Decluttering & Self-Care: The Benefits of Letting Go

Inside: How are decluttering and self-care connected? I’m glad you asked. Read on to learn about how to care for yourself by letting go of the excess in your home and life.

Letting go of things may not sound like the most exciting form of self-care, but it’s one of the most important activities we can do to take care of our mental health in the long term.

Clearing clutter out of your space has a big positive impact on our physical and mental wellbeing. Making decluttering part of your self-care routine will ultimately change your life for the better.

While I realize not everyone enjoys the process of decluttering for some reason, however, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Through the process, you’ll also notice and appreciate the benefits that come with having a decluttered space.

Self-care comes in various forms. Sometimes what you need is a day of pampering. Other times, it is simply some time to rest.

Self-care is never really complete if you’re not looking after your mental wellbeing as well. Decluttering your environment is an incredible way to do just that!

If you’re thinking about starting a decluttering session every once in a while but you’re not 100% convinced it’s worth it yet, here’s how letting go of stuff will benefit your life!

What is clutter, actually?

Before we even look at the reasons why decluttering is an important form of self-care, I think it’s helpeful to understand what clutter actually is.

Clutter may sound like just a bunch of stuff sitting around and collecting dust, but it’s actually so much more than that.

Clutter is anything you don’t use or love. It can be the stuff in your home, but there is also emotional clutter and mental clutter.

Schedules can also get cluttered if we don’t take the time to re-evaluate our commitments. Clutter takes on various forms, but in all cases it holds you back from the peace you could be enjoying in your home and life.

Why Decluttering Is Important for Self-Care

Here are some of the reasons that decluttering should be a part of your self-care routine.

1. Living in a cluttered space can affect your mental health

Having clutter means you’re keeping things you don’t need, don’t love, and that don’t add any form of value to your life.

Clutter negatively impacts your life in a variety of ways including distracting you and taking tranquility out of your life and home.

When you’re surrounded by clutter, it can impact your health and your wellbeing. Living in an chaotic space can bring on stress, depression, anxiety, and even insomnia.

2. You won’t waste time looking for things

It may not feel like much, but not knowing where things are can be extremely time-consuming as well as frustrating.

On average, Americans spend a total of 2.5 days per year looking for misplaced items. Shocking, huh?

There are numerous statistics that show how problematic clutter has become.

3. Cleaning will become infinitely easier

Cleaning is harder and more time-consuming when you have a lot of clutter. Having things you don’t need also creates more mess, and not having an organizational system means you have to work harder to clean up. 

When you have less stuff, you have more control of where things go (not to mention fewer things to actually clean!), which simplifies the cleaning process and saves a ton of time.

4. You’ll feel at peace in your personal space

Our homes are so much more than just a roof over our heads – it’s a place where we spend most of our time. It is where we dream, relax, get ready for the day ahead, and come back home at the end of the day to rest. 

Clutter creates stress and overwhelm, which can make it a place you want to avoid rather than feeling like your sanctuary from the outside world.

When you declutter your home on a regular basis, you’ll be able to actually enjoy and feel at peace in the space you live in.

5. You’ll be more productive

A disorganized environment impacts our ability to focus.

When our homes are cluttered, our minds can quickly become a chaotic jumble, making it more challenging to concentrate and complete even the simplest of tasks.

This is especially important to consider if you work from home!

6. You’ll create space for things that actually matter

Some people think of decluttering as becoming a minimalist, and while it’s fine if that is your goal, it doesn’t have to be. You can simply focus on whatever level of stuff you’re comfortable with in your home.

Decluttering doesn’t mean getting rid of everything. Instead, it means letting go of things you don’t actually need, love or use so that the things you treasure most get to take center stage.

Instead of keeping that pile of books you know you’ll never read, you could use that space to display meaningful sentimental items that you love.

Not only does decluttering create space in your home, but it also frees up your time and attention so that you can focus on what matters most to you. Decluttering and self-care go hand in hand as clearing out the excess creates space for the things you really care about.

7. Decluttering can snowball into saving money

Once you start putting more value into your space, you’ll start thinking twice before purchasing things on a whim. You’ll become much more careful with what you buy because you will now have a newly-found love for organized, clear spaces. 

Additionally, the fewer unnecessary things you buy, the easier your next decluttering session will be. Once decluttering becomes a part of your routine, you’ll start saving money without even realizing it!

How to make decluttering a part of your self-care routine

Decluttering can be an extremely overwhelming task, but the more you do it, the easier it’ll get.

Once it becomes a part of your routine, it’ll become a simple activity for two reasons. One is that you’ll get so used to it that you’ll come up with a system that works for you. And two is that you’ll have fewer things to get rid of every time.

Here are my top tips for decluttering your home:

1. Do it in sections

Start with a section or area in your house (i.e. your wardrobe) before moving on to the next one. It’s a lot easier to focus on small areas than looking at everything and feeling overwhelmed.

2. Ask the right questions

It can be challenging for some people to decide what stays and what goes. Use these decluttering questions to get clear on what you want to keep and what it’s time to let go of.

As you practice making decisions, you’ll gain confidence as you go. It becomes easier to see what things support your goals for your home and which are keeping you from them.

3. Everything should have a designated place

For those who love to organize, this step is the most fun. If organization is a struggle for you, hang in there. If you’ve done a thorough job decluttering the organizing process becomes significantly easier as you’re working with less stuff.

Create a sustainable system that works for you and your home. It doesn’t have to be the most Pinterest worthy. Your focus should be on making a simple storage solution that you can maintain easily. Work on forming a habit of putting things back into the place they belong right away.

Your home will be easier to maintain once you’ve decluttered and given everything a home. You can relax and enjoy your space more and feel good about what you’ve accomplished.

How will you make decluttering part of your self-care routine? Let us know in the comments section!

Having a space you feel comfortable in will not only make your life a whole lot easier, but it will also positively impact your mindset as well. Our surroundings have a huge influence on the way we feel, which is why it’s helpful to include decluttering in your self-care routine.

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