Declutter your home for peace of mind

Ever looked around yourself and felt a wave of stress and anxiety about all the ‘stuff’ around you? And then – mentally exhausted, or defeated? 

Well, truth is that there is an undeniable link between ‘clutter’ and your state of mind. Specifically, the obvious connection between feeling ‘stressed’ when your environment appears to have spun out of control. 

Definition of clutter 

‘Clutter’ is defined as “an overabundance of possessions that collectively create chaotic and disorderly living spaces”. 

In our busy lives, we are often just a few stacks away from a chaotic living space being a trigger for stress, threatening to impact adversely on our own productivity, our health or worse, our relationships.  

Clutter and cortisol 

Clutter can trigger the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which is directly linked to stress and anxiety – in turn, likely to feed into unhealthy habits. Studies have shown that decluttering lead to better sleep, better diets and overall, better health. 

Tips for dealing with clutter 

The truth is also that, what is clutter for one person, is a treasure for another. The golden rule of dealing with those possessions that accumulated in your home and office, remains this one: Does this item still serve a purpose – and yes, it could be an emotional purpose. There is, after all, an understanding that some possessions (such as photos, heirlooms or gifts) may very well hold important memories – and getting rid of it is a process of taking responsibility for decisions. Choosing wisely for the sake of the present and the future – and gently letting go of the past. 

Townley Ewer, the writer of Houseworks:  Cut the Clutter, Speed the Cleaning and Calm the Chaos, writes, "What clutter is, is ducking decisions or refusing to make them…".  You may find yourself trapped in a cycle of indecision, procrastination and guilt in an attempt to avoid the effort or emotional pain of dealing with clutter. 

If only to reduce our stress levels, and give us peace of mind, it is worth it to tackle a suffocating house or office.  One of the easiest ways to deal with clutter is to devote the first 15 minutes of your day to reduce clutter and ‘toss’ some items into the bin or donation box. 

Another important tip: Handle any item only once. 

We make better decisions when we have less “noise” around us - from simple decisions like where the next vacation will be to important ones, like changing jobs, where or when to buy property, which medical aid benefits and plans or hospital plan to sign up to, etc.  

By DORETTE DU PREZ (for Genesis Medical Scheme) 

Sources:

-           Houseworks: Cut the Clutter, Speed the Cleaning and Calm the Chaos?

-           https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12144-017-9679-4

-           https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/cleaning-decluttering/clutter-depression/