The Benefits of Decluttering

Have you ever heard of the saying ‘tidy house, tidy mind’?  I know that it is definitely true for me.  Everybody has clutter in their home to a degree, but did you know that it could actually be affecting our health and happiness? Clutter can affect how we sleep, how happy we feel on a daily basis, how stressed we are, and even how productive we feel – and not in a good way.

I personally live in a 4 bedroomed house inhabited by myself and my husband, two kids and two cats.  Although things are marginally better compared to when the children were tiny (when there seemed to be toys everywhere), now I have to contend with shoes, guitars, random colouring papers, books and tablets on surfaces and the floors.  Because of my Multiple Sclerosis and mobility problems, having a clear path on which to walk is paramount.  But it isn’t just that, I just feel so much better when everything is in its rightful place and I feel like my home is clean and organised.

There are lots of books on the market that advocate minimalist living with very little waste.  This is a great idea – in theory.  However, the kids will continue to bring stuff home from school and my husband will always want to keep hold of that trophy the band he was in at school won 25 years ago.  Minimalist isn’t quite right for us, but there are some tips and tricks that I use to help keep that ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ mantra going – and succeeding!

I Come Up With A Plan

If there is a lot of clutter, it’s unlikely I’m going to be able to get rid of it all in one day. Instead, I come up with a plan. Maybe I’ll work on my bedroom today, and my lounge tomorrow (or the next day, depends on the number of spoons that I have)!  Having a plan in place and setting intentions works wonders and seeing the difference that making my rooms that little bit more decluttered and tidy gives me a boost to keep going.

I Try to Have a Capsule Wardrobe

How many of us have loads of clothes – and some that we haven’t worn in years?  I know that I do – I even have a sparkly cardigan from the early 2000s that I know that I will never wear again.  It can be hard to get rid of things when there are memories attached to them.  However, over the past year or so I have tried hard to have big clear outs.  Now, as a rule, I try to make it so that anything I buy goes with multiple pieces in my wardrobe.  I guess that I am lucky in a way in that my taste is pretty plain and conservative.  I am trying hard to get ‘the basics’ (good jeans, nice jackets, plain tops) and jazz them up with accessories, which tend to be cheaper and easier to replace.  Taking a look at a few guides on this helped to get started.

I Ask Myself The Right Questions

When decluttering, I ask myself:

• When was the last time I used this?
• Is there somebody who would benefit from this more than me?
• Is this item beautiful or useful?
• Does it add value?

For large pieces, local storage can be an ideal solution to bide some time before truly getting rid.  For smaller items, though, I try not to hesitate; I go with my gut and have never yet regretted taking items I haven’t used/worn over the past year to a local charity shop.

I Get Rid Of Any Multiples

I don’t need two spatulas, three alarm clocks for myself, or four pairs of trainers. Unless having a spare is a good idea, I try to pass on anything that I have as a duplicate.

I Enlist Some Help

I ask for help – not only because of my MS making it difficult to do everything on my own without triggering symptoms but also because I sometimes need the ‘tough love’ approach!  I know that if I ask my husband if I really need X, Y, Z, he’d probably say ‘no’!

I think of the Benefits:

It has been documented that decluttering can help us to:

• Sleep better
• Have more energy
• Have the will to drop bad habits and take up better ones
• Find ourselves with more time
• Find that certain relationships improve

The above are just a few of the benefits that people who declutter notice. I’ve also found that there can be a financial benefit – Ebay thrives on other people’s random stuff!  I have been able to sell kids clothes, old bookends, card wallets and tap shoes that have been gathering dust.

Perhaps without realising, I have placed a lot of importance on getting myself and my life organised over the past few months – I have upcoming medical treatment.  Decluttering seems to be the way that I am able to feel in control and happy that the house will be in a good state when I come back.

Does anyone else find that decluttering helps them too? And for those of you with chronic illnesses like me, have you found any top tips to help you get on top of it?  I would love to hear.

Till next time,

**This is a collaborative post**