Decluttering Your Home Will Leave You Happy & Healthy!
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
A cluttered home can lead to a cluttered mind. If you are living in a space that is unorganized or crammed with “stuff,” this may cause you to feel anxious or stressed. Unfortunately, we live in a consumer-driven world and because of this, we ultimately end up with way more “things” in our home that we don’t actually have a need for.
The idea of living a simplified, uncluttered life with less stuff sounds attractive to many. Owning fewer possessions may mean: less to clean, less debt, less to organize, less stress, and more money and energy to pursue your greatest passions. Although you may have all the intentions to declutter, it’s not unusual to stop and think, “well where in the world do I begin?” This task can feel overwhelming at first, but this chore doesn’t need to be as painful or stressful as some make it out to be.
The health benefits of living in a less cluttered home far outweigh the stress you may feel before tackling the project of cleaning. Below are some benefits along with tips to help you get started on a life-changing decluttering project within your living space once and for all!
What is clutter? Clutter is anything you’re keeping around your house that doesn’t add value to your life. Decluttering is all about making room in your home for the things that matter.
Why should you declutter? Many people enjoy decluttering because it relieves stress by providing a sense of control and accomplishment. For others, getting rid of the junk frees up a little extra space in the house that wasn’t there before.
Benefits of Decluttering:
Did you know your home often acts as a mirror to your emotional state? Without even realizing it, we tend to create environments that reflect our inner turmoil. Clutter is a sure sign of internal struggle. Clearing clutter provides more clarity and focus!
When you know where everything is, you reduce the amount of time it takes to accomplish tasks. You no longer have to wonder or stress about where you put something. With a clean and organized home, you can find something you need with ease because you won’t have mountains of clutter to sort through! Less clutter = less stress.
One of the biggest stressors in our life is visual clutter. When things look nice, clean and organize, the view is calming and pleasant. The more neat and organize your view is, the more calm and happy you will become.
When we de-clutter, our minds become free and we have more time and mental energy to think and plan about progress in the future.
Owning less stuff will make you appreciate and value what you have. When you have one, of something, you take care of it a lot more than when you have many of the same item. Decluttering makes you take care of your belongings.
Decluttering Tips:
Before you get started, make a plan! Write down or make a map of all the rooms and “clutter hot-spots” you want to tackle. It’s best to do one room or space at a time.
We often like to jump into things head first, but don’t take on too much too soon. A timer is a handy way to set up a goal and create manageable cleaning sessions without going overboard and feeling overwhelmed with the project.
Grab your decluttering supplies! It’s important to set yourself up for success. Cardboard boxes, containers or plenty of trash bags are items that will help you to create an organized sorting system.
A few sorting stations to consider: garbage, recycling bin, items to sell, items to giveaway/donate. Be sure to have paper, a marker, and tape on hand to label your stations in order to avoid any mix-ups! This method forces you to make a decision item by item.
Keep in consideration the time you have for that particular day and project. Set realistic expectations of what you can accomplish in the time allowed.
Have you heard of the 80/20 Rule? When it comes to clothing, we generally only wear 20% of the clothes we own 80% of the time. This rule tends to hold true for other things as well, such as video games, computer parts, books, DVDs, toys and more. Your mission is to get rid of the things you don’t use 80% of the time.
If whatever treasure you found stashed away in your house doesn’t work, get rid of it. If you want to fix it, then fix it, but don’t let it sit in your house for another month collecting dust!
Keep in mind: If you haven’t used something you come across in the last 6 months, you should probably get rid of it.
Once your home has had a makeover and those unnecessary items have been removed, it’s important to stay on track and not let your home become cluttered again. No more impulsive shopping. Practice mindful shopping instead. Before making a buy, distinguish a want from a need. Remember that almost everything is a want; very few things are needs.
By keeping these declutter health benefits in mind, following these helpful tips, and staying on track to prevent junk from entering your home in the future; you will certainly be able to create a happier and healthier living environment and mental state for yourself and family!
