What do picture when you think of the dark? Spiders? Ghosts? Danger? Darkness tends to be associated with things that are risky, scary, and/or unknown. The best way to diminish darkness is to add light. Shining a light often reveals that there wasn’t anything to be afraid of in the first place. Light also allows us to better deal with anything “unsavory” that might be hiding. Do you have scary clutter lurking in the dark spaces in your home? As the days lengthen, this is a great time to deal with it.
Working as a professional organizer means I often go where few dare to tread, such as:
- Far reaches of corner kitchen cabinets
- Pull-down attics
- Crawlspaces
- Basements
- Backs of deep/blind closets
- The bottom of long-standing piles
- Unpacked boxes and bins
Sometimes, clients are anxious about going into these spaces, uncertain about what might be hiding. In addition, many will ask, “Can’t we just throw it all away? Do we have to go through it all? I haven’t looked at it for years.” While I understand the appeal of quick progress, disposing of belongings “sight unseen” isn’t wise. Why? Well, because sorting through items is the only way to ensure we don’t accidentally let go of something important. Additionally, we often:
- Come across items that clients thought were lost or gone.
- Find things of great sentimental or financial value.
- Facilitate closure by making ourselves address long-ignored situations.
The pathway for conquering lurking clutter is truly to bring it into the light. By this I mean pulling it out of its hiding spot and into a brightly lit location for evaluation. Whether you do this all at once or in small bites is up to you, your schedule, and your resources. Both can work. In each scenario, you want to bring your belongings to a space that is well-lit. You need to be able to see clearly.
If possible, I highly recommend having some sort of reviewing surface as well, such as a table or kitchen counter. You don’t want to be bending over to look at boxes on the floor or reaching into the far recesses of storage locations. Ergonomics matter... you don’t want to hurt your back.
Bringing items into plain site provides multiple benefits:
#1 Light literally helps us see what we have.
Darkness is a concealer. We cannot deal with things we cannot clearly see. For instance, imagine clothing hanging on a rod that goes far back, behind the wall, into a closet. You may think that you know what you have there, but you can’t truly evaluate it without pulling it out of the closet. Many times, a client has told me that they know what is inside a container, and then have been surprised by what was found once it was pulled into the light.
#2 Light gives us a fresh perspective.
When you pull belongings out from their hiding spot and into a neutral reviewing area, you look at it with fresh eyes. It is no longer associated with the storage location, forcing you to consider it on its own merit. For example, that box of “wedding stuff” now becomes 28 extra wedding invitations, some crumbling floral pieces, the list of wedding invitees, etc. Whereas you might have thought you want to keep “wedding stuff,” you now may realize you are happy to keep a couple of especially meaningful items and pitch the rest.
#3 Light provides new information.
Bringing items into bright light often proves very helpful in making decisions on next steps. When we can clearly see our stuff, we allow ourselves to get curious and ask the right questions. Grandma’s ceramic platter feels like a keeper, until you pull it out and see that it is cracked. The dress you wore to a wedding three years ago feels useful, but light reveals that it is has stains that have been left untouched for a long time.
Similarly, light illuminates markings, signatures, and other important pieces of information. That trinket you picked up at a garage sale was a donate, until you notice that it is marked as “sterling.” The signature on the painting you never liked, when run through a search engine, leads to the decision to check with an auction house before letting it go.
#4 Light helps us let go.
One of the reasons we have lurking clutter is momentum. We avoid dealing with those neglected bins and spaces. We rationalize the space that remote clutter takes up. In contrast, when we bring items out of the dark to where we can mindfully ponder them, we often make the decision to let go. In other words, the hurdle is often the quantity and location of the possessions, more than the possessions themselves. It’s actually easier to let stuff go than to put it back.
* * *
Sorting through belongings is empowering. Once completed, we reap many benefits, including the confidence of knowing exactly what we own, and a clearer understanding of next steps. Importantly, we shed the weight of guilt that constantly whispers, “You should be dealing with this.”
While the dark can be scary and intimidating, light is comforting and soothing. Do you have scary clutter lurking somewhere in your home? What might you pull out into the light this spring?
When starting a project with a client I usually started with something easy first — low-hanging fruit. UNLESS they expressed that a particular pile, or closet, or room was scary to them. Then, with my gentle encouragement, THAT’S where we would start. So they could see the stuff for what it was and get over their fear of it. You’ve described it well, Seana!
It feels so good to declutter and organize, not only for the result, but to get rid of that anxiety. Many people are walking around with guilt, shame, and fear when it comes to hidden/accumulated stuff!
What a beautiful essay on bringing those fears into the light. In the process, you ask us to get as comfortable as possible. Set up a sorting table, do it in small chunks, illuminate what you’re sorting, and face your fear.
And how freeing this will be when you face those unknowns, make the decisions, and let go of that nagging message, “You should be dealing with this.”
What a powerful call to action!
Those unknowns can be so heavy and scary. Boxes that were never unpacked, bins of stuff inherited from family, stacks of paper that might contain something intimidating. It feels so good to get the weight off of your shoulders!
This is such important advice, Seana. Bringing things to sort out into the light, in a place where a person can clearly see and evaluate the contents of a box or bin is critical to being able to release the things or take the next step. Whether that is selling one or more of the items, donating them, or storing them differently.
The light brings clarity and comfort for so many tasks. Often once you pull it out, it just isn’t as scary as you thought it was going to be!
I love the way your brought out the light in your blog. When working with clients I will often have them bring out old boxes that have not been looked at for years. I only have them bring out one or two at a time and we sit in a comfortable well-lit space. I have always thought that by limiting what we were looking at made the task less overwhelming but had not really considered before that sitting comfortably in the light also had that effect. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, both are so important for quelling the anxiety and overwhelm of the situation. Sitting down to look through a box is a great idea. How hard can it be if we can do it sitting down, right?
I love your post! Light does make a huge difference. We tend to fear what is hidden, and having light brighten those areas will give us courage. Thanks for sharing.
Many things that feel scary in the dark lose their power over us when brought into the light. Light brings clarity and ease to a process. We may be surprised to discover it wasn’t so scary after all!
Those were good examples and I would add the bottom of a drawer that is overstuffed. It requires you to empty the drawer, examine, and sometimes try on things you assumed were still useful. I recently did this with a drawer I thought I knew had articles I was still wearing oniy to find that half didn’t fit and about a quarter were not in good enough shape to keep. Now I have plenty of room in that drawer and no longer stuff the clean laundry on the top. It’s such a relief-can’t believe it took me so long.
I love this example! You thought you knew what was there, but when you pulled it out into the light and interacted with it, you were surprised. And in a positive way! The task was easier than you thought – success.
I love the way you’ve approached this. Everything is scarier “in the dark” whether it’s the physical dark of those backs of cabinets or under-the-stairs boxes or the unopened mail from the doctor or bill. It’s meant in terms of journalism and government when we say “sunshine is the best disinfectant,” but it’s apt for clutter, too.
If we don’t know what we don’t know, we can’t take action. I worked with a client whose mother had gone to the hospital and then on to assisted living, and had told the daughter she could get rid of anything except clothes. I was more circumspect and insisted on opening every drawer, box, and hidden-away bin, and we found money, bank books, legal documents, and so much genealogical documentation! Other times, I’ve found — as you note — things clients have book intermittently looking for FOR YEARS!
You’ve identified the best reasons why it’s so powerful to bring clutter into the light to evaluate it and make decisions. Bringing things into the light gives our eyes — and our perspective — an opportunity to adjust! Great post!
I love that phrase, “sunshine is the best disinfectant.” That totally fits my whole approach to life! It’s so true.
You really do need to look through everything, as tedious as that may seem. Once I was working with a client in a basement. She was trying to shed boxes of stuff before a move. We came across an old video game she had purchased for her nephew, but never ended up sending. It was still in its original packaging. Turns out it was The Legend of Zelda, which had a lot of value!
These dark places are so depressing to spend time in. No wonder people never declutter them. Your suggestion of adding light and why you should is perfect. It makes it easier to do the work, and spend time in the space.
I love this point you make. Not only does light make the process easier, but it makes it more pleasant. Being in dark and dank spaces, stretching and reaching, is no fun.