Why Decluttering and Organizing is So Important for Your Well-Being

Maintaining a healthy mind and lifestyle is extremely important especially in a time like this where many of us have been ordered to stay home. While this may give some of us a great break from our busy lifestyles, others may be struggling with maintaining healthy habits while at home with nothing to do. It’s important to understand the impact that being stuck at home can have on your physical, mental, and psychological state and in knowing that, make efforts to keep yourself busy and occupied while at home. A great way to do this is by using your time to clean and declutter. Not only will this help your house to be clean, but it will also have a large impact on your well-being as a whole. Keep reading to find out some of the ways clutter and organizing affect your own wellness.

One – Mentality

While you may not realize it, clutter has a large impact on your mental health. Not only is this a known fact but science can prove it as well. Susan Krauss Whitbourne Ph.D. from Psychology Today discusses how clutter can poorly affect your mental health. According to a study she mentioned in her article, the comfortability of your space can have a large impact on your “mental hygiene”. So in essence, clearing your space can help to clear your mind.

To really find out how clutter affects you personally, take notes on how you feel and behave before or after cleaning. Track your emotions, mood, and productivity and you’re likely to see a drastic change over time.

Two – Productivity

Clearing your home of clutter is great for your productivity, which during this difficult time, is exactly what you may need. Many times we can fall into a rut of thinking we have plenty of time at home so whatever we have on our to-do lists can wait. Unfortunately, it can be so easy to get in this rut but much harder to get out. To avoid this, start a cleaning and organizing routine now. Not only does cleaning allow you to be productive, but the routine helps you get into a groove and remain productive regularly.

Start by gathering some standard containers for storage. You can use these to help you declutter and sort the items you’d like to keep, give away, or throw out. From there, categorize your items into each container and organize them within your space. While this is just one example of a routine you can start, it’s one that you can practice monthly or even maintain on a weekly basis. While you may only be productive with decluttering for now, you’d be surprised how this new, developed skill will translate into other areas of your life to make you more productive in them as well.

Three – Stress Relief & Focus

Similarly, decluttering and organizing are important for stress-relief and focus. As you know, there are a number of reasons why clutter in your space can directly affect your mental health. While a clean home can relieve stress, you can also use decluttering and organizing as an outlet for stress relief as well. When you come home from work or are tired after a long day with the kids, organizing is perfect for redirecting your focus to something else and taking your mind off of things. Especially with a routine, you can rid yourself of the daily stressors in life by putting your energy towards decluttering.

Decluttering will also help with developing and maintaining focus. Living in a digital age where society is so fast-paced, much of our focus has been negatively affected. Small activities like decluttering are perfect for improving our attention spans. Our brains are able to practice focusing solely on the task at hand and in return, this could help to improve our focus in other areas of life as well.

Four – Physical Activity

Routine cleaning and organizing can also be great for your physical health. Though it may seem small, cleaning your entire house is a large task that requires quite a bit of movement. It’s a great way to get in some activity for the day. You can let the walking, reaching, and bending serve as its own form of exercise. However, if you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can attach ankle weights to your ankle or wrist to create a little more resistance as you clean. Whether you’re working with added weight or not, you’ll begin to see a change in your physical appearance, health, or energy over time. Take advantage of this small opportunity to improve your physical health and start to organize today!

Five – Better Social Life

Decluttering your space can also create great benefits in your social life as well. As mentioned previously, clutter can have an impact on your own comfortability in a space, so of course, it similarly has an impact on others’. Many times, we sacrifice our own friendships and relationships because our space is too cluttered to be comfortable and inviting for others. It’s important to consider your social life as part of your well-being and make changes in the areas that are negatively affecting it. Luckily, if you are able to adopt a regular cleaning schedule, your space will already be deeply cleaned and will only need to be straightened before guests arrive.

Decluttering and organizing your space should be a priority because it does have an effect on you in all of these areas. Use your time at home to get in the habit of cleaning for your own well-being. Schedule it in a calendar or planner like you would any other event of your day and watch as your overall health improves. If you need any assistance decluttering your own space, click here to learn how to clear the clutter from your home once and for all!

To maintain your positivity on your journey to improving your well-being, here are some inspiring quotes to help you as you organize and declutter. Happy organizing!