External layout creates clarity in the head

If someone asked me how many things I have, I wouldn’t be able to answer. I have a lot – a lot – in my house. Some I need every day, others a few times a week or once a month – and then there are things I hardly ever need.
Dagmar Schäfer (40) rightly says, “Why do you keep something you don’t like or use at all?” he asks. He’s a cleaning coach and that’s where his clients come in: “I’m not trying to persuade anyone to do anything, I’m questioning the motivation behind hiding things”, which is how the trained vet helps in his second job. The name “Ordnungswunder” People who feel overwhelmed by Chaos.

Schäfer loved structures and order from an early age. “It’s somehow in my nature to clean, sort, rearrange and categorize,” says a southern German native who has lived in Zurich since 2008. He also believes that his addiction is related to the high sensitivity to which he has been diagnosed. Schäfer adds: “For me, chaos or disorder on the outside means restlessness inside. It overwhelms me and I can’t calm down inside.”

a luxury issue

In the eyes of the organizer, the minimalist lifestyle has definitely become a trend in recent years. Schäfer likes to sum it up as the “luxury issue”. “I’m convinced it’s very fashionable to separate since we all have so many things at home!” After all, the range is huge and we are overwhelmed most of the time. Anyone can almost always buy whatever they want. “This is where this longing for less comes from. The desire to rediscover the essential,” adds Schäfer.
The corona pandemic has certainly increased the exaggeration even more. “You were always at home and faced with all your belongings and couldn’t avoid clutter,” explains the organization specialist.

rise to the challenge

For Schäfer, living a minimalist means not having as little as possible. “Minimalism is mainly about keeping things right, organizing and categorizing them, and there’s a clear structure behind it,” says the Professional Organizer.
According to Schäfer, you may feel the right time to start solving what’s bothering you. For example, the organizer says, “You can be depressed right away when you can open the closet and see how full it is.”
It is important that you are ready to challenge yourself. If others, such as family members or friends, are urging you to take charge of cleaning, this is not the right time. “If I feel that a client is facing such a situation, I will decline.” According to Schäfer, the person who should quit should ultimately feel better and not worse. And that’s exactly the point: “If you’re ready to let go, you’ll feel lighter, better, freer and clearer afterwards. You have more time because you don’t have to clean everything around as often as before, and also more “You have money because shopping behavior needs to change so things don’t pile up again right away. There are so many benefits that come with the process.”

Memories finally come

Mucking is a continuous process. According to the pro, one should not take on too much at once so as not to give up too quickly. “It’s better to take small steps, it’s much more bearable emotionally,” says Schäfer. And after all, it is not in vain that they say: practice makes perfect! Here too, it is recommended that you approach the big one with lots of practice. “It’s best to start with things that aren’t too emotionally charged,” the ordering expert adds.

Because it is difficult for us to separate from objects that we associate with memories or people. And this is understandable. “First of all, it’s best to take a look at the kitchen or bathroom and try to feel what makes you happy and what doesn’t. This way you can practice letting go. And only then can we move on to the emotional stuff,” Schäfer explains with a smile. “It might remind you a bit of Marie Kondo too.”
Things that can always be eliminated are things with a negative connotation. “So, things that are associated with negative emotions. These are always extreme energy thieves. You have to get rid of this.”
When a feeling of lightness and clarity finally begins, the journey was worth it. Going out every now and then feels good, even if it’s tiring, energy-consuming, and painful. Because, as Schäfer summed up: “Only those who have observed external order can see clearly again inside and are willing to deal with some of the things that are going on inside.”

6 helpful tips for clutter removal, by Dagmar Schäfer

1. Take small steps! It’s best to start with things that don’t have very intense emotions attached to them. Practice with “less important things” and then step forward.
2. You should be honest with yourself when editing the layout and also deal with these questions: Why am I keeping something that I don’t use? So, to be honest, it’s just ballast. So why am I holding it?
3. It doesn’t matter how much you have. All that matters is that they give you pleasure and are not negatively associated. If you’re not sure whether something evokes a positive or negative emotion, you can put it where you can see it every day for a few days. At some point you feel on your own.
4. Memories that have been around for a long time, just use it every day. For example, wearing your grandmother’s earrings every day from now on – it makes you happy.
5. Behind the inability to let go is always the fear of possibly forgetting a memory because you are giving what it is attached to. A good solution: take a photo of it.
6. You can also limit yourself spatially with boxes or coffins where you collect a person’s memories. It only hosts the truly private parts you depend on. Photos (see tip above) can also be included.