Decluttering is a Self-Care Ritual You Didn’t Know You Needed
Would you have guessed that decluttering is key for your mental well-being?
It has been demonstrated that a cluttered home leads to increased stress levels and reduced well-being. So while decluttering is a tedious task, if you want to significantly improve your mental and physical health (because it is well-known that cortisol aka the stress hormone negatively impacts our physical health too, for example increasing belly fat), it is an excellent way to start!
There’s this saying that a cluttered space equals a cluttered mind. And the root of it holds so much truth. I experienced it myself. Whenever too much clutter accumulates (my storage room is my end-stage enemy), I feel almost the weight of it on my mind, fuelling anxiety and overwhelm. And whenever I tackle it, the relief is coming INSTANTLY.
It is a reality that when we didn’t declutter for a while, we get accustomed to it. Humans are a creature of habit, which is a big advantage in evolution. You can’t live forever in stress mode.
But this should not be our standard of living. As soon as you reinstate regular decluttering, you will feel the massive negative impact it had on your mental state without even realizing it anymore.
Besides the positive impact on mental wellbeing and stress hormones, there are two other benefits I got to enjoy and never want to miss out again:
Time
The less clutter you have, the less time you need for tidying up. Which ultimately results in more time for living. Who does not want that?Sanctuary
Decluttering gives you the opportunity to make your space and home to your personal hideaway for resting, recharging and enjoying your best life. You won’t feel the need to get somewhere else anymore to recharge, because you’ve got your sanctuary right at home, authentic to you.
Image courtesy to Minh Pham.
Now, decluttering can be overwhelming to say the least, especially when not done in a while. So here’s my tried and tested best approach to it.
Clean the surfaces first
It may sound weird, but hear me out.
I love to start with that because it’s little effort with huge impact.
Decluttering your surfaces calms your space in an instant. Removing visual declutter already signals your brain the benefits of a tidy space, because, well, there’s no clutter to be seen. Put the things to their designated area but don’t yet organize it there. We will get to that later. Anything you don’t use or need anymore, it’s time to let go.
Continue with either something manageable or something that’s really bugging you
This might be your wardrobe or your make-up collection. Now that we start the decluttering process, we’ll use the well-known 3 pile approach with a “keep”, “maybe” and “goodbye” pile. Get everything you want to go through in that area out on one big “everything” staple.
My addition to it is that depending on the area or goal, I either apply the “positive” or “negative” selection.
The positive selection is that you pick out your absolute favourites and put it in the keep stash. The negative selection is to put the things you never used or truly don’t like into the “goodbye” pile. This reduces your big “everything” pile and you’ll see your absolute favourites or absolute dislikes in an instant. Additionally, this helps you to see what your current preferences are, because style can change over time.
It’s the perfect opportunity to update your space, let it grow with you, being authentic to the person you are RIGHT NOW.
After you decluttered your physical space, tackle your digital world
I like to do it afterward the physical session for an easy reason: having an organized desk inspires you to complete the digital declutter. This doesn’t stop with your photos. Go through email subscriptions, social media feeds, phone contacts and inactive group chats.
The secret to make it stick
By now, I enjoy decluttering. (that’s one kind of a statement, I know) Because I realized it’s actually a journey.
You will rediscover your personal style and implement it into your everyday life. Use the chance to update your space, making it true to the version you are NOW.
What really turned the game for me is to make it a part of my seasonal routine. Clutter will accumulate over time. But it’s also like a muscle that you train every time you do it. It will get easier and faster. Every time I prepare for the new season, I declutter and use it as a chance to update my home with little personal touches matching my current taste. I will exchange the seasonal decoration, the wardrobe and update the photo book of the year. It is a ritual I don’t want to miss out on. It gives me the feeling to live each season to the fullest, giving it the beautiful end it deserves by revising my favourite moments, and getting excited by preparing for the next season to come.