When I first decided to embark on the journey of living life as a house sitter I really thought I’d never have to deal with clutter again. After all, how much stuff can one keep in a small car?

Despite using all my best techniques to streamline what I need and how it’s organized somehow things “sneak” into my car.  For example:

• A bag of empty jars & containers (really?!?)
• A bag of books that I’ve read, sort of (so many books with a bookmark halfway through it! – just the same as when I kept them on a bookshelf!)
• Those once a year things that I need just for that time of the year (maybe replacing them each time is actually more cost effective than carrying them with me?).

In between houses, when a few days doesn’t need me to have everything unpacked:

• My car is a mess and I don’t enjoy driving it.
• I can’t find what I need or I can’t get to it.  Unpacking or sorting in such a confined space does not work – something I’ve discovered as I work with clients as they declutter & sort.
• With so much stuff, I can’t get in, to clean it. I used to joke that my car goes faster after a wash and I wonder if this true. I know from my own weight loss journey that a lighter body moves easier.
• My head hurts, either because I’ve hit it on the door jam or it’s just too overwhelming to find what I need.
• My back hurts from the many trips it takes to unpack my car.
• I make do with less – and I feel less. My self-esteem drops as I realize I’ve limited myself all because I couldn’t find it.
• My bank balance becomes less as I buy what I know I already have, somewhere in my car.

Despite my minimalist lifestyle I still manage to acquire clutter and it turns out it’s pretty much the same as my previous lifestyle. My tolerance for mess and clutter is low and I get the signals early that I need to take action.

• Physically my back feels the pain.
• Mentally there is increased stress levels, low self-esteem, and low energy.
• Emotionally I feel tired at the thought of dealing with it all.
• Spiritually I am hampered and restrained – my soul cannot fly.

When I am not free to be the best me I can be that’s the time to reduce the clutter, to lighten my load and to enjoy again the freedoms that life offers me.

Is your clutter showing up in health issues such as back pain, asthma, skin irritations, weight gain, accidents and injuries, debt? Contact me to see how partnering with a life coach can help free you from your clutter AND improve your physical and mental health.