After all, too many "things" are not the main cause of confusion.

A decision many people make, whether at the beginning of the new year or at the beginning of the new season, is to eliminate clutter. Of course, overcoming clutter and finding a balance between throwing something or confirming that it can inspire happiness is not as easy as it sounds.

When we asked professional home organizers, what was the first thing that made your home look cluttered? Do you have any thoughts on their answers? In theory, it may not be the actual things that make your home cluttered, but the emotional factors that cause the clutter.

Bailey Carson, Angi's home care expert, said: "The main cause of confusion is not necessarily the thing itself, but the reason behind it."

When there is no proper system to stay organized, or, as Carson said, for other reasons, such as emotional attachment, chaos can form.

"When you look at it from this perspective, the main reasons for the confusion become clear: lack of organizational systems, poor storage, attachment to objects, changes in schedules, and your hobby needs a home," Carson said .

Kayla Chase, a professional organizer for the Greenville, South Carolina organizer, shared another unlikely culprit: "The first thing customers usually think is that they have too many'things'." This may or may not This will always be the case, but how much space you have to organize your items does matter, especially if they can be placed out of sight. "

Use a simple organization system that you can follow to organize untidy elements in your space. This is the first step in making your space look tidy. "If the items are not in the right place to match the way you use them, they can easily become disorganized," Carson said.

Carson recommends that people spend time investigating where they usually place items and manage their organizational system around their natural habits. "If it doesn't require too much behavior change, you are more likely to stick to it," she said.

Carson believes that the proper storage solution is a ticket to keep things in your home from cluttering. "If you are storing things out of sight, make sure you have a reason and it is still accessible and label them when you need them. When you store things, mark them with a date."

To keep up with your storage, Carson says it is important to occasionally take stock of what you have and what you no longer need.

One of the biggest reasons for the mess is that many people do not want to give up an item due to personal or emotional attachment factors. Carson recommends digitizing coupons, bills, and to-do lists so they don’t mess up your counter, drawers, and pockets. As for those beloved sentimental items? "For a more emotional item, decide whether it is worth displaying. If it is not worth it, take a picture to save the memory, and then donate, discard or sell it."

In the past two years, almost everyone has experienced the process of slowly returning to the office and school from working at home and remote learning. Schedule adjustments are also a cause of confusion. To eliminate clutter (and keep the kitchen counter tidy), Carson says to straighten the room you are in before you leave. In addition, creating specific locations for items such as keys, mobile phones, folders, and wallets will help you reclaim space.  

Maybe the garage is full of kids' football equipment, or your scrapbook enthusiasm is scattered on the table, but hobbies can be a big source of confusion. "You may have more cooking or baking materials, art and craft supplies, or no gardening tools for the right home," Carson said. "Create a system that allows you to easily access the most frequently used items while maintaining a clean and tidy environment."