keep” my 2700 square foot condo up. My mother raised me to dust my bedroom furniture weekly & vacumn my own bedroom … beginning at age 10. It stuck with me😉
I absolutely believe this. I can always tell when I’m mentally struggling by how cluttered my home is. The minute I get mentally clear, so does my home. Thankfully I’m usually self aware enough to catch myself early.
Just recently my 14 year old daughter was reading the chapter in the Madame Chic book about how decluttering is so not chic. She was instantly inspired, and now both of us are beginning to declutter the house. Thank you so much, Jennifer!❤
This is so timely as I am going through a big declutter/tidy throughout my home right now. One way that keeps me motivated to keep going is to take before and after pictures. I've printed them out and put them into a journal so I can document my journey and remember how far I've come! -Sara
I am a intestinal biohacker- kill bugs in tummy and your life becomes much cleaner. So usually around everyone’s second full moon of biohacking comes the house purge! Removing parasites from the intestine is great for health but it also comes with a physical purge as well- in the form of getting rid of junk around the house. There are clinical studies showing when people clean their house they lose a bunch of weight and it is almost like we carry around the weight of the stuff that’s considered clutter quite literally too
I try my best to keep our home clutter free and a pleasant place to be, however I have a chronic health condition that I battle against. Quickly the house can become out of control with 4 wonderful children. I find it really saps my energy and makes me feel overwhelmed. Even though I have removed 1000’s of possessions from our home over the years I feel I would like to declutter ever further to make the house more manageable to me when I am really struggling with my health. I completely agree that clutter affects your energy, stress and weight! I love your videos Jennifer. Thank you for the time, energy and care you put into them. You are very inspiring ❤
Yes! Yes! Yes! I absolutely agree with the studies you found. I love a tidy home. In a tidy home, I feel relaxed and at peace. With clutter, no peace of mind nor relaxation. Things I believe to have/keep a tidy home. 1. Everything should have a place 2. Everyone should pick up after themselves 3. Put things back after using them 4. (Bonus) Enjoy an evening cup of tea with my husband while we do our Bible studies. 🤍God bless you and yours, Jennifer! We all love you, dearly. 🧡
It’s not “mom brain” - it’s my clutter 😅😂 This video is sooooo timely. I’ve recently started on a major decluttering journey. I’m ready to reclaim my home and my peace of mind.
Hello Jennifer. I absolutely agree with all you said, supported by scientific studies. My parents grew up in a word recovering after a War. They still think everything can be necessary some day, so, their home and my home town is tremendously cluttered. It’s sad, because I avoid going on holydays to my beautiful cotagge in the mountains because it makes me feel anxious. I learned to accept how they think and respect it. I use my experience to declutter my home and I try to make my home bright, relaxing and beautiful. Goodbye. Wishing you a calm weekend 🌸
I wish there was a playlist of only Jennifer's videos on decluttering, I think there are a good few new! I would have them on loop while tidying my home... :-)
Thank you, Jennifer! I put your video on hold and went to clean my refrigerator:) Now it is clean. I will take clutter to a thrift store next week if not tomorrow. It is true that if there are fewer items in the fridge it is easier to prepare something healthy. As a teacher, when I came home, I am so tired that i tend to go for what is fast, instead of healthy.
This is so coincidental! I literally just put out a bag of items for our local veterans organization to pick up! I keep an ongoing "decluttering" bag and as I see items that could benefit others that we have outgrown, in they go. It's cathartic and sensible! 🧡
Thank you Jennifer for this video! I have always been a very organized person since I was a child. Clutter, messiness and uncleanliness make me feel very uneasy. However, I have been suprised over the years that people get quite disturbed or offended by my clean home. I sometimes get snarky comments about how we keep our house. Having some routines do not give me stress, clutter does. I find these comments quite disturbing since I do not go around other people’s homes and judge them about they keep their (sometimes messy) houses. Does anybody else have had these kind of experiences?
I have done a major declutter in 2022. I have noticed a huge shift in my mental health journey. My anxiety has been more easily managed. I still have fine tuning. We live in a 960 square foot home. It is 3 bedroom 2 bathroom. We have to stay on top of what comes into our home because clutter can build up quickly if we are not careful .
As our parents aged then died, we were the repository of all their items until the family came to our house to choose keepsakes. Sadly they didn’t choose much and we have generational junk that we are having difficulty disposing. I think that my husband and I might do well to take care of each other’s parents’ items. Keep things because they were a loved one’s is rarely practical in our crowded home. It is a problem currently, but one that I’ve been slowly working to diminish. It does add emotional baggage!
Yes, clutter and the lack of both have made such impacts on my life. In the middle of decluttering and transforming my thinking. Dawn the Minimal Mom has been so helpful with this! Everything you shared here rang true with me.
I was brought up in a cluttered home and now mine is just as bad, I put things away and have a box in every room so I can toss things in for donating. It lasts one or two days, I look around and I am back in a cluttered room. I don’t know if there is hope for me but I will keep trying.
Hi Jennifer, I enjoyed this video. This is a really hard subject for me because I am not naturally organized and feel very overwhelmed. My mom was the neatest person on earth, but somehow or other that gene skipped me. I guess for me I need to learn how to organize. I truly do have the desire to be clutter free. It’s just very hard and not happening. xo, Cowgirl Deb
Same. 3/4 of the other people of my family are organized . It’s not that I don’t like a clutter free space, it’s hard to spend time actually doing the decluttering 😮😮😮and then difficult to keep it uncluttered. Just thinking about all the stuff Maher me tired and also itchy cuz I’m allergic to dust mites Tbh the shame of it is the worse feeling. I feel like I can handle the clutter and know when it’s absolutely necessary to start cleaning. But I keep the doors and closets shut out of embarrassment and hope no one accidentally opens them-esp the 3 other “neat people “ I know. They instantly judge me, call me lazy etc. it’s just not a huge priority and unlike them, I don’t have cleaning ladies coming 1-2/month to help 😢 also dealing with life changes, depression, chronic illnesses, and various coping mechanisms(social media) that help me get through my day
Great video, Jennifer! I have found that when I lack motivation on removing unloved and not needed items from my home, that watching a Hoarders episode lights the proverbial fire underneath me. I don't have a hoarding situation, but seeing one (or many) stirs a fear in me that I have to make sure I never get to that place. I believe that my biggest challenge is actually getting the items out of my house in a timely fashion. I have a few boxes that are ready for consignment and donation, but we are in a busy season of life and they haven't made it completely out yet.
Hoarders is my “nightmare” show! It’s so much worse than Chucky, Nightmare on Elm Street or any movie with a babysitter in it! 🤣 An episode or two and I’m cleaning the house like crazy for weeks!!!
I’m a homeschooling mother with 6 sons ages 10 down to 1…..I found Dawn from the The Minimal Mom at the beginning of 2021 and began my decluttering journey. We’ve let go of about 70% of the items in our home since then and the changes have been incredible. I spend less time cleaning than I ever have, and still get amazed how quickly we are able to reset our home to looking tidy again. I absolutely consider myself a minimalist now, and I feel passionately that it is the answer and would revolutionize homes and lives everywhere. We don’t realize the burden of all our ‘stuff’ until we begin to let it go, and I have found nothing but freedom in doing so, whereas before, I felt enslaved by the abundance as I constantly struggled to maintain a tidy home with so many young children. I couldn’t let go of my standards of having a frequently clean and tidy home, so I chose to purge as much as possible, so I could spend my time doing more of the things I want and that enrich my life, and will never go back. It’s like you said, it is a journey and we are never ‘done’, but it gets easier for sure!
So helpful and encouraging. Have had the shock of my life, and I'm going through grief. Thank God my friends have remodeled and redecorated my home. Just before the traumatic news I did a quick cleanup! This is such wise counsel.
Oh, Jennifer! Thank you so much for today's video! You are speaking my language. I am like you, highly sensitive to disorder and clutter. My husband of 30+ years could never "hear" me about this topic. It caused me constant and abiding stress and I put on very much weight even though I am a mind-body nutrition counselor and I know all the right things to do. Had said to him ( now my ex) several times through the years that there is not ever been one time that our house didn't have boxes, etc., sitting around. It always made me feel so unsettled. Well I ended up with advanced adrenal fatigue which, at the root, is definitely stress, and specifically the kind of stress that you feel helpless to change. Whew! So frustrating! I know a very wise woman who once said to me that your home is your sanctuary. I have kept that in my heart and my understanding ever since. I know at least most of us deal with some amount of clutter, but it is so vital that your other household members work as a team for the mental health of your environment. Thank you so much for today's video. It almost brought tears! Love you and I am so thankful for the influence you have in my life. I have plans to pass some of your influence on to my adult nieces. ❤❤❤
Are the stainless steel chafing dishes part of your regular decor? They are lovely but take up a lot of real estate. I found this a very helpful video with pertinent studies that change perceptions about clutter.
Yes i too have decluttering struggles and become affected by clutter. I agree with everything you have spoken about in this video. Thankyiu Jennifer. Xx
The effects of an ‘out-of-control’ house is overwhelming and has a constant presence. Everything you said is so true. I’ve started tackling things a very small amount at a time.
My husband and I had 3 estates we had to manage, all at the same time! Naturally we were stressed out because the bulk of our family had passed away at once. There was a LOT of physical work on a time-line and ultimately I injured my back and my husband his neck and a shoulder. This resulted in a lot of stuff ending up at our home. We both go to physical therapy, and I'm getting through it bit by bit. (Oh how I wish I could just twitch my nose...) I do keep the kitchen and my bathroom clean which helps to keep me grounded.
Many congratulations Jennifer, I think this is actually the best summary on that topic that I have seen so far (and I have to say I have seen many)! Very informative while still beautiful and entertaining. As a mum, your channel is my absolute favourite thing on UA-cam ❤ I am really into feng shui at the moment and I find it very interesting how the western world is now finding out about energy in our home and how it is affecting us in every possible way. Many thanks for also talking about this very important subject.❤
I have been telling ppl the exact same thing for years! Years ago I was taught how to deal with children at school who had Learning Challenges! One of the biggest "Culprit" working against their abilities was CLUTTER! Giving children too many Toys Clutters their Mind! That's the reason you don't give a child a 1,000 piece puzzle. You give them one with 5 pieces. Once they have Mastered it & no longer go to that puzzle, then you can put it away & give them a new challenge, like telling you the color green at the Park, etc. It doesn't always have to be a Toy! Today's busy Parents keep giving their children Things, the Adults in the Household accumulate Things! Nothing is ever gotten rid of once it ceases to function FOR you! Another problem is, Ppl aren't taking 5 minutes to hang up their clothes when they take them off, or put them in the Clothes Hamper.They just drop them where ever. Kitchens are another place, how many dozen Cookbooks does one need out on the Counter, that are never used? My husband & I are both 73 & even tho we've always had a Meticulously Clean Home, over 56yrs of Marriage, you accumulate "Things". Of course we've decluttered many things over the years, but lately we've been really Clearing Out EVERYTHING we don't use on a Regular Basis! We have taken small loads of Things to the Charity Shop once a week! (we never go into the store, just pull our car up to the Donate Area) It's really Amazing how Great you Feel once you begin to get rid of things! There's an Emotional Tie that is broken from those things & you're literally Set Free!
Thank you! This is just what I needed right now! (Over the last few months, I’ve become more determined to get rid of clutter, and this is inspiring me to make a bigger push!)
Thank you for this reminder, Jennifer. I happen to have your books and when you mentioned the Clutter chapter in your At Home with Madame Chic, I reread that chapter and in that chapter you mentioned editing your wardrobe from Lessons from Madame Chic. So I reread that chapter as well (Liberate Yourself with the Ten-Item Wardrobe). It makes so much sense. I might not get down to the 10 item wardrobe but I am planning on clearing at least 50% of my closet. I'm off to closet purge!
I saved this video because I had "Declutter kitchen stuff" written in my calendar to day. Thank you for the inspiration! It worked! I will close down my computer and start right now 😃
My dad is a hoarder so I've grown up in a home what usually filled with a lot of stuff. I am the opposite in my home. I detest clutter. I often quote Mary Poppins', "a thing of beauty is a joy forever" and my children will retort with yes, until mom moves it : ) I enjoy neat and tidy spaces and have tried raising my children to appreciate this too. I agree with you that decluttering is never finished but rather an on-going challenge to keep one's space in order.
This video just confirmed everything I already felt in my gut. I too am very sensitive to clutter. I can feel my anxiety rise when I step into a space that’s messy and unorganized. Not to say that my home is perfect by any means 😅 but I do think because I’m so sensitive, I tend to keep up with it more than others I know of. I also would be curious how this would affect women’s decoration styles. If you’re more sensitive to clutter, do you tend towards more simple design styles? It would be an interesting study.
LOVED this video, Jennifer! Everything you said rang true for me. With six children, keeping our home in order is a daily process, even with relatively minimal possessions. A recent development for the better was clearing my kitchen counters of EVERYTHING but our water filter/dispenser and a houseplant. (I was inspired to do this while reading Marie Kondo’s latest book.) It felt almost wrong to remove my little vignettes and decorative utensils, but it has been a night-and-day difference in our family’s ability to keep the kitchen clean. It’s easier on our brains to see what needs to be cleaned without having to mentally separate decor and clutter.
The insight on clutter affecting sleep is one I very much needed to hear today. I love my low boy dresser and mirror as a personal grooming space, but it is a horizontal surface that is also a hot spot. I have some work stress going on now and anything I can control that affects my sleep matters. I sense some focused decluttering in my plan for homecare today. Thanks.
Clutter makes me stress a lot. Every morning I have to go around the house and put it back in order if not it haunts me all day! Lol By the way I just watched the video where you interview Melissa55 about 4 years ago. Can you make an update video with her soon. I loved it and am now subscribed to her. It was so much fun and informative.
I am going thru this now. We want to relocate and so I started going through closets, boxes from last move, etc...and it's like an explosion happened. I'm overwhelmed and can not afford an organizer. The kick in the butt is I'm the one who will go into other's spaces and help declutter, clean and organize. I just can't seem to do it for myself.
I love this so much! you are the poster girl for living elegantly! I agree that decluttering is so essential to my well being-- our environment either pulls us forward or holds us back and I LOVE zen streamlined surroundings
I'm a minimalist (single and live alone fyi) because I struggle so much with my mental health (anxiety and depression). I'm not the best housekeeper, but having less things helps me keep my home in order. Clutter really gets to me. That being said...I have some tidying up to do. 😉
Oh Jennifer. This rings so true for me my whole life and especially as I am getting older. So interesting. And as a culture that has soooo much stuff no wonder. Great video as always. Thank you.
I agree one thousand percent. Being a visual learner, it is imperative the environment I'm in has organization of some sort. I get overwhelmed with too many options. Loved this video and the facts you stated. Thank you Jennifer. ❤
Thank you for this Jennifer! My struggle with clutter is what do I do with the item? throw away, try to sell or donate?? All the things we've accumulated are of great value to us but little value to anyone else! And believe me I've gotten rid of and given away tons of stuff! Then I regret having made the expenditure in the first place and feel guilty. "Stuff" we think we can't live without at the time 😕 Thanks for doing the research and motivating me! God bless ♥️
Thank you so much for including the research here! I've always known this to be true for myself. I cannot function well if it is cluttered. It's not relaxing.
Hi Jennifer. I too was inspired by binge watching Hoarders a few years ago! However, my home needs decluttering now! I have way too many clothes, shoes, body care items etc. That is a constant problem for me as I love to shop. Ive been better, using up products and not buying my wants and not needs. My sons are raised, we are almost empty nesters. Now we need to declutter Science Fair projects, sports trophies, Halloween costumes. Its crazy how much stuff is accumulated.
I’m one of those people with a really low tolerance for disorder and clutter. I’m always tidying and editing my possessions, but I still have a much bigger wardrobe than I need. I went through it ruthlessly this last year after learning that I’m allergic to synthetic fibers and purged all clothes with those in them, but there is still so much of everything! Now, I buy only a few top-quality items, so I’ve dealt with the problem of too much “incoming”, but it’s just not enough. I’m not sure what to do next, but I would like to get rid of at least one of my extra rails of clothing. I have very little closet space and no built-in shelf space at all, in my Victorian cottage. It didn’t have a single closet or cabinet storage, like for my linens, cleaning supplies and tools, or anything else when I bought it. I’ve added storage units, but the basic problem is that I just have too many clothes, many of which are just way too big, but too well-loved to part with. I did recently find a good tailor, so I might have some of them altered, I did what I could myself already, but not the silk items, which are very tricky. I can only afford $100/month for ongoing tailoring. Could you help with a specific wardrobe declutter video?
I grew up in a level 4 hoarded home and am a little bit of a neat-freak as a result. ;) My biggest struggle is procrasti-clutter. Like right now I have three things out on my desk because I have been putting off the tasks associated with them and they have no home because they will be thrown out once I make the call, log the information, etc. It makes me anxious to have even small messes so they are going on the schedule for the morning!
Great video thank you so much! I struggle with clutter daily. My husband complains but doesn’t declutter anything 😂he thinks it’s “all my stuff”. My 18 yo daughters room is busting at the seams but she leaves for college in 4 months, so I think will naturally give her a fresh start and force her to edit her possessions. I do find a quick declutter and organize in my closet calms me. Funny enough our bedroom is bare bones and I like it that way 😊
Yes I am very sensitive to clutter. My parents don’t seem to be though. I like to go through my things regularly so they don’t pile up. I can attest that I am at a good weight, good health, and I don’t really snack. 💕
Jennifer, where do you advise we start? 10 item wardrobe? Decluttering the home? Cooking meals? I accomplished intermittent fasting (lost 30-35 pounds, but experienced nutritional deficiencies and severe hair loss). I find all your tips beneficial and love to watch your videos to see them in action. However I struggle with taking the knowledge and implementing in my own life. Where do you suggest one would start when there’s trying to implement the lessons from madam chic ? In your mid/lifestyle, can you prioritize the lessons for those of us facing decision fatigue?
My biggest clutter issue is with mail ... I go through it to pull bills to pay but throw the rest in a basket to go through later. I don't like to throw mail in the trash with our name/address/credit card pre-approvals, etc. so I deal with it all later. Then the basket is so full it takes some time to sort and shred, etc. Now I do it every week which is working out well. I have been purging all kinds of things and passing them on to be a blessing to someone else. When I pass on I don't want our daughter to be stuck with all this "stuff" to deal with because we had to clean out my parents and my husbands parents homes and they had so many decades of stuff to go through. I'm not a minimalist, but one in and one out is my moto now!
I find the remark about bedrooms particularly interesting. I recall reading some feng shui tips years ago and in the top 5 was a tidy bedroom with nothing under the bed. Although I don’t subscribe to Eastern philosophies, there’s alway a bit of wisdom to be gleaned. Thanks for an informative video. 😊
Clutter stresses me out. Our house is very cluttered with 5 rooms that are so full and stuffed to the ceiling that you cannot even enter those rooms. I wish I could declutter our house but all the clutter is my husband 's stuff that he inherited from his parents. It is very frustrating.
Hi Jennifer, Excellent topic to ponder on your video today. We have a good bit of storage in our lower level since Lydia moved her business to a warehouse this winter, I’ve slowly reorganized our basement. This is our laundry and exercise area, too, so covering the organized shelves keeps me on track with my exercise. Our 19 yo discovered this empty space and is trying to move into this area. Ha, ha, just have to roll with 7 children all starting their own businesses from scratch after graduation from our homeschool. Julie 🌷
Great topic! Decluttering a bit at a time has been such a great education in focus, self care, patience and many more things. Where are your fridge cleaning over the elbow gloves from? Thanks
Seeing clutter is a constant visual cue that you have something to do that you’re not doing. You’re never able to fully tune it out; it’s a chronic stress factor until it’s addressed. With my ADHD, I can get sucked into decluttering/cleaning for hours instead of doing work - that’s when I know I need to change my environment and go to a coffee shop. Sometimes, when you can’t remove all the clutter, you have to remove yourself and come back to tidying up later.
I've always been pretty good about clutter---except clutter in closets! Twice a year, I clean everything out and think, "Wow, I'm going to keep my closet looking like this!" and then three or four months later, it's messy again. This year I tackled my largest closet and went through all my old papers--shredded them and tossed them out. I had a mini trampoline in the closet. I bought it SIX years ago and only used it for exercise once, so I thought, "Who am I kidding?" Put in in the car to donate to charity shop.
It is interesting that the Bible tells us "Let all things be done decently and in order." Clutter gives me anxiety! Thank you for this beautiful video, Jennifer.
What fascinating studies on clutter! How amazing to use a home declutter project as a catalyst for health and wellness. That would make for a great story.
Great video, thank you! I do notice the clutter has a negative cognitive effect on me, as if I can't think straight when the house is too messy. I too love the show How Clean I Your House 😊!
I have almost no self--control regarding vintage and antique items--especially books/magazines and clothing. The problem is there are always fantastic items to buy but how many vintage sweaters can I actually wear? I am open to any and all advice. 😢
I don’t have advice, but I would bet serious money that you are more pleasant and enjoyable to be around than most people who cannot stand anything out of place 🤷🏻♀️
I hope you enjoyed today's video! Get 50% off your first order of CookUnity meals - go to cookunity.com/connoisseur and use my code CONNOISSEUR50 at checkout to try them out for yourself! Thanks to CookUnity for sponsoring this video. Thank you for watching, everyone. I would love to hear about your clutter journey in the comments below. Love, Jennifer
Could you please indicate what the physical limitations of your offers are. This is not available in Canada.
“People in cluttered environments make poor food choices” as I sit in my cluttered kitchen eating a doughnut watching on my phone 🙈 I feel called out 😂😂
Raised in a cluttered home, I can testify to the side effects you mentioned - stress, physical and emotional chaos, depression...all of it. Clutter can also make you feel unsafe and out of control. I'm proud to say that I no longer live this way. My home and I are still a work in progress, but overall I've learned to own my stuff, not let my stuff own me. When I need motivation, I watch decluttering videos from some of my favorite UA-camrs. Thank you for this video and including so much research, since clutter greatly affects our psychological well-being. ❤
AMENNNNN, Betsy!!! ❤️
@@marya.pierce5236 ❤️❤️❤️❤️
All of this is 100% true. Perhaps tidiness is a personality type?
I can think of many ladies whose homes are very neat and clean, their appearance is also very neat and attractive, their at a healthy, slim weight. I think it suggests discipline.
I know a very tidy person who raised tidy people and they are all chock full of anxiety. They cannot function with any conflict, even healthy and calm disagreements. This person used cleaning and organizing as a way to cope and then made it seem like it was their personality, when really it was a compulsive desire to control. Instead of peace, they just constantly ran from conflict of any kind. (Now I do totally agree that clutter isn’t good! Just that I’ve seen it taken to both extremes and neither is healthy. I used to be so envious of all the tidy people. Now I realize that everyone is just coping with life, sometimes we choose healthy ways to deal and sometimes we don’t. I’m trying to declutter because it’s good, while knowing it won’t fix the sad truths of life and death.)
I lost 50 pounds in 2018 and the first action I had to take was to rid our kitchen of the foods that were going to be counterproductive to weight loss. I've realized that when my food storage areas are streamlined, decluttered and organized, I'm more successful with healthy eating. I enjoyed this video! Thank you!
That is interesting, I should do the same!
I guess because you know exactly what you need. And if you have healthy ingredients to cook with in you kitchen, it makes it so easy to gravitate towards that path.
This ties right into why studies have shown that we are so relaxed in nice hotel rooms---they're clean and very uncluttered. Our minds can relax. My weight definitely correlates with seasons of tidiness vs. untidiness in my apartment.
One person gave me some advice about an area in my home that was overwhelmingly stuffed with STUFF. She said to ONLY start with one small area and separate the items into 2 piles {one pile of thing you can easily say, "Yes, I will keep that." and the other pile is a "No, I don't need that." She said with the yes pile, "Don't think about where you are going to put it because that will come later." The "No pile" are things that are leaving the house either to a charity shop or to the trash bin. I can proudly say that the area is half way done and I feel like a ton has been lifted from my soul. Thanks for sharing.
I was raised in a very cluttered home, because my mom didn't like to throw away anything. I learned as an adult it is actually good to declutter, donating and throwing away things that don't fit in my space or have no use. I love having a declutter house, and also am constantly working on keeping it that way. Sometimes I will spend an entire Saturday decluttering my bathroom (make up and other supplies) and creating order, and it the feeling of opening organized drawers is a long lasting gift I give to myself.
We recently put our home on the market and so we had to depersonalize and simplify our home and remove absolutely all clutter. I was worried how I was going to keep the house clean for showings and open houses, but it has been so much easier than I expected! I'm going to take this into our next home, and have already begun deeply decluttering all the stuff we stored away for showings. I want to take this peaceful and easy maintenance feeling with me to our next home!
Yes! I experienced the same thing when we have sold our homes in the past!
Great inspiration! I homeschool our three boys in a small home, so it’s a constant challenge. But I love the feeling of triumph when the house is all neat and clean and orderly. Also you look fabulous in that blouse with that necklace! ❤
I do have a monthly cleaning service come in to deep clean our condo. But I weekly keep up vacuuming, change of bedsheets, toilet/bathroom cleaning, etc. Yet the monthly deep-clean REALLY encourages me to “keep” my 2700 square foot condo up. My mother raised me to dust my bedroom furniture weekly & vacumn my own bedroom … beginning at age 10. It stuck with me😉
I absolutely believe this. I can always tell when I’m mentally struggling by how cluttered my home is. The minute I get mentally clear, so does my home. Thankfully I’m usually self aware enough to catch myself early.
Just recently my 14 year old daughter was reading the chapter in the Madame Chic book about how decluttering is so not chic. She was instantly inspired, and now both of us are beginning to declutter the house. Thank you so much, Jennifer!❤
This is so timely as I am going through a big declutter/tidy throughout my home right now. One way that keeps me motivated to keep going is to take before and after pictures. I've printed them out and put them into a journal so I can document my journey and remember how far I've come! -Sara
Good idea
Great idea!
I think this is a good idea. But I don’t want to be reminded of my messes 😓🫣
I am a intestinal biohacker- kill bugs in tummy and your life becomes much cleaner. So usually around everyone’s second full moon of biohacking comes the house purge! Removing parasites from the intestine is great for health but it also comes with a physical purge as well- in the form of getting rid of junk around the house.
There are clinical studies showing when people clean their house they lose a bunch of weight and it is almost like we carry around the weight of the stuff that’s considered clutter quite literally too
This is so interesting!
I try my best to keep our home clutter free and a pleasant place to be, however I have a chronic health condition that I battle against. Quickly the house can become out of control with 4 wonderful children. I find it really saps my energy and makes me feel overwhelmed. Even though I have removed 1000’s of possessions from our home over the years I feel I would like to declutter ever further to make the house more manageable to me when I am really struggling with my health. I completely agree that clutter affects your energy, stress and weight!
I love your videos Jennifer. Thank you for the time, energy and care you put into them. You are very inspiring ❤
Agreed. Clutter makes me feel confused and stresses me out.
Yes! Yes! Yes! I absolutely agree with the studies you found. I love a tidy home. In a tidy home, I feel relaxed and at peace. With clutter, no peace of mind nor relaxation. Things I believe to have/keep a tidy home. 1. Everything should have a place 2. Everyone should pick up after themselves 3. Put things back after using them 4. (Bonus) Enjoy an evening cup of tea with my husband while we do our Bible studies. 🤍God bless you and yours, Jennifer! We all love you, dearly. 🧡
Thank you!
It’s not “mom brain” - it’s my clutter 😅😂 This video is sooooo timely. I’ve recently started on a major decluttering journey. I’m ready to reclaim my home and my peace of mind.
Hello Jennifer. I absolutely agree with all you said, supported by scientific studies.
My parents grew up in a word recovering after a War. They still think everything can be necessary some day, so, their home and my home town is tremendously cluttered.
It’s sad, because I avoid going on holydays to my beautiful cotagge in the mountains because it makes me feel anxious.
I learned to accept how they think and respect it.
I use my experience to declutter my home and I try to make my home bright, relaxing and beautiful.
Goodbye. Wishing you a calm weekend 🌸
I wish there was a playlist of only Jennifer's videos on decluttering, I think there are a good few new! I would have them on loop while tidying my home... :-)
Thank you, Jennifer! I put your video on hold and went to clean my refrigerator:) Now it is clean. I will take clutter to a thrift store next week if not tomorrow. It is true that if there are fewer items in the fridge it is easier to prepare something healthy. As a teacher, when I came home, I am so tired that i tend to go for what is fast, instead of healthy.
This is so coincidental! I literally just put out a bag of items for our local veterans organization to pick up! I keep an ongoing "decluttering" bag and as I see items that could benefit others that we have outgrown, in they go. It's cathartic and sensible! 🧡
Serendipitous!
Donate regularly!!!
Love this content! I completely agree that decluttering brings so much more than a tidy home… Peace, clarity and positive energy!
I loved how clean is your house! i miss that show.
Thank you Jennifer for this video! I have always been a very organized person since I was a child. Clutter, messiness and uncleanliness make me feel very uneasy. However, I have been suprised over the years that people get quite disturbed or offended by my clean home. I sometimes get snarky comments about how we keep our house. Having some routines do not give me stress, clutter does. I find these comments quite disturbing since I do not go around other people’s homes and judge them about they keep their (sometimes messy) houses. Does anybody else have had these kind of experiences?
I have done a major declutter in 2022. I have noticed a huge shift in my mental health journey. My anxiety has been more easily managed. I still have fine tuning. We live in a 960 square foot home. It is 3 bedroom 2 bathroom. We have to stay on top of what comes into our home because clutter can build up quickly if we are not careful .
As our parents aged then died, we were the repository of all their items until the family came to our house to choose keepsakes. Sadly they didn’t choose much and we have generational junk that we are having difficulty disposing. I think that my husband and I might do well to take care of each other’s parents’ items. Keep things because they were a loved one’s is rarely practical in our crowded home. It is a problem currently, but one that I’ve been slowly working to diminish. It does add emotional baggage!
Yes, clutter and the lack of both have made such impacts on my life. In the middle of decluttering and transforming my thinking. Dawn the Minimal Mom has been so helpful with this! Everything you shared here rang true with me.
I was brought up in a cluttered home and now mine is just as bad, I put things away and have a box in every room so I can toss things in for donating. It lasts one or two days, I look around and I am back in a cluttered room. I don’t know if there is hope for me but I will keep trying.
Gotta tell ya, the bold striped blouse matches your upward energy in this video in a very good way.❤
Hi Jennifer, I enjoyed this video. This is a really hard subject for me because I am not naturally organized and feel very overwhelmed. My mom was the neatest person on earth, but somehow or other that gene skipped me. I guess for me I need to learn how to organize. I truly do have the desire to be clutter free. It’s just very hard and not happening. xo, Cowgirl Deb
Same. 3/4 of the other people of my family are organized . It’s not that I don’t like a clutter free space, it’s hard to spend time actually doing the decluttering 😮😮😮and then difficult to keep it uncluttered. Just thinking about all the stuff Maher me tired and also itchy cuz I’m allergic to dust mites
Tbh the shame of it is the worse feeling. I feel like I can handle the clutter and know when it’s absolutely necessary to start cleaning. But I keep the doors and closets shut out of embarrassment and hope no one accidentally opens them-esp the 3 other “neat people “ I know. They instantly judge me, call me lazy etc. it’s just not a huge priority and unlike them, I don’t have cleaning ladies coming 1-2/month to help 😢 also dealing with life changes, depression, chronic illnesses, and various coping mechanisms(social media) that help me get through my day
Love this topic! I tell my husband that clutter gives me hives. I too love the show "How Clean is Your House" and often watched it for inspiration.
The third point is really helpful. Thank you. Motivated me a lot.
Great video, Jennifer! I have found that when I lack motivation on removing unloved and not needed items from my home, that watching a Hoarders episode lights the proverbial fire underneath me. I don't have a hoarding situation, but seeing one (or many) stirs a fear in me that I have to make sure I never get to that place. I believe that my biggest challenge is actually getting the items out of my house in a timely fashion. I have a few boxes that are ready for consignment and donation, but we are in a busy season of life and they haven't made it completely out yet.
Yes! Hoarders and How Clean is Your House?
Hoarders is my “nightmare” show! It’s so much worse than Chucky, Nightmare on Elm Street or any movie with a babysitter in it! 🤣 An episode or two and I’m cleaning the house like crazy for weeks!!!
Where do you consign to?
I’m a homeschooling mother with 6 sons ages 10 down to 1…..I found Dawn from the The Minimal Mom at the beginning of 2021 and began my decluttering journey. We’ve let go of about 70% of the items in our home since then and the changes have been incredible.
I spend less time cleaning than I ever have, and still get amazed how quickly we are able to reset our home to looking tidy again.
I absolutely consider myself a minimalist now, and I feel passionately that it is the answer and would revolutionize homes and lives everywhere.
We don’t realize the burden of all our ‘stuff’ until we begin to let it go, and I have found nothing but freedom in doing so, whereas before, I felt enslaved by the abundance as I constantly struggled to maintain a tidy home with so many young children.
I couldn’t let go of my standards of having a frequently clean and tidy home, so I chose to purge as much as possible, so I could spend my time doing more of the things I want and that enrich my life, and will never go back. It’s like you said, it is a journey and we are never ‘done’, but it gets easier for sure!
So helpful and encouraging. Have had the shock of my life, and I'm going through grief. Thank God my friends have remodeled and redecorated my home. Just before the traumatic news I did a quick cleanup! This is such wise counsel.
Oh, Jennifer! Thank you so much for today's video! You are speaking my language. I am like you, highly sensitive to disorder and clutter. My husband of 30+ years could never "hear" me about this topic. It caused me constant and abiding stress and I put on very much weight even though I am a mind-body nutrition counselor and I know all the right things to do. Had said to him ( now my ex) several times through the years that there is not ever been one time that our house didn't have boxes, etc., sitting around. It always made me feel so unsettled. Well I ended up with advanced adrenal fatigue which, at the root, is definitely stress, and specifically the kind of stress that you feel helpless to change. Whew! So frustrating! I know a very wise woman who once said to me that your home is your sanctuary. I have kept that in my heart and my understanding ever since. I know at least most of us deal with some amount of clutter, but it is so vital that your other household members work as a team for the mental health of your environment. Thank you so much for today's video. It almost brought tears! Love you and I am so thankful for the influence you have in my life. I have plans to pass some of your influence on to my adult nieces. ❤❤❤
I’m sorry you had to go through that. Much love ❤️
I never saw “How Clean is Your House” but I’ve watched enough episodes of “Hoarders” to be similarly inspired.
Are the stainless steel chafing dishes part of your regular decor? They are lovely but take up a lot of real estate. I found this a very helpful video with pertinent studies that change perceptions about clutter.
Yes i too have decluttering struggles and become affected by clutter. I agree with everything you have spoken about in this video. Thankyiu Jennifer. Xx
Very informative video. Now I must go to decluttering my home.
The effects of an ‘out-of-control’ house is overwhelming and has a constant presence. Everything you said is so true. I’ve started tackling things a very small amount at a time.
Clutter effects my energy and mood ! We have decluttered when we moved and it’s so much better all around
My husband and I had 3 estates we had to manage, all at the same time! Naturally we were stressed out because the bulk of our family had passed away at once. There was a LOT of physical work on a time-line and ultimately I injured my back and my husband his neck and a shoulder.
This resulted in a lot of stuff ending up at our home. We both go to physical therapy, and I'm getting through it bit by bit. (Oh how I wish I could just twitch my nose...)
I do keep the kitchen and my bathroom clean which helps to keep me grounded.
Like Samantha from Bewitched! I hope you and your husband heal soon!
@@TheDailyConnoisseur Thank you! We're coming along... ❤️
I love the little dolls house! I’d love to see more of it- it was strangely relaxing! ☺️
Yes me too! I really ❤ the doll house!
I love our mouse house. It's by Maileg!
I must admit I would love to play in there. 😄
Many congratulations Jennifer, I think this is actually the best summary on that topic that I have seen so far (and I have to say I have seen many)! Very informative while still beautiful and entertaining. As a mum, your channel is my absolute favourite thing on UA-cam ❤ I am really into feng shui at the moment and I find it very interesting how the western world is now finding out about energy in our home and how it is affecting us in every possible way. Many thanks for also talking about this very important subject.❤
Thank you ❤️
This video is brilliant. I agree. I am very sensitive to disorder and clutter. Thanks for sharing the origin and methodology of this.
I have been telling ppl the exact same thing for years! Years ago I was taught how to deal with children at school who had Learning Challenges! One of the biggest "Culprit" working against their abilities was CLUTTER! Giving children too many Toys Clutters their Mind! That's the reason you don't give a child a 1,000 piece puzzle. You give them one with 5 pieces. Once they have Mastered it & no longer go to that puzzle, then you can put it away & give them a new challenge, like telling you the color green at the Park, etc. It doesn't always have to be a Toy! Today's busy Parents keep giving their children Things, the Adults in the Household accumulate Things! Nothing is ever gotten rid of once it ceases to function FOR you! Another problem is, Ppl aren't taking 5 minutes to hang up their clothes when they take them off, or put them in the Clothes Hamper.They just drop them where ever. Kitchens are another place, how many dozen Cookbooks does one need out on the Counter, that are never used?
My husband & I are both 73 & even tho we've always had a Meticulously Clean Home, over 56yrs of Marriage, you accumulate "Things". Of course we've decluttered many things over the years, but lately we've been really Clearing Out EVERYTHING we don't use on a Regular Basis! We have taken small loads of Things to the Charity Shop once a week! (we never go into the store, just pull our car up to the Donate Area)
It's really Amazing how Great you Feel once you begin to get rid of things! There's an Emotional Tie that is broken from those things & you're literally Set Free!
This video really motivated me. I got a lot accomplished today!
Thank you! This is just what I needed right now! (Over the last few months, I’ve become more determined to get rid of clutter, and this is inspiring me to make a bigger push!)
Thank you for this reminder, Jennifer. I happen to have your books and when you mentioned the Clutter chapter in your At Home with Madame Chic, I reread that chapter and in that chapter you mentioned editing your wardrobe from Lessons from Madame Chic. So I reread that chapter as well (Liberate Yourself with the Ten-Item Wardrobe). It makes so much sense. I might not get down to the 10 item wardrobe but I am planning on clearing at least 50% of my closet. I'm off to closet purge!
Wonderful!
I saved this video because I had "Declutter kitchen stuff" written in my calendar to day. Thank you for the inspiration! It worked! I will close down my computer and start right now 😃
My dad is a hoarder so I've grown up in a home what usually filled with a lot of stuff. I am the opposite in my home. I detest clutter. I often quote Mary Poppins', "a thing of beauty is a joy forever" and my children will retort with yes, until mom moves it : ) I enjoy neat and tidy spaces and have tried raising my children to appreciate this too. I agree with you that decluttering is never finished but rather an on-going challenge to keep one's space in order.
did you see the studies that showed clutter creates more anxiety in women then men?
This video just confirmed everything I already felt in my gut. I too am very sensitive to clutter. I can feel my anxiety rise when I step into a space that’s messy and unorganized. Not to say that my home is perfect by any means 😅 but I do think because I’m so sensitive, I tend to keep up with it more than others I know of. I also would be curious how this would affect women’s decoration styles. If you’re more sensitive to clutter, do you tend towards more simple design styles? It would be an interesting study.
LOVED this video, Jennifer! Everything you said rang true for me. With six children, keeping our home in order is a daily process, even with relatively minimal possessions. A recent development for the better was clearing my kitchen counters of EVERYTHING but our water filter/dispenser and a houseplant. (I was inspired to do this while reading Marie Kondo’s latest book.) It felt almost wrong to remove my little vignettes and decorative utensils, but it has been a night-and-day difference in our family’s ability to keep the kitchen clean. It’s easier on our brains to see what needs to be cleaned without having to mentally separate decor and clutter.
The insight on clutter affecting sleep is one I very much needed to hear today. I love my low boy dresser and mirror as a personal grooming space, but it is a horizontal surface that is also a hot spot. I have some work stress going on now and anything I can control that affects my sleep matters. I sense some focused decluttering in my plan for homecare today. Thanks.
So timely Lady Jennifer! Spring 🌱 & Restoration (ThankYou for this)
Clutter makes me stress a lot. Every morning I have to go around the house and put it back in order if not it haunts me all day! Lol
By the way I just watched the video where you interview Melissa55 about 4 years ago. Can you make an update video with her soon. I loved it and am now subscribed to her. It was so much fun and informative.
I am going thru this now. We want to relocate and so I started going through closets, boxes from last move, etc...and it's like an explosion happened. I'm overwhelmed and can not afford an organizer. The kick in the butt is I'm the one who will go into other's spaces and help declutter, clean and organize. I just can't seem to do it for myself.
I love this so much! you are the poster girl for living elegantly! I agree that decluttering is so essential to my well being-- our environment either pulls us forward or holds us back and I LOVE zen streamlined surroundings
I'm a minimalist (single and live alone fyi) because I struggle so much with my mental health (anxiety and depression). I'm not the best housekeeper, but having less things helps me keep my home in order. Clutter really gets to me. That being said...I have some tidying up to do. 😉
Oh Jennifer. This rings so true for me my whole life and especially as I am getting older. So interesting. And as a culture that has soooo much stuff no wonder. Great video as always. Thank you.
I agree one thousand percent. Being a visual learner, it is imperative the environment I'm in has organization of some sort. I get overwhelmed with too many options. Loved this video and the facts you stated. Thank you Jennifer. ❤
Agreed! I saw a naturopathic doc in a home that was so cluttered it stressed me out to see him.
So true!
@@juliecarns I bet. Thanks for commenting! ☺
Thank you for this Jennifer! My struggle with clutter is what do I do with the item? throw away, try to sell or donate?? All the things we've accumulated are of great value to us but little value to anyone else! And believe me I've gotten rid of and given away tons of stuff! Then I regret having made the expenditure in the first place and feel guilty. "Stuff" we think we can't live without at the time 😕
Thanks for doing the research and motivating me! God bless ♥️
I do a bit of both and don't think about it too much...
I feel compelled to suggest watching the Minimal Mom! (UA-cam)🌷
Thank you so much for including the research here! I've always known this to be true for myself. I cannot function well if it is cluttered. It's not relaxing.
Hi Jennifer. I too was inspired by binge watching Hoarders a few years ago! However, my home needs decluttering now! I have way too many clothes, shoes, body care items etc. That is a constant problem for me as I love to shop. Ive been better, using up products and not buying my wants and not needs. My sons are raised, we are almost empty nesters. Now we need to declutter Science Fair projects, sports trophies, Halloween costumes. Its crazy how much stuff is accumulated.
I am in the process of clearing out all I no longer need. Need a sense of a better flow. Time consuming, but I will succeed. Love your videos.
This was an awesome and inspiring video! I really liked all the research.
thank you
I’m one of those people with a really low tolerance for disorder and clutter. I’m always tidying and editing my possessions, but I still have a much bigger wardrobe than I need. I went through it ruthlessly this last year after learning that I’m allergic to synthetic fibers and purged all clothes with those in them, but there is still so much of everything! Now, I buy only a few top-quality items, so I’ve dealt with the problem of too much “incoming”, but it’s just not enough. I’m not sure what to do next, but I would like to get rid of at least one of my extra rails of clothing. I have very little closet space and no built-in shelf space at all, in my Victorian cottage. It didn’t have a single closet or cabinet storage, like for my linens, cleaning supplies and tools, or anything else when I bought it. I’ve added storage units, but the basic problem is that I just have too many clothes, many of which are just way too big, but too well-loved to part with. I did recently find a good tailor, so I might have some of them altered, I did what I could myself already, but not the silk items, which are very tricky. I can only afford $100/month for ongoing tailoring. Could you help with a specific wardrobe declutter video?
I grew up in a level 4 hoarded home and am a little bit of a neat-freak as a result. ;) My biggest struggle is procrasti-clutter. Like right now I have three things out on my desk because I have been putting off the tasks associated with them and they have no home because they will be thrown out once I make the call, log the information, etc. It makes me anxious to have even small messes so they are going on the schedule for the morning!
Great video thank you so much! I struggle with clutter daily. My husband complains but doesn’t declutter anything 😂he thinks it’s “all my stuff”. My 18 yo daughters room is busting at the seams but she leaves for college in 4 months, so I think will naturally give her a fresh start and force her to edit her possessions. I do find a quick declutter and organize in my closet calms me. Funny enough our bedroom is bare bones and I like it that way 😊
Yes I am very sensitive to clutter. My parents don’t seem to be though. I like to go through my things regularly so they don’t pile up. I can attest that I am at a good weight, good health, and I don’t really snack. 💕
Jennifer, where do you advise we start? 10 item wardrobe? Decluttering the home? Cooking meals?
I accomplished intermittent fasting (lost 30-35 pounds, but experienced nutritional deficiencies and severe hair loss).
I find all your tips beneficial and love to watch your videos to see them in action. However I struggle with taking the knowledge and implementing in my own life. Where do you suggest one would start when there’s trying to implement the lessons from madam chic ? In your mid/lifestyle, can you prioritize the lessons for those of us facing decision fatigue?
My biggest clutter issue is with mail ... I go through it to pull bills to pay but throw the rest in a basket to go through later. I don't like to throw mail in the trash with our name/address/credit card pre-approvals, etc. so I deal with it all later. Then the basket is so full it takes some time to sort and shred, etc. Now I do it every week which is working out well. I have been purging all kinds of things and passing them on to be a blessing to someone else. When I pass on I don't want our daughter to be stuck with all this "stuff" to deal with because we had to clean out my parents and my husbands parents homes and they had so many decades of stuff to go through. I'm not a minimalist, but one in and one out is my moto now!
I find the remark about bedrooms particularly interesting. I recall reading some feng shui tips years ago and in the top 5 was a tidy bedroom with nothing under the bed. Although I don’t subscribe to Eastern philosophies, there’s alway a bit of wisdom to be gleaned. Thanks for an informative video. 😊
I am at the very end of your book & I have to say how much I have loved it!!
I'm so happy to hear it!
Great tips ❤
Clutter stresses me out. Our house is very cluttered with 5 rooms that are so full and stuffed to the ceiling that you cannot even enter those rooms. I wish I could declutter our house but all the clutter is my husband 's stuff that he inherited from his parents. It is very frustrating.
Hi Jennifer, Excellent topic to ponder on your video today.
We have a good bit of storage in our lower level since Lydia moved her business to a warehouse this winter, I’ve slowly reorganized our basement. This is our laundry and exercise area, too, so covering the organized shelves keeps me on track with my exercise.
Our 19 yo discovered this empty space and is trying to move into this area. Ha, ha, just have to roll with 7 children all starting their own businesses from scratch after graduation from our homeschool.
Julie 🌷
Great topic! Decluttering a bit at a time has been such a great education in focus, self care, patience and many more things.
Where are your fridge cleaning over the elbow gloves from? Thanks
Amazon, I heard it in one of her videos
Great tips and studies. Thanks Jennifer, have a wonderful weekend!
Seeing clutter is a constant visual cue that you have something to do that you’re not doing. You’re never able to fully tune it out; it’s a chronic stress factor until it’s addressed. With my ADHD, I can get sucked into decluttering/cleaning for hours instead of doing work - that’s when I know I need to change my environment and go to a coffee shop. Sometimes, when you can’t remove all the clutter, you have to remove yourself and come back to tidying up later.
I was inspired by the book Goodbye Things
I've always been pretty good about clutter---except clutter in closets! Twice a year, I clean everything out and think, "Wow, I'm going to keep my closet looking like this!" and then three or four months later, it's messy again. This year I tackled my largest closet and went through all my old papers--shredded them and tossed them out. I had a mini trampoline in the closet. I bought it SIX years ago and only used it for exercise once, so I thought, "Who am I kidding?" Put in in the car to donate to charity shop.
It is interesting that the Bible tells us "Let all things be done decently and in order."
Clutter gives me anxiety!
Thank you for this beautiful video, Jennifer.
What fascinating studies on clutter! How amazing to use a home declutter project as a catalyst for health and wellness. That would make for a great story.
Walking to the refrigerator immediately! It was the first cluttered “space” that came to mind when watching this.
I love your Lily Silk Amalfi shirt, Jennifer! Does it run true to size? Did you order M or S? Thanks!
Amazing Jennifer! Very helpful!
Great video, thank you! I do notice the clutter has a negative cognitive effect on me, as if I can't think straight when the house is too messy. I too love the show How Clean I Your House 😊!
I used to love How clean is your house! My hubby is the clutterbug in our house!!
I have almost no self--control regarding vintage and antique items--especially books/magazines and clothing. The problem is there are always fantastic items to buy but how many vintage sweaters can I actually wear? I am open to any and all advice. 😢
I don’t have advice, but I would bet serious money that you are more pleasant and enjoyable to be around than most people who cannot stand anything out of place 🤷🏻♀️
I remember that show! I had the same reaction
My closet and my basement are the areas that regularly get more out of hand because those are our primary storage areas for the home.
Love this video. Please do more like this.
❤ I love the stripy shirt on you! So chic. Lovely video 🙏🏻
So true! Thank you!🥰
Love this video! So much truth.