{"id":9695,"date":"2026-01-27T15:22:46","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T20:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stezen.ca\/?p=9695"},"modified":"2026-01-27T15:23:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T20:23:46","slug":"desencombrer-en-couple-aimer-cest-aussi-faire-de-la-place","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stezen.ca\/en\/desencombrer-en-couple-aimer-cest-aussi-faire-de-la-place\/","title":{"rendered":"Decluttering as a couple: love also means making room"},"content":{"rendered":"
Decluttering isn't a word we spontaneously associate with love, I know. And yet, as Valentine's Day approaches, that's exactly where my thoughts have taken me. This time of year makes me think about love, of course... but also about how we live together, how we share our space, our daily lives, our mental load. And the more I accompany women and couples in their homes, the more I realize that love isn't just about being there for the other person. It's also about making room. Real space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There's a lot of talk about love in February. But there's little talk of what goes on inside the walls. What's piling up. The little irritants. Things left unsaid. Objects that take up too much space... and sometimes, symbolically, a little too much space in the relationship too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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When clutter feeds the mental load<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We talk a lot about mental workload, and rightly so. But we often forget to talk about the impact of clutter on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Constantly seeing things lying around:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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reminds us of what's not done<\/li>\n\n\n\n
creates background tension<\/li>\n\n\n\n
really makes it hard to pick up<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In a relationship, it can quickly become a slippery slope. One sees the mess. The other no longer sees it. And without meaning to, resentment builds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
De-cluttering also means removing invisible layers of stress. It's about lightening daily life. For yourself, but also for your relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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When space becomes a source of tension<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
I've lost count of the number of times I've been told that clutter and poorly organized space are a major source of conflict. In a couple, it often happens that one is more sensitive to clutter than the other. And this discrepancy, if unacknowledged, can quickly become a source of tension. I talk about this in my blog \"Living with someone messy<\/a>\".<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pile](\"https:\/\/stezen.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SteZen-Blogue-SaintValentin-1-819x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Deux](\"https:\/\/stezen.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SteZen-Blogue-SaintValentin-2-819x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Coin](\"https:\/\/stezen.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/SteZen-Blogue-SaintValentin-3-819x1024.jpeg\")
<\/figure>