A cluttered, messy environment can contribute to feelings of anxiety, stress, and being overwhelmed. Conversely, an organized, decluttered space can promote a sense of calm, control, and mental clarity. In this blog post, we’ll explore the ways decluttering and organizing your home or workspace can benefit your mental health and overall wellbeing.
The Problem of Clutter
Clutter, the excessive amounts of stuff and disorganization we often accumulate, can drain our energy and occupy our minds. Cluttered countertops, piled up paper, overflowing closets, and crowded rooms are visually overwhelming and stressful. Clutter also creates chaos, makes it hard to find items, and promotes forgetfulness.
Trying to get ready in the morning or prepare a meal in a cluttered kitchen becomes frustrating. The clutter occupies mental bandwidth because you have to constantly think about navigating through it. It also leads to late mornings and wasted time looking for lost items like your keys or phone. A disorganized workspace with clutter similarly causes distraction and inefficient work.
Clutter also represents stagnation. The stacks of paper and things piled around the house can begin to feel like obstacles holding you back. Letting go of what no longer serves you is an act of freeing yourself from stagnation.
The Benefits of Decluttering
Decluttering and establishing organized systems clears both physical and mental space. It allows you to reclaim parts of your home or work areas for more positive and productive uses. Here are some of the key benefits of decluttering for mental health:
Reduced stress and anxiety. Clutter bombards the senses and overloads us. Decluttering helps create peaceful spaces that allow your mind to rest.
Improved focus and productivity. An organized workspace with a designated spot for everything leads to better work efficiency.
Increased energy. Decluttering eliminates the visual busyness that drains energy.
Emotional release. Sorting through clutter often sparks joy as you rediscover forgotten items. Letting go of excess stuff can feel relieving.
Sense of accomplishment. Completing a decluttering project provides an empowering sense of having created order and space.
Where to Start Decluttering
Decluttering a whole home or workspace at once can feel daunting. Consider starting with a few key areas where clutter quickly accumulates:
Paperwork – Sort through piles, file away important docs, recycle junk mail.
Kitchen counters and cabinets – Clear counters and organize dishes/food. Donate unused kitchenware.
Closets – Try on clothes and donate items that don’t fit. Organize with bins, shelves, and hangers.
Digital files – Delete unused apps and computer files. Organize photos and documents into folders.
Maintaining Organization
To maintain organized spaces after decluttering, try to establish systems such as:
Sorting mail immediately upon arrival
- Returning items to their designated spots after using
- Scheduling time to tidy up each week
- Going through your space seasonally to purge unused items
New Year! New You!
The start of a new year provides the perfect opportunity and motivation for decluttering. As you reflect on the past year and make goals and resolutions for the one ahead, decluttering allows for a symbolic fresh start. The new year represents closing out a chapter and moving into the next. Decluttering can help you ritualistically clean the slate and create space for new habits and pursuits. Schedule time in the weeks before or after the new year to declutter your living spaces, as well as your mental, emotional, and digital spaces. Sort through the excess stuff, unnecessary obligations, stale habits, or cluttered schedules that you accumulated over the past year. Make both physical and mental room for what you’d like to invite into your life in the coming year. Decluttering before the new year arrives lets you begin with renewed clarity and focus.
