The Secret Life of Clutter cover art

The Secret Life of Clutter

Getting clear, letting go and moving on

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The Secret Life of Clutter

By: Helen Sanderson
Narrated by: Tania Rodrigues
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About this listen

 'A thoughtful and surprisingly emotional account of our complex relationship with stuff ... If you don't want your possessions to possess you, then this is a book you must read' Graham Allcott

When you get clear about why your clutter is holding you back, you can finally let it go and create the home you love.

Our homes have fascinating stories to tell. The spaces we inhabit and the objects within them reflect many aspects of our lives and our inner selves. In The Secret Life of Clutter, ten intimate and touching stories take you on a profound journey as people discover what their cluttered homes reveal about their lives, and make life-changing shifts when they start to let go and move on.

The secret to creating a calm and nurturing home is to uncover the psychological reasons that lie beneath your clutter, and to understand that what is blocking you in your home and your life is often the key to moving forwards. Unlocking some of the meaning your possessions may hold can free you to say goodbye to what you no longer need, whilst keeping your precious memories intact.

The insights revealed in this book will help you understand some of the factors that may be sabotaging your efforts to make more space. It will inspire you to take action and create a home that you love, that loves you back - a home that reflects who you are and the life you want to live.

You'll never look at your clutter - or your home - the same way again.©2022 Helen Sanderson Cleaning & Organizing House & Home Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Decluttering Mental Health

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Critic reviews

I loved it; it's original. A perfect way to trash your trash. (Ruby Wax)
A thoughtful and surprisingly emotional account of our complex relationship with stuff. It's a love letter to clarity and a recognition that when we make the decisions that create more physical space, we often create mental headspace and momentum in our lives too. If you don't want your possessions to possess you, then this is a book you must read (Graham Allcott, author of HOW TO BE A PRODUCTIVITY NINJA)
Tending to your home can also be a profound way of tending to your inner space. In THE SECRET LIFE OF CLUTTER, Helen Sanderson tells wonderful, moving, and inspiring stories of people whose blocked homes mirrored a blockage in their life. A beautiful read, filled with compassion and understanding, it helps guide you to parts of yourself that may be forgotten or buried under stuff, so you can bring your home and your life into harmony (Jamie Catto, author of INSANELY GIFTED)
All stars
Most relevant
The book is full of great insights about our relationship with stuff, "Clutter is decisions that have been postponed" being the main one. Really made me think. However, as an (audio) book the writing and narrating style is terrible. I listened at 1.2x and it was still too slow at times. The worst part is how the author chose to tell the stories. Instead of offering her point of view only in those stories, she is trying to show the client's imaginary point of view, interpreting how they would have felt and "quoting" conversations with them where she always says the perfect, most thoughtful, most sensitive thing. These quotes sound forced and artificial and make going through the stories very tedious. It reads like a book-long sales pitch of why you should call her if you are in a similar situation and how amazing she is. If you can stomach the bad writing and are motivated to find the nuggets of wisdom in the book, there are some real gems and eye opening insights that can help you understand and change your relationship with yourself and with that, the relationship with your stuff. Listen if you or someone you love is struggling with clutter. Or if you are considering if you should hire her for working on your clutter :-)

Eye opening insights but terrible writing

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This book reads like a really good collection of short stories, about some of the people the author has helped to declutter their homes, and by that - helped them out of the stuckness of their lives. The attitude of the author towards her clients is compassionate and respectful. She has good psychological skills, and that, in combination with wonderful story-telling, puts her book over the top compared to other books on the subject. A very good read with lots of useful insights and advice. I recommend it strongly!

Brilliant home decluttering advice

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As I'm currently clearing the house of a deceased relative, I hoped this audiobook would offer some useful tips and insights. A few of the latter emerged eventually, but their impact was greatly reduced by the sea of clichés in which they were expressed. Also, the deeply patronising tone of the reading really didn't help.

Underwhelming

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