The Hidden Clutter You Don’t See (And Why It’s Draining Your Energy)
When people think about clutter, they usually picture overflowing closets, piles of paper, or a garage that hasn’t seen daylight in years. But there’s another kind of clutter—one we rarely acknowledge—that quietly drains our energy day after day, year after year.
This is hidden clutter.
And it’s not just exhausting—it becomes the filter through which you experience everything.
The Unfinished Project Problem
Hidden clutter often looks like unfinished projects.
Not the big dramatic ones—but the tiny, persistent ones:
The oven you never pulled out to clean underneath
The button that’s been missing from your coat for three years
The lightbulb in the basement you roll your eyes at every time
The hose you never put away
The call you didn’t return
The thing you keep telling yourself, “I’ll get to it.”
You do get to it—just not in the way you think.
Because every one of these unfinished projects becomes another open tab running in the background of your mind.
So while you’re trying to:
Make dinner
Get your kids out the door
Move your business forward
Be present with your family
Have a meaningful conversation with a friend
You’re doing all of it through the filter of:
“I still haven’t done that thing.”
That’s exhausting.
It’s like trying to focus while 30 browser tabs are open, each one quietly stealing a little bit of your attention—even if you’re not actively looking at them.
Emotional Clutter Is Still Clutter
Another form of hidden clutter we don’t talk about enough is emotional clutter.
This can be:
Anger you’ve carried since middle school
Grief you never fully expressed
Sadness about milestones someone you loved won’t be there for
Resentment you haven’t voiced
The weight you keep carrying alone instead of having the hard conversation
These emotions don’t disappear just because we avoid them. They stay open in the background—another tab running, another drain on your energy.
And when emotional clutter stacks on top of physical clutter, it compounds the fatigue.
Decision Fatigue Is Real
Here’s the truth:
You can only make so many decisions in a day.
By the end of the day, your brain is tired—not because you’re weak, but because it’s human.
That’s why:
Leaving big decisions for “later”
Saving major projects for the end of the month
Telling yourself you’ll “deal with it eventually”
…doesn’t work.
When decisions pile up, they don’t wait patiently. They drain you. And the longer something sits undecided, the heavier it becomes.
Avoidance Is a Form of Clutter
This part matters.
Not doing the thing is still doing something.
You’re adding it to the list of “someday.”
Avoidance is clutter.
If you don’t want to do something, that’s okay—but decide.
If you do want to do it, give it an assignment.
What’s draining isn’t the task—it’s the indecision.
You don’t need to do everything.
But you do need clarity.
Stop “Should-ing” on Yourself
Let’s talk about the bookshelf.
Did you read ten books this year…
or do you own three thousand books you swear you’ll read “someday”?
You only have so many years.
Are you really going to read all of them in retirement—or will you be traveling, living, experiencing?
If you love audiobooks, let the physical books go.
Same with:
Magazines you’re “going to make a vision board with”
Art supplies you feel guilty about not using
Hobbies you keep saying you want—but never choose
If you haven’t made a vision board in five years, let the magazines go. Donate them. Pass them on.
And here’s the permission slip:
If you think you want to do art—but you never choose it—maybe you don’t actually want to do art.
And that’s okay.
That is okay.
That is okay.
Don’t should on yourself.
Clarity Is a Form of Clearing
Hidden clutter clears when you:
Decide yes or no
Assign things to this year or not this year
Stop carrying maybes that drain your energy
Try this:
Write down what you’re committed to doing this year.
Then write down what you’re choosing not to do.
And let yourself say:
“Nope. Not this year. Not this lifetime. Not mine.”
That’s not quitting—that’s clearing.
If You Want Support…
If this resonates, you don’t have to do it alone.
If you want accountability and structure, the Declutter Club is a powerful place to work through both physical and hidden clutter.
If you want help processing emotional weight, journaling sessions can help you gently untangle what’s been stuck.
If something from your past keeps repeating or haunting your family line, shamanic healing may be the next layer.
And if you have projects you’ve been avoiding, sometimes you just need a partner to help you finish them.
Hidden clutter isn’t about being messy.
It’s about carrying too much for too long.
And clearing it doesn’t require overwhelm—just honesty, intention, and support.
