Your Brain on Clutter--Any Questions?

I'm participating in this purge in October, thanks to the bloggers over at A Bowl Full of Lemons. Their blog is a fun resource for people like me who need help getting organized sometimes. I'm a true creative - lots of ideas, not a natural love of order, though I'm learning. The more order I introduce into my life, the more creative freedom I feel, and less stress, too.

I don't know about you, but I am constantly amazed by the amount of things I no longer need. Maybe it's a function of age or wisdom, but every week I seem to find possessions I can willingly part with. And then there are the things I've kept for years that I could never give away--a shabby jean jacket older than my youngest child (who is fourteen), for instance. There's no rhyme or reason to the things that touch our hearts.

In preparation for a class I'm teaching next week on decluttering (in conjunction with my book launch--more on that later), I've been reading about brain research and our relationship to our stuff. Turns out that when we give away something that belongs to us--even if we no longer need it--our brain reacts in a way similar to a paper cut. It hurts. That explains why a trip to Goodwill leaves me feeling so ambivalent--relieved, but sad.

How do you feel about getting or staying organized? How much clutter can you handle in your everyday surroundings? What tools do you use to stay on top of your responsibilities? I'd love to hear your thoughts.