Peter Walsh reveals what your clutter says about your personality
From the bargain hunter who can’t pass up a good deal to the secret hoarder who just can’t let go, there are many reasons why people hang on to “stuff”. But professional organiser Peter Walsh says one type of clutter is the hardest to purge.
Lifestyle
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Organisational skills often undergo an overhaul at this time of year.
Preparing for a mad rush ahead sets minds to analyse how to make life more efficient and orderly.
Professional organiser Peter Walsh has spent many years organising the lives of thousands of people, including Oprah Winfrey, and believes when people banish clutter they take a significant step towards banishing stress.
“There are lots of different kinds of people who clutter but, for all, the psychology around keeping stuff is to do with memory,” Walsh said.
“Our stuff says a lot about us and the stuff we hold on to says a lot about us. It’s a projection of ourselves. We’re taught that a sign of success is in the stuff we surround ourselves with so if we get a promotion, we buy something new or if you love someone you buy something expensive.”
He has isolated some key personality types who gather clutter and identifying with the type can help understand the reasons why it is hard to let go of certain belongings.
But he also challenges our values, explained in his new book Let It Go.
The type of clutter that is the greatest struggle is the sentimental clutter — anything from a dress you wore on a first date to children’s school work and photographs.
“The difficulty around that is that people are really worried if they let go of an object, they will lose the memory,” he said.
“The fear is that, if you let go of the object, you will lose the memory. Or if you let go of the object you will dishonour the memory of the person who gave it to you.
“The way to deal with this is to change the mindset in dealing with memory. It’s not so much about letting things go but it’s way more about finding the items that give you the most joy and create the best memory.
“If you tell me that this item is important but it’s covered in dust in the garage or in a plastic bag under the bed, I’d say it’s not important. If it’s important, you need to treat it with honour and respect.”
He refers to a client whose grandmother had been dead for 26 years and all of her belongings had been placed in storage.
Her most cherished memory of her grandmother was the time they spent together baking so they found her rolling pin, some cookie cutters, recipe cards and photos of them together in the kitchen. He mounted them all in a framed shadow box which now has pride of place in her own kitchen.
“All her fears about dishonouring her grandmother completely disappeared and she got rid of almost everything she had in storage,” he said.
“The truth is that no one who loves you would want you to be holding on to or being distressed by their physical stuff.”
CLUTTERING PERSONALITY TYPES
THE FAMILY HISTORIAN
These people are often stuck in the past and are worried or depressed about that so they keep everything from the family’s previous generations in the belief they will be needed one day.
THE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS CLUTTER
That person is fearful of the future so they hold on to everything just in case, somehow in the imagined future, they may need things which become a security blanket.
THE KNOWLEDGE SEEKER
They hold on to books, magazines and even store articles on the computer. These people often have a thirst for knowledge and a belief that if they have this information in their home, they think they have the knowledge. If they have a display of books, it bolsters their self-esteem.
THE TECH CLUTTER
Holding on to every single technical device, USB drive and cable from their past, even if it’s no longer relevant. Like the knowledge clutter, holding on to cutting-edge technology, will make this person hey feel like they’re on top of things.
I’M A GREAT SHOPPER CLUTTER
The bargain hunter shopper thinks if they get something on sale, even if they don’t need it, they’re ahead of the game and smarter than everyone else. But if they don’t need the stuff, they can push themselves into financial trouble.