Unclutter Your Life: Transforming Your Physical, Mental, And Emotional Space

by Katherine Gibson

Are you ready to move into a bright clutter-free future? From noise pollution to financial messes and stressful relationships, clutter affects ALL aspects of our lives--not just our physical spaces. If you¹ve tried feng-shui and other organizing techniques and you still can't find clarity in your life, this down-to-earth guide will show you how to evict the clutter culprits and cultivate peace of mind in your home and soul.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

182 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2004

Reviews

[Love of Hopeless Causes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Purple is thy prose, woman: purple. Can you honestly say, "We gaily careened through our whirlwind lives until finally we lunged into spin cycle and tumbled out of control?" I have yet to gaily careen in this lifetime. Is that smug baby boomer code for, "I enjoyed stealing from the generations that followed in the form of bloated house prices and public welfare retirement scams?" Did you take any photos of your husband gaily careening? That must be a hoot. Mixed metaphor much?

Aside from being insulting, this complete failure of self-reflection and editing has nothing to add to an already cluttered field of unclutter books. Try The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

[Res · Rating 1 out of 5]

The introduction has a useful stress on visualizing what you want rather than focusing on what's not working. As I went along, though, the upper-middle-class smugness began to enrage me.

[Marguerite · Rating 2 out of 5]

Addresses different types of potential clutter, beyond physical. Very dated. Better to get this perspective from blog articles these days.

[Staff Favorites · Rating 4 out of 5]

As one of those people who will never handle a piece of paper just once, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book. Not just a book about cleaning out your closet and organizing your "stuff", this is a more philosophical look at how we clutter up our lives with physical stuff, "invasive technology, information anxiety, nuisance noise, deadlines, decisions and an overload of expectations."

The author draws upon her own experience and the advice of experts to pride real ways we can all create a less complicated life.

[Denisse · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I rummaged through my closet, preparing to move into a new place, I kept hearing her in the back of my mind: "Be ruthless."

And ruthless I was. I think I whittled down my closet to half.

The heart of this book is simplicity, the zen-like way of minimalism. She applies this to every aspect of life. (I do that already, so that wasn't a big change.)

Overall, this is a good book for those looking to adopt a simpler way of life. There are plenty of anecdotes from people who did just that and were happier for it.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first declutter book and I liked it because it provides a wholesome approach to tackling what is so much more than a physical problem. It's clutter if it's not useful and if it doesn't add value to your life - how true! It also talks about not buying books - read once and then home to dust and mildew. A book left on a shelf just doesn't do any justice. This book has convinced me to rely on my local library a lot more!

[Zoom · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first chapter was the best chapter. After that it just got repetitive and a bit contrived as she tried to apply the principles of decluttering to all areas of life. I also got the feeling she made up 'friends' to provide examples to illustrate the points she was making.

This book would have made a decent magazine article. It was too much of a stretch for a good book.

[Shana · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, if a bit preachy spiritual at times. The author does make a valid point, though, that combating clutter isn't just about dealing with the physical things around you. If you are upset or stressed or sad, your physical surroundings tend to take a beating.

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good concepts, but much of the wording was excessive and "too cluttery" for my liking. The author needs to simplify her sentences and thoughts to the general public to be more acceptable and sellable.

[Jeff Fielder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mostly helpful book, but like any self-help book, take what you need and discard the rest. I bought it for the discussion on emotional and mental clutter, which was helpful, though not Earth shaking.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read with practical tips for uncluttering your physical, emotional and mental spaces. Covers everything from taking a vacation without a lot of stuff to how to let go of grudges. I'm glad I read it but it was short and to the point enough I doubt I'd ever need to read it again.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing I didn't already know in the Physical Clutter section and I just skimmed through the Emotional Clutter in Part 3.

Loved the middle section on Mental Clutter - lots of food for thought & things I'd never really pondered too deeply! Worth reading just for that section.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basic uncluttering information was motivating and down-to-earth. I give that part of the book the four stars. The uncluttering your mental and emotional space wasn't really my thing.

[Angie]

To be fair, I only got about 1/3 of the way.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

getting down to the emotional and mental blocks behind getting things together...simple, succinct and each chapter is summarized with bullet points at the end of each chapter.

[Brenda]

Talks about many types of clutter: physical, mental, emotional ... Great book to get you thinking about all the types of clutter in your life.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

well written and easy to follow. Not quite at the level I am at in my journey though, so it wasn't that useful for me.

[Marianne Mullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the book and how it dealt with more than just physical clutter in the home or office.

[Carleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Attachments to old stuff keep us from new pleasures."
-Katherine Gibson

[Therese Gilardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've ever read about the relationship between clutter and deeper issues.