9 Important Benefits Of Decluttering Your Home
Since the rise of the minimalist movement, the idea of clutter-free homes with less stuff and more space has grown more and more popular. But it’s not just about living in a clean home, embodying the teachings of Marie Kondo, and throwing away everything you own (don’t do that…).
What many people don’t realize is that a decluttered home and the even the decluttering process itself can have a profound effect on so many different areas of your life, including your physical health, mental health, and emotional health.
The process of decluttering itself is a positive habit to create and can help you have an organized home, and including this habit on a daily basis can not only help you have a tidy home, but can also be a great way to harness some of the great benefits of decluttering your home.
While many people avoid decluttering because they think it may take a lot of time or they don’t understand the positive impact it can have, the good news is the simple act of decluttering is actually a really easy process and when you see the benefits start to creep in, you’ll be hooked.
If you’re still on the fence about whether decluttering and fewer things in your home really leads to such a wide host of benefits, check out these further insights into the benefits of decluttering your home and see if you’d like to see these in your life.
1 – Less Stress + More Calm
Research has shown that a cluttered home increases levels of cortisol in the body, which is the stress hormone. Excess cortisol is linked to a whole range of health issues from cardiovascular disease through to neurological issues, as well as increased anxiety and depression.
The good news is, knowing that clutter affects us in this way and has such a negative impact on our health means that we know how to fix it.
One of the best things you can do is take some time to declutter your home and create positive habits around decluttering. You don’t have to do it all at once, and often, the best way to declutter is to do just a little bit at a time. Every bit counts.
Once your home is decluttered, it is easier to keep clean and at the end of the day, you will notice that you feel calmer when in a tidy space.
Physical clutter can contribute to mental clutter, especially if it’s difficult for you to find what you’re looking for, which in turn can create frustration and stress.
You know the feeling that having physical clutter gives you, it can feel light a weight around you or like things are just too ‘close’ and you don’t have space to move. Decluttering creates a much more relaxed environment.
2 – Make Money + Save Money
Decluttering is not only good for your stress levels; it’s also great for your pocket!
It might be hard to believe, but you can actually make money selling the unnecessary things that you no longer need.
Facebook Marketplace is a great place to donate your items, or sell them for extra cash. Or if you have a large number of items, you could have a garage sale or yard sale.
You might be surprised with how much you can earn, and it’s quite addictive once you start.
Set yourself an income goal for decluttering and see how much money you can make by removing things you no longer want or need.
You’ll also save money because you’ll be less likely to buy things spontaneously and will be more mindful of your purchases. After you’ve spent time and put so much effort into decluttering, you’ll be more aware of what you bring into your home as you won’t want to undo all of your hard work.
3 – Feel Happier + More Productive
A clean and tidy space will leave you feeling happier, more productive and ready to take on the world. You will find that you are able to focus better when your surroundings are clutter-free.
When your mind is clear of chaos you can start focusing on what matters most to you. This will help you to be more productive and less likely to be distracted by the clutter around you.
When we are productive, we feel happier and we have a sense of accomplishment.
A clutter free home has a lightness about it, and feels like energy flows better through the spaces. The clearing of the physical space allows for clearing of mental space which flows into so many other aspects of our lives.
4 – Create More Space
I don’t need to tell you how much clutter makes everything feel cramped. When you walk into a cluttered room it can feel like the walls are closing in, like everything is a little too close, and you just don’t have the space to breathe.
You might even find that the rooms you feel are too small are actually large and open when they’re clutter free. This often happens when there’s a high density of household objects, regardless of how big or small a space is.
Creating more space in your home will not only give you more physical space to move freely, but also leaves space for positive energy and new opportunities!
Plus spaces that are clear from clutter just feel better.
5 – Declutter Your Emotions
When you remove physical clutter from your home, it’s not uncommon for the emotional clutter to come to the surface and need to be cleared too.
You don’t have to get rid of all of your emotional baggage when you’re decluttering your home, but you could set some things free if it feels like they’re hindering your ability to enjoy life.
Think of anything that reminds you of a negative situation, or doesn’t make you feel joy (hello summer shorts from my early twenties that I don’t and won’t fit into again…).
Sometimes things in our life don’t serve us anymore and it’s time for them to leave so we can welcome in the new.
6 – Keep You Focused
This is particularly important for those of us who are easily distracted… but benefits everyone too. Less clutter = less distractions.
Before you know it, you’re off task and chasing rabbits.
It’s easy to get sidetracked by the ‘stuff’ around us – whether that’s physical objects or things happening in our lives that we don’t want to deal with.
Clutter (both physically and emotionally) is distracting; it takes up your time, space and energy, leaving us with less to deal with the things that really matter.
7 – Less Time Cleaning
Less clutter means you’ll have less things to clean, you won’t have to move as much stuff in order to clean (think kitchen bench tops that need to be wiped down but are cluttered) and the whole cleaning process will be so much faster.
I have to admit, this is probably my favorite perk to keeping the house clear from clutter. Anything that can help reduce the amount of time spent cleaning is a winner in my eyes.
I find that when I’m surrounded by less clutter, there’s less to clean and the whole process goes much faster. This can also make it a lot easier to encourage family members to contribute to a clean house and keep their space clean and tidy.
This means you don’t have to use as much energy (both physical and mental) cleaning your home, and more time for you to do what you really want – like enjoying your free time with family and friends or simply relaxing in your clean and tidy home.
You’ll also take better care of your home and possessions if they’re not buried under a mountain of clutter.
8 – It Will Help You Love Yourself More + Improve Self Worth
Admitting that you don’t have the self-esteem to keep your home clutter free is one of the first steps in improving it.
You need to create a space for yourself that’s conducive to letting love into your life, and removing physical clutter from your living space will help you increase your self-worth.
Once you’ve removed the clutter (physical and emotional), you can take time to appreciate your accomplishments.
Feeling like you’ve accomplished something will boost your confidence, which in turn will make it easier for you to move forward in life.
9 – You’ll Sleep Better
Studies have actually shown that people who live with clutter show higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), and have lower levels of sleep hygiene (aka cleared, clean and restful sleeping space with clean sheets), therefore creating a poor sleep environment.
If you’re having a hard time sleeping at night, try spending some time decluttering your home before going to bed.
This sets your mind up to know that there is cleared space, less clutter, and less noise.
Most of the time clutter is really just stuff that we don’t want to deal with, but your mind tells you that if you don’t do something about it, then all of that ‘stuff’ will be there forever.
Not only will you sleep better, but you’ll feel more relaxed and refreshed the next day! Plus you’ve done something good for your mind, body and soul.
Your Next Steps
Don’t mistake ‘decluttering’ with throwing things out. You don’t have to get rid of everything. It’s all about removing the things that you don’t need anymore and getting rid of clutter that is no longer serving a purpose in your life.
So what do you need to work on first to have a neater home?
That’s up to you – it can be as simple as organizing your kitchen cupboards or as big as tackling the whole house.
The important thing is that you start somewhere and work from there.
In order for change to happen, we have to start somewhere – and if you’re looking to declutter your home, then my best advice is to start small.
For example, it might be easier for you to get organized if you only work on one room at a time.
So try cleaning up one room of your house before moving onto another… If that feels too overwhelming, how about choosing to declutter only one area of the room you’re working on. It might be your wardrobe, or a specific shelf in your bookcase…
Just think of it as an experiment and see what works for you – and remember: less is more!
When it comes to decluttering your home and getting organized, it’s important to remember that you’re doing this for you and nobody else.
Decluttering your home isn’t about letting other people dictate how you live your life; it’s about making a space in your world that’s conducive to love, allowing gratitude and appreciation into your life and bringing more peace and calmness into your space.
Although it may be challenging at times, in the long run it’s all going to be worth it!