WHY DECLUTTER + OUR TOP TIPS ON HOW
Here at Balance + Glo we are encouraging you to refresh your routine this March, and one way to help you get organised for this is by decluttering, getting ahead of the spring clean, creating some calm and joy in your rejuvenated space.
Our brains love a bit of structure and order and when it comes to the spaces we spend the most time in, the case for a good declutter is strong. We can feel out of control and over stimulated in an untidy space. Clutter can draw our attention away from focusing on the things that give us joy and have positive wellbeing benefits.
Decluttering can reduce stress levels
Home clutter can have an impact on our stress levels, impact our mood and potentially our health. This research article, ‘No Place Like Home: Home Tours Correlate With Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol’ by Saxbe and Repetti (2009), found when they looked at how spouses in of dual-income couples described their homes may reflect whether their time at home feels restorative or stressful. They found that,
“those with higher stressful home scores had flatter diurnal slopes of cortisol, a profile associated with adverse health outcomes”
This article in Psychology Today points out, “messy homes and workspaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Yet, rarely is clutter recognised as a significant source of stress in our lives.” It can cause the feelings of guilt that you haven’t got round to dealing with it and it’s often difficult to relax both physically and mentally.
Decluttering can lead to healthier habits
When our surroundings are messy, life can often feel chaotic. It can prove harder to make an effort to stick to a routine, do a workout, or even eat well because the brain thinks ‘well what’s the point’, the need to clear and clean first often puts people off. Research from Environment and Behaviour, shows that this mindset can lead to unproductive behaviours such as choosing more unhealthy foods to snack on.
Decluttering a space for a particular task increases the likelihood of you doing it! Clutter can make it difficult to focus and concentrate. Clearing a space to exercise for example, that isn’t surrounded by clothes or toys or other random objects, will make you feel more positive and help you zone in on what you’re doing rather than being distracted by the mess around you.
Research from Indiana University found those with tidier homes are also physically healthier, linking it to being more physically active due to the time spent physically moving keeping their homes tidy.
Decluttering is a mindfulness tool
Cleaning and tidying can be a useful mindfulness exercise. Rather than speeding through the task to get it done, slow down, turn of distractions and find your focus on the task. The act of organising can bring you to the present moment and putting to one side any other thoughts.
This also means you’ll probably do a more thorough job and learn how to find meaning and joy in mundane chores and ordinary moments. Check out Balance + Glo co-founder Jenny’s blog:
Declutter to save money
It is easy to lose sight of all the things you have when you can’t see everything clearly. Clutter can often result in spending out more on things you may already got or that are very similar. Decluttering can help you rediscover what you already have, even long forgotten items that may have sentimental value or even a monetary value. Decluttering can help you make better spending decisions when you’re out shopping and show you where your money is going.
Our tops tips for decluttering
Here are our top tips for decluttering your space when you come to do it.
1. Prioritise your areas that need decluttering
Make a list of the spaces you need to declutter and put them in an order of priority. This helps you to see where you need to start and then where you are moving on to next once the first is complete. It’s a more organised approach, rather than being haphazard about it and means you’ll really get to see the difference as you complete each space.
You could put one of the easiest spaces to declutter at the beginning so it’s done quickly and you already feel like you’re progressing.
This article from The Spruce looks at how to declutter room by room.
2. Set yourself a timeline
If you only have a room to do give yourself an afternoon or a weekend. If it’s more give yourself longer, maybe you want to declutter your home in 30 days or use the weekends of March and focus on one space each weekend. The important thing is to ensure it’s realistic and won’t leave you feeling overwhelmed.
3. Ask for help
Decluttering might feel overwhelming, especially if organising doesn’t come naturally. If you’re feeling anxious about the task ahead call in some help from friends and family – rally the troop. Have a decluttering party and host a little dinner at the end. Check out Evelyn’s easy three course meal plan to help you make that bit a little easier.
4. Sort your stuff into containers
Grab yourself some containers that you can label:
· Put away
· Mend/fix
· Recycle/Sell
· Throw away
· Donate
You will then now exactly what you’re going to do with what you’re sorting through. Think Marie Kondo and ask yourself ‘does it spark joy?’, ‘do I use it and will I ever use it again?’ and ‘does this still have a home here?’.
5. Have suitable, easy to use, storage solutions
Once you’ve decluttered and sorted, grab yourself storage solutions that can will help keep your loved items tidy, can help you see what you have and are easy to use. This will help things stay organised for much longer.
Dilly Carter from Declutter Dollies and also seen on BBC’s One's Sort Your Life Out, goes in to great detail on how to go about decluttering in her book “Create Space: Declutter Your Home to Clear Your Mind” and gives great ideas for storage solutions.
6. Take before + after photos
Decluttering can be a big task and it’s one that often means things look worse before they get better, so get your phone and snap those photos so you can look back at the end of your marathon decluttering session to remind you of what progress you’ve made.
7. Throw on some mood music or a podcast
Grab your speaker and put on some music or play a podcast for motivation and feel good vibes. You can check out our playlist on Spotify.