8 Reasons It’s Time to Declutter
By: Maurine Anderson
I personally feel that few things are more refreshing than going through a thorough declutter of the home, but I know that a lot of people have a hard time finding the motivation to declutter. It is a major undertaking, after all. So in case, you need some extra motivation to declutter your home this spring, here are 10 good reasons that decluttering is a good idea.
1. House cleaning will be much easier.
Decluttering might seem like yet another thing to add to that growing spring cleaning checklist, but think of it this way—if you rid your home of excess clutter first, the rest of your spring cleaning will become a whole lot easier. You’ll find yourself picking up fewer things before dusting and vacuuming, and organizing your pantry and closets will be a lot simpler.
2. Moving will also be much easier.
If you’re going to have to move at any point in the near future, it’s a good idea to start eliminating duplicate and unnecessary items from your home now. It’s simply much easier to pack fewer possessions. Plus, as this article points out, decluttering is especially important if the next home you live in will be smaller than your current one.
3. You’ll keep better track of your things.
Once you get rid of everything that is duplicate or unnecessary in your home, you can utilize the space in your home better to store the things that you do choose to keep. Everything can have its own place (like important documents finally having a place in a safe where they should be), and there are fewer things to keep track of overall. The result is that you’ll always know where something is when you need it.
4. You’ll save time.
On a related note, did you know that clutter can actually waste quite a bit of time in your everyday life? I read a statistic recently that said that the average American spends a year or more of his or her life looking for lost or misplaced items. When you take a more minimalist approach to your life and your possessions, you can almost eliminate this issue. (And this doesn’t mention the fact that you’ll save time in your everyday house cleaning when you’re working around less clutter!)
5. Bugs love clutter.
Bugs—especially spiders—love clutter. As this article points out, bugs tend to hang out in clutter because it offers more discreet places where they can hide and live undisturbed. So, a good way to keep bugs and spiders from settling in your home in the first place is to eliminate their favorite nesting ground.
6. You’ll stress less.
Studies and surveys have found that clutter in the home actually contributes to overall psychological stress. One Huffington Post survey, for example, found that 84 percent of recently stressed out Americans were worried that their homes were not clean or organized enough. A survey by Rubbermaid, meanwhile, found that 42 percent of people experience more anxiety when their homes are cluttered or unorganized. The lesson? Decluttering your home is a great way to reduce stress in your everyday life and become happier overall.
7. You’ll focus better.
Reduced stress isn’t the only psychological benefit to decluttering your home. Studies have also shown that reducing clutter in the home can actually help improve your focus. One Princeton University study, for example, found that the chaos of a cluttered environment actually restricts your ability to focus and limits your brain’s ability to process information. So, especially if you work from home, decluttering is an absolute must.
8. You can make money.
I’ve saved the best one for last. Decluttering your home grants you the major opportunity to make some money. If you don’t think you can make money off of your old giveaway pile, think again. I generally make a hundred dollars or more after every decluttering session I have. Gently worn, name brand clothing sells wonderfully on sites like Ebay and thredUP. Used books and movies can easily be sold through Amazon, eBay, or a local used book store. Old furniture and other bulky household items can be sold through Craigslist or at a yard sale. The trick to making money off of your giveaway items is selling several things at once; the earnings add up fast!
Check out my other post on decluttering.
Why should we de-clutter & reasons we don’t?
10 Essential Oil Household Cleaning Recipes
Spring Cleaning: 5 Simple Ways to Spruce up your Home
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