Hoarding vs. Minimalism

Edit: It will be confusing at this point if I edit the whole post, but I wish I’d thought to change this to “maximalist vs. minimalist” instead of “hoarding vs. minimalism”. That would distinguish “person who has a lot of stuff” from “person suffering from OCD leading to hoarding. 

Book Club Elaine sent me an email after reading this comment from Diane:

My superpower is that I am very organized. I don’t have any messy “junk drawers” & love it when people ask me to help clean out cabinetry, a pantry, etc. I see chaos & can immediately formulate a plan.

In her email, Elaine said:

How do you think about the continuum between minimalism and hoarding? Or are they in fact not polar opposites?

I don’t like bare rooms or limiting my ownership of things to what can fit in a backpack, but I actually feel nauseous when I’ve tried to watch programs about hoarders in the past.

The post on superpowers was very thought provoking. I’m still chewing on the very first comment by Diane because I consider myself organized but I certainly have junk drawers and sometimes piles in corners. And I lose stuff. Constantly. So, I’m thinking that my system of organization is perhaps more theoretical than actual.

Elaine suggested this would make a good topic for discussion, and I agree (although honestly, most things make for good discussion topics here because you guys are such good discussers.)

Hmm. Is “discussers” a word? 

Ooh, I looked it up just now, and it actually is.

So, let’s get to it. 

Minimalism and Hoarding on a spectrum

I do actually think that minimalism and hoarding are polar opposites, but I think there’s a really big spectrum between those two extremes.

I’m guessing you, Elaine, are somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.

 

So to me, the fact that you are both horrified by hoarding while also not being interested in minimalism makes sense. You are happy being in between the two extremes. 

It sounds like you probably want to stay somewhere in the middle, with maybe a slight shift toward minimalism (because your piles of stuff are bothering you) and organization (because you are losing things).

(The difference between minimalism and organization is probably a whole ‘nother topic, actually. Because it is possible to have a lot of stuff but also keep that stuff organized. I bet most people find it easier to be organized when they have less stuff, though.)

Where do I personally land?

I am definitely not on the hoarding side of the spectrum; I’m pretty careful about how much stuff I buy, and I’m fairly consistent with getting rid of things I don’t use.

This extends to my food situation also; I try to be careful not to overbuy, and I also put a lot of effort into making sure I use up what’s in my fridge/freezer/pantry. 

I do have some minimalist tendencies: I own only one purse, I have only two sets of work scrubs, and I have one water bottle.

On the other hand, I am not a strict minimalist. I own multiple pairs of scissors, I have an embarrassing number of hoodies, and I definitely own more than two pairs of shoes.

Also, my junk drawer is often in a state of disarray. 

However, I don’t lose stuff very much, and I think that’s mainly because I have specific places for things.

I have to put my keys in the mug on the kitchen counter, because otherwise I will lose them.

My earbuds always go on a hook on my office bulletin board.

The charging cable for my wireless earbuds always goes in a little zippered bag in my desk drawer. 

My hospital badge always goes in the same backpack on the same hook. Otherwise I could foreseeably end up at work with no badge. 

Overall, I’m pretty content with where I’m at between minimalism and hoarding; my life works reasonably well for me, I usually have enough stuff, and I usually know where my stuff is! 

There’s not a “right” place to be on this spectrum

As with so many things in life, I don’t think this is a matter of right or wrong. It’s more a matter of, “Is this working for you?”

If you are happy where you’re at, then I don’t think you need to change anything.

One person’s happy maximalist life would be someone else’s idea of misery, and one person’s minimalist life would be someone else’s personal hell. 

By the same token, some people’s amount of stuff is getting in the way of their peace. And there are probably some people out there who are miserably trying to force their way into a strict minimalist way of life. 

So, if that’s the case for you, then maybe you need to adjust your habits to get to a better and happier place between owning too much or too little! 

Readers, where do you fall on this spectrum? And are you happy with where you are? 

P.S. I realize that when we commonly refer to “the spectrum” we are often referring to the autism spectrum. But that word is not specific to autism, and I couldn’t think of a better word to describe what’s in between hoarding and minimalism. 

P.P.S. I also want to say: severe hoarding is usually a complicated problem that requires professional, compassionate help to solve. 

P.P.P.S. I love the discussion ideas you guys have been sending my way. If you have one, you can always email me or leave a comment, and maybe your idea will become a post!