When Natalie Roberts’ therapist suggested decluttering as a potential remedy for her anxiety and OCD, she didn’t quite buy it. The thought of sorting through her belongings to ease mental stress seemed counterintuitive. Yet, longing for relief from the grips of her condition, she decided to give it a shot and embarked on a quest to find a decluttering strategy that might actually work.
For years, anxiety and OCD had been running Natalie’s life like a chaotic circus. Her occupational therapist saw decluttering as a lifeline out of this turmoil. Despite some progress through therapy for over a year, compounded health issues, including long COVID, left her feeling stuck in a cycle of fear and isolation. Leaving the house became intimidating as the dread of illness loomed large. Life felt dull, and her home was a maze of obstacles rather than a sanctuary.
Natalie’s cluttered apartment took on a new degree of chaos when her mother moved, depositing a garage full of memories into her living room. She and her son navigated the space like adventurers plotting a course through an obstacle-laden jungle. Her therapist encapsulated her struggle perfectly: “You’re repeatedly having to step over your past — you’re being reminded of it every day.” It was a wake-up call that propelled Natalie into action that very day.
Natalie tried multiple decluttering methods, initially drawn to the KonMari method. Yet, her sentimental heart found joy in even the most mundane of items. Objects held memories too precious to discard, and the four-box approach—keep, donate/sell, storage, and trash—bogged her down in indecision. Anxiety dictated that most items ended up in storage as a “maybe” category. Confronted with guilt and the fear of losing memories, she pushed through with the help of her therapist.
The breakthrough came when Natalie shifted her mindset. Instead of eliminating possessions, she began deciding what was worth keeping. This alteration in perspective transformed the process from daunting to doable. Inspired by decluttering blogs, she asked herself a simple yet revealing question: Would she buy this item today if she didn’t already own it? With each item that found a new home, Natalie felt the stress unravel. Donating to charity became an act of release, each box lifted from her life like a previously unnoticed weight.
However, the journey was not without hurdles. OCD attempted to commandeer the process, manifesting as a compulsion to meet decluttering quotas each day. Recognizing this, Natalie took a deliberate pause to recalibrate and reignite her efforts with clarity and calm. As the months progressed, the rewards of her efforts became apparent. Improved sleep, heightened energy, and a reduced frequency of anxious thoughts became her new normal. As physical remnants of her past vanished, so did their emotional tether, granting Natalie the freedom to finally relax in her own space.
In the end, decluttering didn’t promise a magical recovery, but it certainly played a crucial role in Natali’s healing journey. By retaining only what she truly needed or treasured, Natalie not only simplified her home but also her mental landscape. Although it took 21 months, the result was a life transformed—from one ruled by turmoil to a space filled with tranquility and joy. Anxiety and OCD still linger, yet they no longer wield the power they once did. Natalie found that by removing the clutter of her past, she made room for peace and happiness.
Source: Yahoo
