What are the benefits of decluttering?
You have probably read half a dozen ‘how to’ guides already this year, extolling the latest and best way to declutter your home, but why is decluttering a thing we should make a habit of, and how do we know what ‘clutter’ is?
What is clutter?
Often, when we think of the word clutter, we think of untidy rooms, with bits and bobs strewn everywhere, surfaces busy with knick-knacks, difficulties putting your hand on what you are looking for and generally just a bit of a pickle. But actually, even the tidiest houses can be filled with clutter, it’s just been neatly tidied away into a drawer or file or box in the loft that is never looked at again, or carefully stacked in cupboards and drawers and wardrobes that give us the impression that we’re totally on top of things, when in reality, we’re simply postponing the inevitable.
Clutter can build for a multitude of reasons. In our home, it’s “oh, I might need that later on”. In one client’s home we visited, we were met with an apology ‘for the mess’, and learned that the homeowner had kept a lot of items from his late mother’s house and felt guilty about getting rid of anything. We were able to put him in touch with a local home organising expert who gently and sensitively helped him make decisions he was comfortable with to reduce ‘the mess’ and help him return his home to liveable (for him) and saleable (for both of us) condition. For others it’s time, energy or even clutter blindness. In a home where one person does best in an organised and calm environment and the other just doesn’t register the clutter, this can cause tension and arguments, sometimes without really understanding the trigger.
Here are five mental health benefits to decluttering that might persuade you to give it a go:
- Decreases stress and anxiety
In decluttering your space, you will create a calming environment that can improve your overall mood, reducing stress and that sense of anxiety that can be caused by the feeling that there is something you need to do.
- Increases focus
Some people find it difficult to focus when in a cluttered room. By decluttering and organising your space, you can create a more relaxing ambience that helps you stay focused and productive.
- Boosts creativity.
When you have too much stuff, it can be overwhelming and stifle your creativity – and we don’t mean your ability to turn a doodle into a piece of art, we mean your problem solving skills and ability to resolve challenges you may be faced with at home or work.
- Improves sleep quality.
A bedroom cluttered with clothes and shoes and bags and other bit and bobs can negatively impact your ability to relax and get quality sleep. In fact, research has shown that sleep is affected when any room in the home is visibly cluttered and untidy, as our brains like patterns and sense, and clutter rather gets in the way of that.
- Enhances self-esteem
When you declutter your living space, you gain a sense of accomplishment and control over your environment, which can lift your self-esteem or, as we say here, give the smug-o-meter a boost. Who doesn’t feel smug after a concerted effort to sort out a room, or even a drawer? I know I do.
Where do I start with decluttering
There are many and varied decluttering techniques that you can find with a quick online search. Indeed, we have written about a few of them here, from the Ski Slope Method to the ultimate wardrobe declutter (if you’re seeking to boost your smug-o-metre, this is a GREAT place to start!
Marie Kondo suggests you start with the things that have no emotional ties, such as paperwork (that ultimate in hidden away clutter) while other organisers argue for a room-by-room approach.
However you choose to go about it, this is for certain – you will feel tired but happy at the end, and the bell on your smug-o-metre will be ringing loud.
Eddie – Friday 17th January 2025. (Image used of a a bedroom).