What is clutter personality?

Author: Miss Magali Schulist PhD  |  Last update: Friday, September 26, 2025

Clutter personalities deal with the psychological reasoning that anchors us to our clutter. They are the excuses and wrong-thinking that enslaves us to our stuff, making it difficult to part with things that no longer have value in our lives.

What is the root cause of clutter?

Behavioral/psychological: Clutter caused by depression, attention deficit disorder, low self-esteem or lack of personal boundaries. Time/life management: Clutter caused by the need for better planning. Of these, the behavioral/psychological-driven clutter is the hardest to solve.

What is clutter a symptom of?

"Excessive clutter and disorganization are often symptoms of a bigger health problem, such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), depression or obsessive compulsive disorder," Hurtado says. "If this is the case, the behavior needs to change versus the logistics of the home, like space or layout."

What is a clutter behavior?

It can make you feel immobilized and unproductive. It may affect your neurology in a way that comes out as cluttering behavior — which is to say, piling up stuff around your home or workspace, meaning to organize it someday, but lacking the inner power to do so.

What personality types are prone to hoarding?

The introversion means that they like to isolate themselves and will most likely not seek help from anyone about their problems. Additionally the introversion means that they are more likely to not live with anyone ,which gives them a higher chance to end up hoarding.

Which Clutter Personality Type Are You? [Minimalism Series]

What does hoarding say about a person?

Many people who hoard have strongly held beliefs related to acquiring and discarding things, such as: "I may need this someday" or "If I buy this, it will make me happy". Others may be struggling to cope with a stressful life event, such as the death of a loved one.

What personality type gets overwhelmed easily?

When it comes to feeling overwhelmed by many little things needing to be done, the most significant divide by far was between the Turbulent (83%) and Assertive (50%) personality traits – a difference of 33%. Due to their Turbulent Identity, Constant Improvers and Social Engagers are more sensitive to stress in general.

What clutter is telling you?

“Kerri Richardson's new book, What Your Clutter Is Trying to Tell You helps you clear the clutter in your life by figuring out why it's in your life to begin with. It not only helps you eliminate physical clutter, but emotional and mental blockages, too, creating space for your soul to be energized!

What childhood trauma causes hoarding?

Some researchers believe hoarding can relate to childhood experiences of losing things, not owning things, or people not caring for you. This might include experiences like: Money worries or living in poverty in childhood. Having your belongings taken or thrown away by someone.

What are the three types of clutter?

There are a few different categories of clutter, according to Hemphill:
  • Physical.
  • Digital.
  • Emotional.
  • Spiritual.

What does clutter say about a person?

For example, if your clutter consists of other people's stuff, you might have issues with boundaries; if your clutter is largely memorabilia from your past, you may have trouble letting go of the past and moving forward; and if you constantly find yourself relying on the phrase “better to have it and not need it than ...

What is the difference between a hoarder and a clutter?

Hoarding is a consistent inability to discard or part with belongings, whatever their value. Compared to clutter, hoarding is more extreme, with sufferers holding on to excessive amounts of items.

What does ADHD clutter look like?

Symptoms of ADHD Clutter Anxiety

This may include cluttered surfaces, piles of paperwork or clothing, and difficulty finding necessary items. People with ADHD clutter anxiety may also experience feelings of overwhelm or anxious when faced with clutter or disorganization.

What is the psychological reason for clutter?

One of the primary reasons we hold onto clutter is sentimental attachment. Objects can hold memories and emotions, and getting rid of them can feel like we're getting rid of a part of ourselves. Fear is another reason we hold onto clutter, fear of letting go, fear of the unknown, and fear of loss.

How to get rid of clutter?

10 Creative Decluttering Tips
  1. Start with 5 minutes at a time. ...
  2. Give one item away each day. ...
  3. Fill an entire trash bag. ...
  4. Donate clothes you never wear. ...
  5. Create a decluttering checklist. ...
  6. Take the 12-12-12 challenge. ...
  7. View your home as a first-time visitor. ...
  8. Take before and after photos of a small area.

What is it called when you hate clutter?

Compulsive decluttering is a type of disorder that is classified within a broad name, obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. Compulsive decluttering is the act of throwing items, or clutter, away, or getting rid of them in an attempt to "clean up" what one with the disorder may think is cluttered.

What mental illness do most hoarders have?

Mental health conditions most often associated with hoarding disorder include: Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

What does a level 1 hoarder look like?

It is often unrecognized by outside observers and the hoarder. Indicators include difficulty parting with redundant items, excessive shopping for items already in the home or not needed, accessible stairs, doors, and windows, no noticeable odors in the home, little to no visible…

What should you not say to a hoarder?

People who hoard are often aware that others do not view their possessions and homes as they do. They often react strongly to words that reference their possessions negatively, like “trash,” “garbage,” and “junk.” Let your non-verbal expression say what you're thinking.

What is the one touch rule for clutter?

Ltd., said that the one-touch rule involves handling an item only once. “Rather than picking something up and setting it down temporarily, you place it immediately in its designated spot. This habit minimises clutter, and helps maintain organisation, and prevents items from piling up,” he said.

Why am I triggered by clutter?

Clutter puts your mind into overdrive, causing your senses to focus on what isn't important, leading to stress. A messy environment draws your attention from where it ought to be.

What does clutter symbolize?

Often people believe their clutter is a result of laziness, sloppiness, chaos or a lack of organizational skills. But that is absolutely never true. Clutter is a physical manifestation of whatever mental or emotional block we may be experiencing. Clutter is an external demonstration of our internal storms.

What is the hardest personality to deal with?

10 Types of Difficult People
  • The Know-it-All. This is someone who feels sure that they know more than you, everyone else on the team – and likely every other team, for that matter. ...
  • The Interrupter. ...
  • The Ignorer. ...
  • The Bore. ...
  • The Prima Donna. ...
  • The Work Martyr. ...
  • The Whiner. ...
  • The Negativity Spreader.

What is the kindest personality type?

The Nurturer (ISFJ)

ISFJs are highly generous and ever-ready to give back to society. They are warm and kind-hearted individuals. They possess an awareness and consideration towards bringing out the best in others.

What personality type has the worst anxiety?

From a personality trait perspective, individuals with high neuroticism scores were more likely to feel anxious than those with low scores, and introverted individuals experienced higher state anxiety than extroverted individuals, suggesting a correlation between anxiety traits, neuroticism and introversion.

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