The Psychology of Closet Organization

Summary: Emotional attachments are what cause people to hold on to their mementos and clothing. Find out why.

People tend to keep a lot more than they get rid of. This is because many articles of clothing connect them to past memories. You keep your high school jersey because it was the exact same one that you had when you won the playoffs. Everything can rush back into your memory like the day that you were there.

Holding on to Too Much

Problems occur when people hold on to too many things. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, but when you continue to purchase more clothes just make yourself feel good, closet organization issues arise.

The Meaning of Clutter

For seasoned closet organizers do it yourself projects are not a task but are done with passion. For the everyday person, it may not be so fun to continuously organize and get rid of clutter. There are several different forms of clutter including: emotional, mental and spiritual. There is a certain psychology of clutter that relates to how people tend to internally feel. You are what you keep after all.

Internal vs. External

Many times, the outside environment is a reflection of your internal environment. Your room is cluttered, messy and just downright bad. By not dealing with the issue at hand you are hiding from bigger problems. There is always a fear of letting things go and by keeping all your belongings around you, you will know exactly where they are at all times. It is sort of like a safety blanket in a sense.

When closet organization systems fail you and you can barely see the wood anymore, things need to change. Some solid advice is deal with the external environment around you. This will lead to immediate results.

Be mindful of clutter. Use your closet storage systems the right way, not as a nightstand for all of your goods. Every time you open up to letting go of your belongings, you create space for opportunity and creativity.