Why Decluttering is Important for Self-Care
At first, it might not seem like decluttering your house has much to do with self-care. But I’ve realized that not only is decluttering your home one way to practice self-care, but decluttering is really important for self-care.
Clearing the clutter and choosing to own less can help you take better care of yourself – physically, mentally and emotionally.
DECLUTTERING IS IMPORTANT FOR SELF-CARE
What is Self-Care?
Self-care is actions we take to protect and improve our own health, well-being and happiness.
While many of us think of bubble baths, manicures and massages as acts of self-care, it actually involves much more than that.
Self-care isn’t just fun things like bubble baths and manicures, although those are definitely ways you can care for yourself, it also includes doing things that improve your life, well-being, health and happiness, even though they maybe things you don’t want to do.
Self-care can also mean getting an annual check-up with your doctor, prioritizing exercising even when you don’t feel like it, or going to bed instead of staying up to watch one more episode.
And sometimes, self-care involves things you don’t think of as self-care at all, like decluttering! But not only is decluttering a way to practice self-care, decluttering is really important for self-care.
The Negative Impact Clutter Has on Your Life
While you may not always realize it when you’re in the midst of it, clutter can have a really negative impact on your life.
Did you know the clutter in your home is actually stealing from you? It’s definitely stealing your time, space and energy. But it can also steal your peace as well.
Clutter and Stress
Too much “stuff” and clutter can cause a significant amount of stress in your life in a variety of ways. Here are a few examples:
– Keeping up with housework takes a lot more time, work and effort in a cluttered home.
– More stuff means more stuff to make a mess with, and more time and energy required to clean those messes up.
– It’s hard to keep track of what you own, causing you to spend a lot of time looking for things or even rebuying items because you can’t find them!
– Feeling discontent with the state of your home can make hosting guests stressful and even embarrassing.
Clutter and Your Well-Being
Not only that, but too much clutter can also change the way you feel in your home and the effect your home has on your well-being.
Clutter can often cause you to feel discontent and generally unhappy with your home.
Most of us want our home to be a sanctuary we can retreat to and relax in. But a cluttered home makes rest and relaxation difficult.
Not only are you bombarded by visual clutter, distractions and “stuff” all the time. Which never gives your mind and your eyes blank spaces to rest on.
But too much stuff to deal with can also make you feel like your to-do list is never-ending. Or as though there’s always more to do to maintain your home. And leave you feeling like you can’t keep up or catch up with it.
When a space is full of clutter and “stuff,” it often doesn’t feel calm, relaxing or peaceful. And can even go as far as to add significant amounts of anxiety to your life.
Decluttering is Important for Self-Care
On the other hand, clearing the clutter and removing the excess and the distractions from your home can have a really positive impact on your life and your well-being.
Decluttering 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, you don’t even realize how heavy and burdened your stuff makes you feel until you start letting it go! 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.
Sometimes, you don’t even realize how heavy and burdened your stuff makes you feel until you start letting it go! 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.
But decluttering 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 Decluttering
Here are a few examples of the ways decluttering is important for self-care by improving your overall well-being and quality of life:
More Space
Clearing the clutter means you literally give yourself more space in your home. And more space means you create breathing room 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 don’t need a bigger home, just less stuff in it!
More Time
When you own less, you have less “stuff” to manage. You spend less time cleaning, tidying and taking care of the things, you own, simply because there is less of it.
As a result, you have more time for what matters most to you. It could be spending more time with the people you love. Having more time for an activity you love. Or more time for anything that’s important to You!
Whatever it is, once your home and the things you own require less of your time to maintain, you have more time to spend on what you value most.
More Energy
Just like less stuff means less time spent managing it. Less stuff also means less energy is required to manage it. Then you have more energy and attention to devote to what matters most to you.
More Presence
When you have less stuff stealing your time, energy and attention, it’s easier to be more present and less distracted in your days.
More Money
When you work hard to declutter your home, the last thing you want to do is fill it back up with more stuff. Choosing to own less often leads to choosing to buy less, which can save you money!
And anything you can do to alleviate stress around money is a great thing for your self-care.
More Focus
Clearing the clutter means less of your mental capacity is taken up managing the “stuff” you own. You have less decision fatigue simply because you own fewer things and have fewer things to decide about.
When your brain isn’t constantly being distracted by all of the “stuff” and clutter surrounding you, you have more ability to focus and concentrate.
Removing the physical clutter from your home can help clear the mental clutter as well, as your to-do list shrinks and the distractions lesson.
More Peace
When your home requires less of your time and energy, maintaining your home is less stressful. Not only that, but your home is easier to keep tidy so you can rest, relax and enjoy your home more.
All of this leads to more feelings of happiness and peace in your home. Along with feeling more content with your home.
More Freedom
When you have more time, space and energy, you give yourself the freedom to build a life you love.
You are no longer weighed down and burdened by so much “stuff”. Instead, you have the opportunity to fill your life with what matters most to you.
Owning Less is Not About Deprivation
We often buy things to make life easier or more enjoyable. But too much of a good thing can become a bad thing.
Too much stuff stops making life easier and begins to add a burden to our lives. The more we own, the more we have to work to pay for, pick up, clean, maintain, organize, look for, repair, etc.
Decluttering and simplifying are not about depriving yourself of things you love or things that make life easier. Just the opposite in fact!
Decluttering and simplifying are about getting rid of the clutter, the excess and the distractions so you have more time, space, energy and freedom for what matters most to you in life.
RELATED READING…
Signs it’s Time to Declutter: How to Know When You Need to Simplify
Declutter Your Home. Declutter Your Mind
