January 2004

We're all familiar with situational stress and relationship stress and job stress.  But I've realized lately that there are other kinds of stress that actually affect me more.  I've long believed that words are powerful and that naming the unnamed gives me some level of  control over it, so in that vein, I have started to name the other types of stress in my life.

Probably the most powerful is clutter stress.  Clutter stress is the reaction that visual clutter invokes. It reminds me that I need to clean up that clutter, but even more, it reminds me of all of the tasks that are buried in the clutter.  Clutter stress is what reminds me that I need to pay the bills, that I haven't planned the next Girl Scout meeting, that there is a check I need to get to the Dayton RG Treasurer.  (Notice how I can put that little promo blurb in there so neatly?)

Clutter stress is powerful because it is subliminal.  It doesn't call you on the phone and fight with you, it doesn't send you an email reminding you that the report you're supposed to write is late, it doesn't need to be taken anywhere.  But it can attack from anywhere.  It nags in the closet when I'm picking out my clothes, it grabs my eye when I'm plugging in my cell phone to recharge, it prods at me when I get into the car and see what the kids have left behind. I find myself retreating to the least cluttered areas of the house, and then finally, I do attack that clutter.  But it comes back.  Clutter stress is not easily conquered and it fights to maintain its niche.  Piling clutter into piles temporarily weakens it, but then those piles take over and there are enough of them that the piles themselves are clutter.

Undone stress is another one that gets me.  It's the stress of un-run errands, un-written letters, un-returned phone calls.  Undone stress is particularly nasty in that it can take longer to relax from than it might to actually do the un-done task.  That letter only will take five minutes to write, that phone call will be short and over with, and it only takes ten minutes to stop by Michael's on the way home from work.  But there isn't just one letter and there isn't just one errand.  As soon as I complete one of those tasks, another one—or maybe two—will step up and join the undone list.

Tied into clutter stress and undone stress is can't find it stress.  Some of those undone items and what I need to do them are buried in the clutter somewhere.  I can't do that undone task until I find that undone piece in the clutter.  I need the receipt to pick up that picture at the frame shop, and I need to find the address to be able to write that letter, and what did I do with the phone message with the name of the person I need to call back?  The clutter stress has taken it, of course. 

I think they're in league with each other—clutter stress and undone stress and can't find it stress.  I think that they feed on each other to make it harder for me to fight back.

I don't have any solutions—wouldn't it be nice if I did?  But I do have some protection, now.  I've named these things.  Naming decreases their power.  Instead of a subliminal pounding, there is an identified prod—and once identified, I can fight back. 

Maybe I'll learn to eliminate the clutter someday.  In the meantime, I'm going to try just pushing back! I've framed a reminder and put it next to my desk. I've shared my goals with my friends. And I'm starting with a clean desk for the new calendar year.

Clutter, begone!

 ©2004, Beth Weiss, all rights reserved