I once heard about a study conducted by a Finnish art student who decided for her final thesis to use traditional archaeological methods to inventory every object in her 2500 square foot home (approx. 232 square meters).
She discovered that she owned a total of 6,126 items, and what I found so interesting was her analysis of how often she used each one:
Items used every day – 61
Items used every week – 401
Items used every month – 587
Items used less frequently than once a year – 2209
Items never used – 1457
In other words, 1% of her possessions were used every day, 16% were used every week or every month, 23% were used once or twice a year, and the rest were either used less than once a year or never used at all. That’s a clutter ratio of 60%!
Now, I’ve never lived in Finland but I don’t expect Finnish clutter is very different to clutter in the rest of the world. And most people have a lot more stuff than a student does!
These statistics give pause for thought but now let’s add another dimension. Let’s look at the energetic effect of objects that are kept for years and are rarely or never used.
Most people keep things because they believe they will come in useful one day, but what they do not realize is that the stagnant energy that accumulates around these items over time will create a corresponding stagnation in their life (and also the life of anyone who lives with them). So instead of being an asset, things that are kept “just in case” are in fact a liability.
How do I know this? By observing the effects in the homes of people who have clutter. They are always stuck in their lives in some way.
Ah, you may say, but what about items that are not actually “used” but are kept for decorative or sentimental reasons? Well, some items may certainly fall into this category, but surely not 60%!
I’ve been hand sensing energies in buildings for over 35 years now, and the energy that surrounds clutter is unmistakeable. It has a stale, sticky, cobweb-like feel that is very different to the light, joyous energies that surround things that are loved and used. So unless decorative or sentimental items are actively appreciated, just as much stagnant energy will accumulate around them as around other things.
Most people do not have the time or inclination to inventory the objects in their home but a quick stroll around will reveal whether there’s clutter or not. What’s your clutter ratio do you think?
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Copyright © Karen Kingston 2015