At what point does the amount of stuff in a space feel cluttered to you?

That’s your clutter threshold, and we should all be mindful of living well below our thresholds if we want our homes to feel like a source of relaxation as opposed to a source of stress.

My threshold for clutter tolerance is very low, but I didn’t always know that. When I had opportunities to live in very small spaces with a tiny fraction of my possessions, I found myself both calmed and energized. When I returned to larger spaces with loads of things, the difference in my mood and energy level was profound.

Marie Kondo refers to the “click point,” at which we feel like everything we own is relevant and joyful to us and we can thoughtfully engage with all of our possessions. We experience this as essentials without lack, abundance without excess. We know it when we feel it.

Now I realize that even just a few items out of place can make me distracted and anxious, which is why I’m mindful of respecting curfew, tackling procrasticlutter, and weeding. The sight of a clear counter and a made bed helps me stay productive and positive.

Two people can respond differently to the same level of stuff. Plus, a pile of other people’s stuff starts to feel like clutter to us way sooner than a pile of our own stuff does. While we can all respect the thresholds of others, I recommend that the lowest clutter threshold becomes the default setting for the shared spaces of the household. Neatniks and slobs alike will come home happily to a place that is below, or well below, their threshold.