Although you might thrive in organised chaos, accumulating loads of stuff in a room or workplace can sometimes make you feel disorganised, demotivated, and a little bit lost in the midst of your mess.
While having a bit of clutter is normal and won’t cause much harm, if you’re struggling to find something important in an untidy cupboard, reorganising a work-from-home area at home, or dealing with other housing concerns, decluttering can be positive for your mental health and overall wellbeing.
With a new university year about to kick off, you might be settling into student accommodation and keen to find inspiration for getting organised so you can make the most of Freshers’ Week. Whatever your circumstances, this article explores the benefits of reducing clutter, from lowering stress and anxiety to gaining a greater sense of control over your environment.
Recognising the psychological impact of clutter
In addition to keeping you physically active, having a cleaner home can have a positive psychological impact on you, nurturing your mental health. One of the many mental health benefits of decluttering is the reduction in stress and anxiety levels. Research has shown that if you live in a cluttered place, you can have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Meanwhile, by decluttering, you’re not just tidying up your physical space; you’re also creating a more peaceful place to work, relax, and socialise in. Clutter might make you feel like your life is out of control. If you’re surrounded by a mess, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out by the scale of the mess. Decluttering helps you to regain a sense of control over our environment. As you sort through your belongings and decide what to keep, donate, or discard, you’re making active choices about your life and your space.
Clearing your mind for a new start
Reducing clutter helps create a calm environment and affords you the chance to offload items you no longer need. This process of letting go can be beneficial if you’re going through a change, such as leaving home, moving to university, and starting an exciting new job or travelling. It can allow you to metaphorically make room for a new beginning and mark the first step on a positive path towards change. Decluttering isn’t about organising physical mess, it can also be about letting go of the past, moving forward, and starting afresh with a ‘clean slate’ as the common idiom says.
In doing so, you’re physically and mentally creating space for new experiences and exciting opportunities. If your parents or friends have been keeping your belongings secure in a garage, sorting through items is a chance to revisit the past and remember special events, people, and photos. Depending on your personal circumstances, decluttering can also be tough, especially if you’re sorting through stuff with emotional significance and sifting through possessions after losing someone. If you’re struggling, ask for a friend or family member to support you and only start this clearing out process when you feel ready to.
Improving sleep and wellbeing
Another major benefit of a clutter-free environment is your sleep. A tidy bedroom promotes better sleep hygiene, which is crucial for mental health. When our sleeping area is free from clutter, it’s easier to relax and unwind at the end of the day. A cluttered environment can be a significant source of distraction.
Therefore, by tidying away belongings, you’ll create a space that promotes concentration and productivity.Although it is a cliche, a tidy home makes a tidier mind can have many benefits, including:
- Reduced stress: A tidy home eliminates unnecessary stress caused by constant visual reminders of unfinished tasks and disorganisation.
- Less arguing about housework: A well-organised home can reduce tension and resentment between family members, fostering more positive interactions.
- Increased comfort: With a clean home, you’ll feel more comfortable inviting guests over, potentially improving your social life.
In addition, you’ll soon feel more organisational too, which can help reduce anxiety about unfinished tasks or lost items. A clutter-free space can facilitate mindfulness, making it easier to focus, without being distracted with any surrounding chaos.
Donating goods and learning how to declutter
The act of deciding whether to keep, donate goods or organise a fundraiser, or discard items can be a powerful tool for emotional growth and healing. If you love to donate items to charity, or are already volunteering to give free clothes and essentials to people who need it more than you, recycling via a good declutter is a great idea. Not only will you maintain a clutter-free space, you’ll be doing something worthwhile in the process.
By decluttering, you might be able to reduce mental noise that clutter might cause, letting you relax and focus on important tasks. This can lead to improved mental clarity, enhanced creativity, and better decision-making abilities. This is particularly important for those who work from home or have a dedicated study area. A tidy, well-organised workspace can help improve your ability to concentrate, leading to increased productivity and a greater sense of accomplishment.
Beginning a decluttering project can feel overwhelming, so start with a small, manageable area, such as a drawer or a shelf. Consider adopting the ‘one-in-one-out rule’ and for every new item you buy or somehow accumulate in your home or workspace, remove one item. This is great for the environment and can limit you purchasing or picking up unnecessary new possessions.
Decluttering in different environments
A tidy student room or workspace can significantly improve productivity and inspire you to get up and on. If you focus on organising your desk, filing systems, and digital workspace, you’ll soon feel ready for the day ahead. You could also consider implementing a clean desk policy at the end of each workday. By organising and separating your work space from your living areas, you can establish clear boundaries to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
If you work from home or have just moved into unfamiliar housing surroundings, starting off with a tidy system for all your clutter can help you feel more motivated and happier to write an essay, read, or tackle work tasks for more hours in the day. Therefore, for first-year students moving into accommodation and starting university, decluttering beforehand can make settling in smoother, and give you more time to focus on meeting friends, joining groups, and enjoying Freshers Week!.
Decluttering is more than a practical task; it’s a powerful tool for improving mental health and wellbeing. Reducing physical clutter can help you to de-stress and gain a greater sense of control over your environment, and promote mental clarity. The cathartic benefits of decluttering can provide emotional release and help you move forward in life.
Whether you’re tackling one room, preparing for a move, or reorganising your living, sleeping, or working spaces, the process of decluttering can have profound positive effects on your mental health. However, remember, decluttering isn’t a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process so, if you can, set aside time to maintain your organised space and don’t just wait until spring for a big clean or clear out!
Hoarding is having so many things that you cannot manage the clutter where you live, and find it difficult or impossible to throw things away. If you want to read more about hoarding and the support available, click here.
