6 Ways Decluttering Can Enhance Your Health

For most of us, unless we practice daily diligence, clutter can easily take over. From piles of papers to toys in the middle of the floor, it can be very discouraging to live among the clutter and hard to find the motivation to get going on it. It’s the universe’s best example of the second law of thermodynamics in motion: Without constant work, everything tends towards clutter. Maybe this will help: cleaning up does more than just declutter for vanity's sake, it can affect our health. Read on to discover how.

Decluttering to Ward Off Anxiety and Depression

It's hard to throw away those old albums from high school along with papers and other small trinkets that we haven't looked at in 20 years. Maybe there’s an emotional attachment to them. 

Sometimes memories cause us to feel sad, and sometimes they cause us to feel burdened and melancholy. It's important to know which feelings our keepsakes trigger and to hone in on those that bring us true feelings of happiness. If keeping things causes feelings of depression or anxiety due to the attachment, it’s time for them to go. Be mindful of the weight of things. If you feel as though you're dragging your keepsakes along through life, let some of that go and move forward with a greater lightness of being. Protip: if some keepsakes are hard to get rid of but they bring you down, try passing them on to other family members.

Decluttering Combats Allergens

Having extra knick-knacks or household items taking up space means there are more things to collect dust, sure, but it can also make it harder to clean around things so dust seems to collect everywhere more than it does without those things. Dust is not only dirt, it’s skin, dander from pets, outdoor contaminants like pollen and even insects. Over time, these things plus bacteria and even mold can build up and make us sick. Remove clutter and keep every corner debris-free for a much more allergy-friendly environment. 

An Organized Space Is a Time-saver

Piles of clutter build up and steal time from our lives. Disorganization might require us to tear everything apart in those piles to try to find one item. The extra time we spend searching for things can be frustrating and demoralizing and leave us feeling stressed. When everything is neat and put in its place, it saves time and makes the day more productive — and most important, it relieves stress.

Decluttering Invites Socializing

Inviting others into our home is one way that we stay socially active which is incredibly important for our health. If we have a cluttered home, we're more likely to avoid inviting others over out of embarrassment, thus denying ourselves that very important aspect of life and unwittingly increasing our own loneliness.

Tidiness Promotes Better Sleep

Clutter can cause anxiety. Waking up to a pile of laundry in the morning may simply serve to remind us of all the housework we need to do, sending us into an anxiety spin we can’t ignore. Chronic anxiety may cause us to toss and turn at night instead of getting the sleep we need. Taking steps to declutter might help us calm our minds because we take action and move in a positive direction. 

Less Cutter Means Less Risk

Clutter poses an injury risk. Tripping over trash, debris or bags of clothes might send someone to the ER with a sprained ankle or worse. Though injuries can happen when clutter falls from surfaces as well. Declutter and reduce the risk of falling or slipping or having clutter cause other injuries. 

Most people thrive in clean, organized, tidy home environments. It’s not only aesthetically pleasing, but it also helps keep our minds more organized when we don't have to attend to the piles of stuff and our lives can be more productive as a result. Decluttering allows for a space that is welcoming for entertaining and also relaxing for our minds and bodies. Bonus: if we clear out the spaces in our lives, we might have more room for that coveted home gym or meditation space we need! Don't wait to tackle the messes in your life. We’re all worth the effort, and it will pay us back in better overall health. 

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