One of my favorite authors and creative thinkers, Todd Henry, regularly introduces me to new concepts. I admire how he connects ideas from different places to offer fresh perspectives and understanding. Recently, he wrote about the “noise floor,” an audio production term. I equated it to the ‘noise’ clutter makes in our lives.
Todd defined the noise floor as “…the amount of unwanted signal coming from any source other than the one you’re actually trying to record. Listening to someone speak in an environment with a high noise floor is like trying to have a conversation at the beach with a crashing ocean ten feet away. You can make out what they’re saying, but it’s not easy to do.”
He explained how we often “not only allow but invite a high noise floor into our lives.” These “signals” are inputs, requests, demands, and stimuli. If the noise floor in your life is too high, Todd says you might experience things like:
Feeling overwhelmed without knowing why
Having difficulty with short-term memory and confusing simple concepts
Experiencing ongoing distractions and struggling to focus on one project
While you might be functioning with clutter in your life, it could be creating more stress, overwhelm, and challenges than you realize. Are you collecting clutter instead of editing, eliminating, and creating boundaries to keep it under control?
6 Types of Clutter
Think about the noise your clutter makes and how it affects your daily experience. There are different types of clutter, including:
Mind clutter – Negative thoughts, thought loops, and disorganized thoughts make activating difficult.
Physical clutter – Paper, clothing, toys, and items filling up your environment make it challenging to know what you have.
Space clutter – Overfilled rooms, closets, and drawers, make it challenging to move about and locate things.
Calendar clutter – Lack of time awareness, chronic lateness, overscheduling, inability to say “no,” and unnecessary meetings affect your stress levels and overall functioning.
Digital clutter – Tech devices, email, social media, Internet surfing, dings, and pop-ups create continual distractions, decreasing focus and productivity.
Someday clutter – Postponed decisions about things you “might need someday” prevent you from being fully present and available to enjoy now.
Refer to 10 Top Clutter Areas & Solutions That Will Help for clutter-reducing strategies.
“Clutter can create more stress and overwhelm than you realize.”
What becomes possible when you lower your clutter noise floor? What will a less cluttered mind, home, or calendar look and feel like for you? Which area needs your time and attention?
Do you want help eliminating the clutter in your life? I’m here for you. Reach out anytime by emailing linda@ohsoorganized.com, calling 914-271-5673, or contacting me with this form. Virtual organizing is a beneficial path forward. Let’s talk. I’m ready to help.
