As a culture, we sure are suffocated by stuff. We buy bigger homes, that we fill with stuff. We buy more clothes, and toys, and gadgets – and put ourselves into more debt because of it. Being so cluttered – stuffed – creates heaviness in our home and head and that can lead to an overall unhealthy way of living. Less clutter in our life has important health benefits.
Here is a not-exhaustive list of five benefits being clutter free offers that I consider most important to our health and well-being.
Lower stress levels and better mental health
This seems obvious perhaps that having a less cluttered home would reduce stress. In fact, it actually reduces cortisol levels. There have been studies done where women who live in cluttered spaces have shown a flattened cortisol slope which is associated with chronic stress and poor mental health. This makes me hopeful that by reducing clutter, and keeping the home tidy people can experience less stress and quite literally more sanity.
Better sleep
It might seem funny to say that less clutter would allow you to have a better night sleep. But it does. The brain likes order, as is being able to see clearly and understand fully what is around you. When you are consistently confronted with chaos and in a cluttered space, your brain doesn’t rest easily – truly. It is stressed from constantly trying to make sense of what out and about. And that is compounded by our every day stress.
Going clutter free is but one way to help give your brain, and your body, the rejuvenating rest if needs, and deserves. Of course, keeping your sleep space cool, dark, and without electronic equipment will also help.
Less house work
This is one of my favorite reasons to go clutter free. Trying to navigate a space that has lots of clutter is like being in an obstacle course all day long. It causes stress, for sure. And it also makes more work for you. When you have less clutter, you have less housework and tidying/cleaning to do. Period.
Improved productivity
With less stress and better sleep you will be more productive. You won’t be constantly sorting through thoughts and things and spinning your wheels in any way. In fact, clutter is highly linked to procrastination. So it makes sense that with less of it, you can be more focused – which offers health benefits all by itself.
Better sense of self and accomplishments
When you do the sometimes daunting task of decluttering and minimizing you learn a lot – about your self, and your space. You learn a lot about what you like and why, and that can positively contribute to your own self awareness and knowledge. It can make you feel more self-assure which can lead to the desire to make progress on and complete tasks, projects, big-idea endeavors. As well, when you do the work of decluttering, it alone can feel satisfying. Completing even small parts of the whole can lead you to feel a big sense of accomplishment. And that feeling is what leads you to continue on the path to a decluttered, more organized home and life.
