Have you ever spent hours scrolling through images of beautiful home interiors, and looked up only to feel your heart sink? The contrast between Pinterest-pretty images and your real, lived-in surroundings can be very stark. How could you even aspire towards having a lovely, minimalist space for yourself when you own so much junk?
The answer is easier than it seems. The idea of taking your living space from State A to State B can seem ridiculous, and the process overwhelming, but there’s a reason for that. If you look at the big picture and simply think in absolutes, of course, you will be overwhelmed. There is no way you can snap your fingers and go from A to B. But if you zoom in a little and start small, you might get somewhere. And that is one of the greatest secrets to decluttering.
Why Declutter?
Before you start any project of this scale, you must ask yourself why you’re doing it. If you don’t, there’s a high chance that you’ll lose motivation and abandon it midway.
So, why do you want to declutter your home? Is it because you’re moving to a new place, or is it because you have a guest coming over? Are you expecting a baby and want to make your space child-friendly? Perhaps you’re getting a pet? Or, you simply can’t think straight anymore with all the clutter staring back at you?
All of these are valid reasons to start sorting through your possessions. However, it’s a good idea to pinpoint the main reason that drove you to it. This way, you will always be aware of why you want to put in all this effort. A central driving force will encourage you to keep going instead of losing hope midway.
Apart from personal motivators, of course, there are many ways that decluttering can benefit everyone. If you haven’t found a reason to start, yet, consider these factors:
You’ll Monitor Your Spending Habits
One of the biggest results of decluttering is realizing just how much stuff you own. For instance, when you start looking into the depths of your wardrobe, you’ll find things you didn’t even know you had! You’ll discover doubles, and even find items that you were planning to buy again.
Once you actually start taking stock of all your possessions, you gain perspective. Often, it makes you realize that you own a lot more things than you actually use. This can discourage you from buying unnecessary things in the future. If not that, at least you’ll pause to ask yourself “Do I really need this?” the next time you’re impulsively dumping things in your shopping cart. Naturally, this will make you a conscientious buyer. And in the long run, it may save you a lot of money.
You’ll Simplify Your Cleaning Routine
The lesser the mess, the easier the cleaning. For instance, cleaning a packed living room full of random knick-knacks can seem like a herculean task. Yet, a room with few items can be swept or vacuumed in a jiffy. Plus, you may even have fun while at it!
So, if you cut down on the things you have in your house, you’ll stop groaning every time you have to clean. Make your life simpler by getting rid of the junk.
You’ll Save Time in the Long Run
Naturally, a simpler cleaning routine means less time spent on it. Thus, you will save a lot of time on chores that would originally take you a lot more effort to complete. Also, you’ll save time in other ways. For instance, finding things would take you a lot less time if you have all your stuff neatly organized. When you know where exactly everything in your house is, you can quickly use it instead of spending hours scouring through drawers full of junk. So, do your future self a favor and start cleaning up.
You’ll Discover Forgotten Hobbies
Remember that time you tried to learn the ukulele and then forgot about it? How about your badminton phase? And let’s not even get started on the arts and craft supplies you bought in bulk in a fit of creativity one summer.
Starting your decluttering will make you discover all such forgotten hobbies that you had once pursued. Cleaning out your attic alone may introduce you to a score of activities you took up during different phases of your life. And when you find these gateways to all your past interests, you may rekindle a spark for them. If not, you’ll at least know that it’s time to get rid of their remnants.
You’ll Form Connections with Others
Decluttering is not a solitary process, even if you undertake it alone. That’s because it involves a lot of other people. From the family members you offer some of your possession to, to the workers at the thrift store you sell your things to, you’ll be connecting with other people. Even if you end up selling your items in a garage sale or giving them to charity, you’ll be touching other people’s lives. That’s a mighty worthy reason to declutter, isn’t it?
You’ll Feel Mentally at Peace
All the factors listed above will lead to one, simple conclusion: you’ll feel at peace. There is way too much going on in everyone’s lives, and living in this era is stressful as is. Throw in a few mountains of physical clutter into your life, and you’ll feel like a stray sock in a whirring washing machine.
The greatest reason to declutter is not to clean your living space. It’s to clear up your mind. Once you let go of the burden of owning too many things and never finding the time to clean them up, you’ll truly feel a lot lighter. So, if life has felt a bit too suffocating lately, take a step towards decluttering your physical space. The process will make you feel in control of your life. The result, of course, would give you space to breathe.
