Can you clean a closet and lose weight?

I enjoyed an article in my local paper:  Clutter a sign of health problem?  (link at bottom)

The bulk of the article was about compulsive hoarding, but hidden in all that was an intriguing thought.  Lynne Johnson, a professional organizer from Quincy, Mass., stated that she often sees a link between her client’s efforts to get organized and weight loss:  “I think someone decides, ‘I’m not going to live like this anymore.  I’m not going to hold onto my stuff, I’m not going to hold onto my weight.’”

Interestingly, I have noticed something similar.  It is not uncommon for someone who is making changes in their eating habits to also get motivated to clear out physical space.  Is there a link?  Personally, I’ve always thought of clearing out clutter as a form of freeing energy.  I like the saying that when you clean out a closet, you create space for something new in your life.

I recently worked with an organizer myself – I wanted to revamp my filing system and move paper through my office more easily.  And yes, I tend to hold on to paper thinking that I’m going to need it.  The most helpful advice I got was think about the space energetically:  what did I want to hold on to and what did I want to release?  And the idea of trusting that when I needed something, I’d be able to find it (I usually start with an online search anyway, not with my files!)  It helped; I tossed out a huge amount of paper.

Would this help with weight loss?  Seems like it could. They both have elements of making conscious choices and creating some structure.  When clutter builds up, we feel like we have lost control, like the clutter gets in our way.  A little mess in my office is okay; a little more and it feels like my actions get dictated by what is on top of the stack.  When we feel out of control of food choices, it is like turning control over to the food just because it is there.

Try it out.  If you’d like to lose weight, try cleaning up something.  The article ended with a suggestion to create at least one clean and uncluttered place in your home.  It also suggested keeping a gym bag with workout clothes and sneakers in an uncluttered area to make it easier to exercise.  It can’t hurt, and who knows – maybe it will help you lose weight!

Newspaper link (good for 90 days from 1/16/08): http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080115/LIFESTYLE/801150307&SearchID=73305853498727

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