Decluttering Damages My Writing

By Rebecca Evans

I quit decluttering the way some might quit a bad habit. I quit because decluttering became unhealthy for my heart. And my writing.

I quit after I tried the KonMari method. I asked my stuff, Do you still spark joy? I tidied by categories, not locations, of my home at a time. I offered my stuff a three-pile approach—Trash, Keep, Donate.

I attempted the “No Contact” method, which meant I boxed and separated myself from my goods. I gathered wooden spoons, gift wrap, and...