Have you ever walked into a room full of clutter {{ first_name }} and started to feel stressed or anxious?
Whether it’s excess thoughts, words or belongings clutter can affect how we process and function. Excess anything can take up more physical and mental space than we realise so finding opportunities to declutter can improve our mental health in surprising ways.
Research confirms that decluttering our physical space can have many positive impacts on your mindset.
Confidence & self esteem
Energy & productivity
Reduces overall stress
Confidence and Self-Esteem
Decluttering our environment instils a sense of control. We get to be in charge of how our space is organised and what stays or goes. This can give us a sense of competency and pride, which leads to improved self-esteem.
The act of decluttering also strengthens our ability to make decisions and problem-solve. After decluttering, we feel a sense of accomplishment that can boost our feelings of self-worth and confidence.
Energy and Productivity
Having stuff everywhere can feel draining. It feels heavy walking into our room when our laundry is all over the bed, and dishes fill up the kitchen sink. It feels great when our spaces have tranquil vibes.
Once you start tackling the clutter, it becomes catchy! You might be inspired to take action in other parts of your life too. Added bonus is that your spaces will feel different and exciting, which provides a little energy and dopamine boost.
Reduced Stress
Living in a disorganised home can lead to increased levels of stress, according to recent research. Too many things in our physical space can take up mental space, which can make it harder to concentrate. This then leads to feeling overwhelmed. Not only does decluttering help improve our mood and reduce stress, but it can even help us sleep better, which is a huge factor for our mental health.
4 Tips for de-cluttering
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Start small.
Pick a small area and just focus on decluttering that. Or make a deal with yourself that you will get rid of five things today. Set yourself up for success with an easy and attainable goal so you can build momentum and gain confidence.
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Set some rules.
Making individual decisions about everything you want to declutter can be overwhelming and unrealistic. By setting ground rules like “I will throw out anything I have not worn in 1 year” you can take the decision out of it and move on to the next piece without sacrificing too much mental energy.
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Ask for help.
Tackling a big task is always easier with an extra set of hands. Even if the other person is mainly providing moral support, just having someone else there for the company can make the task seem more tolerable.
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Organise your “new” space.
You have probably heard about the 3 bag method of sorting: Giveaway, throw away & keep but when is the best time to organise the “new” space? Not as you go. Ideally deciding on tubs and baskets for organising your “keep” items should be the reward at the end of your sorting per area. You might be surprised how few you need once you have cleared the clutter!
Go you good thing :)
