10 Reasons Why De-cluttering Will Improve Your Life

Many of us think the easy way to self-care means taking a bubble bath or getting a manicure, but it means much more than that. Self-care is an act of doing things that improve your overall health, happiness, and/or well-being. Although spending time on relaxing activities like taking a bath and getting a massage can be fun, there is not much self-care that goes into it.

Some acts of self-care include getting your annual check-up with your doctor, or flossing your teeth every morning and night, for some – exercising on both good and bad days, or going to bed even when you want to watch another episode of your favorite show.

Sometimes self-care involves things that are not often thought of, like clearing yourself of all that clutter! Not only is de-cluttering a practice of self-care, but it is also an important factor to self-care.

Harmful Impact of Clutter

Life can sometimes get in the way of keeping clutter down, but it can allow for some nasty negative impacts on our lives. It’s easy to steer away from and ignore, but ask yourself, “how much is your clutter stealing from you?” and when you answer consider this – most definitely your time, energy, space, and in addition, your peace.

1. You have things taking up valuable space

What do you do with all that stuff – donate it. We are taught to not be wasteful or throw things away, so what ends up happening is that we stuff that box of old things in a closet and never use it again until the next time we find it. This positive thinking can get us into trouble, but instead of keeping those old boxed up things, donate them to organizations such as veteran charity’s like the Purple Heart Association. Find out more about what donation centers you can go to and feel good about the de-clutter and all the new space you will have.

2. Feeling stressed out

Having too much “stuff” can be stressful almost as if you have too much on your to-do list and how overwhelming that can be. There are a variety of ways this can lead to added stress, for example:

• Arranging time to keep up with the housework and keeping a clean space.

• More, more, more…means having more things to keep clean and put energy in to.

• Time, where does it all go? It’s spent looking for things when they’re lost!

• Feelings of discontent can lead to embarrassment and lack of social life.

3. Overeating and weight gain

This may come to a surprise for some of you, but clutter CAN lead to weight-gain. Of course, having stacks of paper pile up, and those corners topple over do not add the pounds, but they do add stress to your life. Overeating can be countered by clearing out that closet and putting things in their rightful places according to Peter Walsh and his book Lose the Clutter, Lose the Weight. Most of his research is anecdotal, but a panel of testers found tackling clutter with their weight loss goals effective.

4. Fostering germs and pests

If you cannot see the surface of your countertops, how can you wipe it clean? Think about it, if your clutter habits involve a disguised kitchen counter or dirty dishes left overnight, that is an invite for creepy-crawly critters like cockroaches and other self-serving bacteria into your home. If you have clutter and notice any crawling foreign invader, you’ll know it’s time to do some spring cleaning – tackle it while you’re ahead and prevent that expensive exterminator bill.

5. Find yourself late all the time

Scheduling appointments or leaving for work can be frivolous when all you are doing is rushing. Clearing up that clothing pile and make up bag can improve the amount of time you spend getting ready. Imagine how nice it would be to get ready “simple & easy,” we call it APFE/EIIP (a place for everything and everything in its place). Have that feeling of “aahhhhhh” and you push out that breath of serenity. The idea is to keep our spaces calm, and by giving ourselves more time we can do exactly that.

6. It is dangerous for your step

Stumbling over your sneakers is not an ideal situation when you’re already running late. How about slipping on a piece of paper that fell onto the hard-wood floors? It can be hazardous to walk around your home just to step over a pile of clutter which can inevitably lead to accidents. You do not want to risk a twisted ankle or stepping on a toothpick when you wake up to go to the bathroom late at night.

7. Mangled thinking

Having that large pile of clothes stuffed in the corner may shift your focus and awareness from your important decision by replacing it with the annoying thought of what you will do next. More than likely you will become more frustrated which may affect your decision making and mental state. This study from the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute study explains the offset of existing clutter.

8. Taking too much of your time

This one seems simple, but it is easily disguised. Having more things means more to spend your energy on and clean up. If you are looking to clean up that to-do list then clear out that storage closet and find APFE a place for everything, so that you don’t have to spend extra time cleaning things out of the way.

9. You wake up feeling tired

Do you spend 8 hours of sleep a night just to wake up feeling like you didn’t sleep at all? Clutter could be the cause. In the same Princeton University study researchers found that states of increased exhaustion is experienced in those who have cluttered homes. This result is due to energy expenditure and mental stress caused by a messy environment. Feng-shui is a practice of self-care by removing exposure to environmental factors that may contribute to clutter. To learn more about the environmental effects of clutter on the mental and emotional state of mind check out a summary of research history on Chinese Feng-shui and environmental issues to understand the importance of this cultural belief.

10. Increasing to-do list

Feeling like your schedule just keeps getting busier and busier? This could be from all the clutter you have. Try putting some of that stuff away and watch your time and length of your tasks decrease. You will spend less time on one project than if you keep up on it. The key to this is keeping it clean so that overall, you will not have to go back and clean up again. I follow the rule that if I do it, I do it right the first time. If you are like me, you do not want to spend MORE of your time redoing a project you put so much effort into cleaning.

Clutter and your well-being

The way that you feel in your home and feel in general can be largely impacted by the way your environment is presented. It is typical for clutter to affect other areas of our lives, namely our social lives.

It is normal to feel discontent and unhappy or embarrassed when inviting people into your home if you have piles of clutter just sitting around. Think about it, when you give your co-worker a ride home and you must clear out that front seat first, it can be daunting and unappealing. The same goes for your personal space at home.

It makes sense that a clean environment is subdue for a happy environment. The last thing we want is to come home to a dirty house after a long day of work. Not only do you feel bombarded with tasks as soon as you walk through the door, but it is a mask for disaster in distraction.

Having too much to deal with can also carry over into your space for relaxation. Often a space filled with clutter takes away from the sense of relaxing and can lead to stress and anxiety. Keep a clean-living space is crucial to your mental state of mind. Your health depends on it de-cluttering is freeing in so many ways. Letting go of the excess “stuff” that fills your home often feels like a weight is lifted from your life.

Sometimes we don’t even realize how heavy and burdened our stuff makes us feel until we start letting it go! And once you start letting go, it can feel like such a big relief as you feel lighter and happier and begin experiencing the benefits of less.

There many practical benefits of de-cluttering. For example, you’ll spend less time and energy cleaning and maintaining a tidy home. And you will likely lose your keys less!

But de-cluttering is important for self-care because there are many intangible benefits as well. Clearing the clutter can have such a positive impact on your overall health, happiness, and well-being.

Self-care benefits of de-cluttering

Clearing the clutter means you literally give yourself more space in your home. And more space means you create breathing room and white space in your home. Making rest and relaxation easier.

Not to mention, more space in your home can make you happier with your home.

Instead of feeling discontent with your home and wishing you had a bigger home, owning less may make you realize you do not need a bigger home, just less stuff in it!

There are many benefits of de-cluttering your home, work-space, car, garage, etc. that can lead to improving your quality of life. Find out more about what donation centers you can go to and feel good about the de-clutter and all the new space you will have.

• More time

• More energy

• More presence.

• More money

• More focus

• More peace

• More freedom

De-cluttering for self-care

I hope this post has shown you that de-cluttering is about more than just keeping your home tidy or putting things away in the closet.

The benefits of de-cluttering go beyond just the tangible benefits of a clutter-free, tidy home. De-cluttering can become an important way to practice self-care because it helps you take control of your home, your life, and your “stuff” to improve your overall well-being.

It is about creating a home to fill you up rather than deplete you. Creating a home that can give you the time, space, energy, and clarity to improve your health, happiness and overall well-being!

Check out the purple personal goal planner on my page to support you in managing time for your to-do list. You'll be pleasantly surprised with the increased positivity that pours into your life just by making time to clear out the old and in with the new.

#healthylife #happy #declutter #circleoflife

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