Did you know we all have a clutter personality type? Or that your Enneagram affects your ability to declutter? Learn valuable decluttering tips for your Enneagram type to help you live clutter-free.
8 mins read
Do you find it easy to let go of things that have outlived their use? Or is it painful to even consider giving away your child's old tricycle after stashing it away for years after she left home?
This article may not be for you if you have a clutter-free home. But if you are like most of us, at least one part of your life could use a good declutter (even if it's just the dreaded junk drawer!).
Is your home technically clean, but there's so much "sentimental stuff" stored in your walk-in closet that there’s no room for clothes? Not to mention the hall closet, which has no storage space for important things.
You "know" that less stuff on your desk will help you get more done at work, but you still can’t get rid of the knick-knacks and paper clutter (you might need it one day; at least, that’s what you tell yourself)?
Clutter is a negative force in many ways.
Here’s why.
Our physical environment directly impacts our emotions, cognition, and our behaviors. As the saying goes, "A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind." A cluttered home can make us feel stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, and even depressed.
Conversely, if we are dealing with mental health issues, a cluttered space can make it harder to cope. For example, if you are dealing with work stress, it helps if your home is a stress-free place, free from clutter.
When we realize that the things we own are not passive and that they influence our well-being, we appreciate the importance of decluttering.
If you’ve tried keeping only what you regularly use — donating or tossing unwanted items that no longer spark joy — but struggle with letting go, we have news for you.
First of all, you are not alone. Cleaning and declutter tips are not “one-size-fits-all.”
For example, adults with ADHD often have catch-all baskets in each room (which they lovingly call Doom Boxes). This strategy helps them stay focused in one room at a time, but it might drive a perfectionist bonkers (because everything needs to be in its proper place!).
What works for one person may not work for another because our personality traits play a significant role in how we deal with clutter.
Understanding your personality helps you to distinguish your decluttering strengths and weaknesses.
Armed with this personalized information, you can make positive changes related to clutter in your home. Some benefits of a decluttered home include better clarity, reduced stress, increased productivity, and improved mental health. You will also be able to manage your time better with less clutter (since you won’t be wasting time searching for things), which also means less stress.
We want to make it clear that this is not your typical "how to declutter" article.
If you are looking for specific instructions on how to declutter your home, we recommend reading something written by a professional organizer. Marie Kondo is an excellent place to start because her KonMari process breaks the decluttering task into bite-size chunks.
Instead, we will talk about possible reasons behind the clutter and why you may struggle to follow a weekly chore routine. More specifically, we'll examine the Enneagram personalities and how they handle decluttering. We'll also offer some valuable decluttering tricks aligned with your Enneagram.
If you have tried using more decluttering tips than you remember, but nothing seems to work, then this article may be just what you need!
Separate from our Enneagram type, we all have a style in which we react to clutter (and whether we are more likely to have clutter-free spaces than messy ones). Your clutter personality type can be connected to things such as your personality traits and your lived experiences.
Knowing your decluttering style helps to identify how the clutter got there in the first place. When we understand the root cause, we can match a decluttering tip with the identified issue.
Your decluttering personality type likely falls into any one of the following categories:
Please note that for this article, we will not be discussing hoarding. While extreme hoarders may fall into one of the above categories, they typically require the assistance of a mental health professional to address the underlying issues.
Now that we know the different clutter-collecting styles, we can combine that information about our individual personality traits. As discussed, we will be looking at Enneagrams. However, you can also gain insight into your organization style based on the Myers Briggs.
The Enneagram Test assigns you one of nine types based on your answers to a series of questions. The goal is to provide insight into your personality and show you how best to utilize diverse traits in making the best decisions for yourself and your loved ones.
Based on your Enneagram, let's look at how best you can declutter your home.
The Perfectionist has a strong sense of how to get things done and, in this case, keeping everything tidy. They often spend much time sorting and organizing their items into color-coded and labeled bins and drawers.
Their super-focus helps them to declutter easily, making minimalism look easy. However, their perfectionism tends to overcomplicate the decluttering process, especially when their loved ones can't keep up with their unrealistic expectations.
The Givers find fulfillment in helping others. They are ready to take on the challenging task of decluttering if it helps to create a warm and loving place for their family. They reckon that letting go will give their extra stuff a new life.
You can expect to find well-arranged family photographs and things to nurture, like plants and animals in their living spaces. And while helping a friend to declutter gives them true gratification, they often struggle with finding time to replicate the same for their homes.
The Type 3 personality is ambitious and works hard to gain success. Once they take on decluttering, they are highly motivated to finish the task in the best way possible.
The Achievers intend to create a clean, tidy, and well-decorated space (with status objects and other deliberate and expensive pieces) to show off their achievements. They'll let go of sentimental items only to buy more trendy things. Enneagram 3s often end up as the hamster in the decluttering wheel.
Enneagram 4 is creative and highly expressive. They crave unique or vintage items that make a statement. Anything that's usual or conformist is not worth their time.
But in the quest to stand out, they can accumulate things and cling to mementos for longer. And since they find it hard to ask for help, Type 4s suffer deeper emotional and cognitive effects of physical clutter.
Type 5s like to work smarter, not harder. As the Investigators are natural minimalists, they can easily dispose of anything that doesn't serve a purpose. Not because they want to create a unique aesthetic but because it will take them less effort to stay clean and tidy.
However, despite their efficient decluttering prowess, they tend to gradually accumulate items that promote their self-sufficiency and can sometimes go slightly overboard.
The Skeptics long for safety and security. Their home is their haven, and they are willing to follow a decluttering system to help them downsize.
Some Enneagram 6s can commit to minimalism and stick with it. But most of them are known to stuff their belongings in drawers and closets, and they hardly attempt to clean them out.
For these enthusiastic adventurers, decluttering is hardly a priority. They accumulate items as fast as their "five-minute" interests come and go.
But when the pain of living in the chaos overshadows a new adventure, they are willing to get it over and done with. That is if their motivation can last that long.
The Challengers are self-confident, decisive, and assertive individuals. They are not swayed by opinions or product advertisements, which means they may have little clutter to handle.
But when it comes to cleaning and downsizing, "it's their way or the highway." They formulate the process and set out determined to complete the process efficiently and as long as it takes. Safe to say, they easily steamroll their family members during the decluttering process.
The Enneagram 9s are peaceful and agreeable individuals who go out of their way to help others at their expense. Since they struggle with procrastination and distractions, they complete decluttering tasks with the help of a friend or spouse.
Type 9s are the people who are willing to help their friends declutter while their homes lie in disarray.
Now that we have explored the 9 Enneagram personalities, did any of them describe your clutter and declutter style? If so, we hope the information will help you start decluttering today.
When you make your home clutter free, it’s good for your well-being!
Want to learn more about the Enneagram and well-being? Check out these articles:
Need to know your Enneagram? Take our Enneagram test to understand more about your personality and how best you can utilize our decluttering tips to make the process beneficial for your home, family, and yourself.
Content Writer
Published 5 January 2024