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Do you seem to always have clutter lying around? Your clutter personality type will explain everything.
By Debra Smouse
Last updated on Oct 09, 2023
If you struggle with organization and keeping your home clean, you're not alone. Finding the time to tidy up when you're so busy can seem impossible.
But there's a way to make clutter a thing of the past, and it starts with recognizing the personality traits that mark your "clutter personality type" and how to declutter based on who you are as a person.
If there’s one thing I know intimately, it’s how one moment my house is spotless, and then the next there are towering piles of clutter — in every room. You probably notice these messes right before the doorbell rings. Or you finish a big project for work and you can’t take one more minute of the mess.
But where do you begin clearing the clutter from your home? Especially when you’re feeling frustrated and wonder why this always happens to you. Why does your house go from tidy to a hot mess seemingly overnight?
I feel you. There are those times when the last thing I want to do is begin clearing clutter from my house. What has been key to me being able to have a tidy house most of the time and not stressing out when the house naturally gets a little (or a lot) messy?
It's knowing your clutter personality.
What is a clutter personality type?
A clutter personality type refers to individuals who have a tendency to accumulate and hold onto a significant amount of possessions or clutter in their living spaces, often finding it challenging to let go of items, even if they are no longer useful or necessary.
Clutter can even lead to negative effects on our brains like stress and a reduction in working memory. Knowing your "clutter personality type" opens the door to understanding how to begin clearing the clutter from your home.
Like any kind of awareness, knowing why you tend to be messy allows you to find that deeper motivation for tackling clutter once and for all; knowing how to get a quick handle on things when things pin out a bit.
Here are the clutter personality types and what it says about why you tend to be messy.
Once you discover your clutter personality type, you can determine the ways in which is can help you clean and tidy your home — and keep it that way. So, when it comes to clearing the clutter from your home, which one (or combination) are you?
1. The Hustler
Not only do you have a full-time job, but you also have a passionate side gig. You love working and are always on the grind.
Unfortunately, that leaves little time for clearing the clutter from your home on the regular. You have too much stuff you’d rather be doing.
If you’re a hustler, remind yourself that there’s no space for new to enter your world without making space for it. Not only does physical clutter make your house untidy, but it also makes your mind cluttered, too.
When you understand that clearing the clutter from your home makes you even more successful, you’ll be more motivated to get started.
2. The Treasure Hunter
You're seeking a way to fill a hole in your life and shopping does that for you. And, sure, a new sweater or purse makes you feel better. For a little while.
Stuff builds up, and you spend a lot of money on it, so you keep it. Clearing the clutter from your home would force you to come face to face with all the ways you still are seeking love and satisfaction.
If you're a treasure hunter, make peace with the fact that the true treasure in life is you. That beautiful mind and soul of yours needs space for your brilliant ideas.
3. The Overnight Success-Seeker
You find yourself searching for the next big thing. You buy exercise programs, workout equipment, and special kitchen appliances for the perfect body... only to abandon them all when it doesn’t work.
If you’re the overnight success-seeker, you need to accept that there is no such thing as overnight success. However, if you want to make major progress towards your goals, clear what’s in the way.
Beginning with your physical world can be the key to sticking to those goals of yours. So, start by clearing the clutter from one space in your home at a time. Try one of these: your closet, your kitchen, or your bedroom.
4. The Consummate Saver
You save practically everything. You know because you might need it again. Sometimes you worry you have too much stuff stashed away.
And just when you think you should begin clearing the clutter in your home, you can’t seem to do it. Because you are equally worried that if you ditch anything, that will be the moment you need it.
If you're the consummate saver, I understand. I used to save everything. What cured me of this was having to clean out my mother’s closet after she passed away. I didn’t want my own children to have to do that.
5. The Social Butterfly
Not only are you working, but you also have activities. You know: yoga class, book club, and regular game night. And, of course, your kids are just as booked (or overbooked) as you.
The only time you consider clearing the clutter from your home is when you are hosting a book club. Or your kid’s Girl Scout troupe. Of course, you want to welcome folks warmly into your house. But isn’t it best if you can expect someone in without notice?
Begin by clearing the clutter in your living room and entry hall. Being able to open the door without embarrassment has always been a great motivator for me.
6. The Super Busy & Overwhelmed
You are not just busy all the time. Nope, you are completely overwhelmed with everything: work, laundry, the kids. Well, just face it, you’re overwhelmed with life.
Your house is a hot mess because you're unable to figure out a system of any sort, like where to store stuff. And if you’re honest with yourself, you end up buying items you already own because you can’t find the one you already have.
Other than guilt, you try to ignore the mess. But deep down, you know life would be easier if you would tackle the hot mess before you.
You've got to cut some things out of your schedule. Tidy up your closet, your bedroom, and your kitchen. And for the love of all that is holy, hire someone to clean your house. Getting ready for your house cleaner will be just the motivation you need to begin clearing the clutter from your home.
7. The Creative
You are enthusiastic about life. And you love creating things: art, meals, and crafts. Cleaning isn’t very creative to you at heart. So you create and play, often leaving a path of destruction behind.
Set boundaries for yourself. Create to your heart’s content during your work hours, and then give yourself 30 minutes at the end of each day to tidy up. Don't hesitate to call a housekeeper, too! If you want to live a life you love, you must begin clearing the clutter from your home.
No matter what your personality type, clearing the clutter from your home will provide blessed relief.
Remember, if you’re like me, you probably identify with more than one of these types. A lifetime of being messy means you’ve probably cycled through many of them. And here’s what I’ve learned during all the years of battling my natural tendency to be messy: Clutter distracts us from the life we most desire to live.
It manifests in different ways, yet physical clutter always leads to mental clutter.
The good news, though, is that if you begin to focus on the physical clutter, all other kinds of clutter become easier to conquer. So, make the decision to begin clearing the clutter from your home.
The beauty of awareness and honesty — knowing your clutter personality type — allows you to understand why you tend to be messy. Or, like me, leave a path of destruction behind you.
It also allows you to find just the right motivation to finally clear the clutter from your home. Or finding a system that works for you. Yes, fabulous, amazing you!
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Debra Smouse is a life coach and author whose work has been published in TIME, Huffington Post, MSN, Psychology Today, and more.
This article was originally published at Debra Smouse . Reprinted with permission from the author.