Before I get started, I guess I’d better explain what “stuffocation” is. Essentially it means having so much stuff that you start to feel stressed or claustrophobic. This usually leads to watching a ton of minimalist YouTube videos and giving away most of your stuff, even if you might still need some of it. Now, I can’t claim ownership of this phrase, as there have been books written on the subject (i.e, Stuffocation: Living More with Less by James Wallman), but their concern has usually been with the lessening of the stuff causing stuffocation. That is not my concern. Rather, I want to propose to you that it is not always so much the stuff that causes stuffocation, but what we do and do not do with it. So, that said, here are three reasons you may be feeling stuffocated.
Your stuff is disorganized.
This is the major one, so I’ll spend the most time on it. If you feel like you have too much stuff and it’s stressing you out, that may very well be the case. However, it could also just be that your stuff is messy, unorganized, and chaotic, which is what is actually causing the anxiety and claustrophobia.
A good way to deal with this is to go through all of the stuff you have spilling out of your closet, scattered on the floor, or clogging up your workspace. Take stock of how much room you actually have and try to find the most efficient way to put away everything you really want to keep. If, in the end, your room is still cluttered and you still have a bunch of superfluous items hanging around, go ahead with the advice from your favorite minimalist YouTuber. But, if your room looks tidy, clear, and organized after you’re done, then problem solved! It may not be the amount of stuff, but rather the way they are presented.
None of your stuff coordinates or has a theme.
Now, this is not carte blanche to go buy a bunch more coordinated things and try to cram them into your room. Rather, this is more of a tip to keep in mind for any future additions. If you have a clear color scheme, style, or theme to your things, then your room, office, or other living area can feel put together, neat, and cohesive. However, if you own, and keep adding to, a motley collection of random items, your room can start to feel overwhelming and cluttered.
Your stuff is all in view all the time.
You can have the same amount of stuff as someone who looks so much neater and more put together than you, maybe even a dedicated minimalist, but the problem is that all of your things are always visible. Utilize your drawers as much as possible, as well as spaces like under your bed or desk to put things that you still need and use, but don’t need to constantly see. I like to try to keep just a few things on my desk at all times, like my laptop, a pencil cup, a small mirror, and a few books and carefully picked knickknacks. While I, of course, need more than that for my school and artwork, I keep those items out of sight so that I do not feel tempted to just toss them out when my desk looks too cluttered. After all, art supplies ain’t cheap!
I hope these tips were useful to you, but please know that everyone is different and it is okay to be happy with more or less stuff than other people you know. I have a friend who is perfectly happy with owning approximately 15 pieces of clothing at any given time, but I know that such a limited wardrobe would make me feel stifled and depressed. You are the only one who knows what you really need, the trick is just to not have much more than that.