The Well-Being Science of Decluttering

Claiming control of your living environment offers far more than a beautiful new aesthetic to enjoy.

Most of us are blessed to own all we need and most of what we want as well. The problem is, we also end up holding onto much that we don't want or need, leaving our homes over-filled and often disorganised.  Cupboards threaten to burst open, lofts, sheds and basements end up as convenient dumping grounds for things we don't know what else to do with and one in ten households now rents additional space in the form of commercial storage - all for items that we don't love or use regularly! 

Your home is likely your biggest asset and should be worth far more to you than simply a giant storage container. Every room is precious real estate for you to live life - family time, relaxation, entertainment, hospitality, hobbies, rest, celebrations... If your possessions have taken over and are not allowing you to use your space for all these wonderful quality of life purposes, then its time to regain control and reclaim your happiness. 
​

Simp-LESS-ity is the key

Did you know?

​Mess leads to stress - Just looking at situations you're not happy about results in a rise in cortisol, your stress hormone.
Mess is detrimental to your physical health - Long-term release and elevated levels of cortisol can cause or exacerbate serious health problems including cardiovascular diseases, eating disorders, ​menstrual problems, sexual dysfunction, skin and hair problems,  permanent hair loss and gastrointestinal problems.
Mess is detrimental to your mental health - Cortisol also affects your brain by blocking feel-good factors like serotonin and dopamine and is often a cause of anxiety, depression and even personality disorders. 
Mess prevents proper rest - Looking at mess causes your eyes to be unrestful, flitting here and there, unable to flow gently or stop and be calm.
Mess creates negative emotions - People struggling with too much stuff and a chaotic home frequently report experiencing awful feelings of guilt, shame, low self-worth, fear, frustration, anxiety, defeat, hopelessness, depression and dread. 
Mess makes you feel tired and drained - all that work sorting and tidying (again!) that you need to do - but don't want to. 
Mess decreases your focus & mental activity - in a cluttered visual environment, multiple objects compete for your attention, leading to poor focus, increased distraction and lower productivity. 
Mess can even cause you to gain weight - Again, cortisol steps in and instructs your body to hold onto fat stores in case in these times of chaos and stress, you need extra resources to survive! Mess definitely becomes your enemy.
​
​

You really want to eliminate both the mess and the stress!

Fabulous Benefits of a Decluttered Home

• Increased happiness. Feel-good 'winning' brain chemicals take over from the stress hormone.
• Sense of joy. You're surrounded by the things in your home that you actually love and that bring to mind happy memories and aesthetic appreciation. 
• Better health. Feel lighter, sleep better, reduce anxiety, stress and depression and feel more energised. Even the air will feel fresher and brighter.
• Greater productivity and a clearer mind. Stylish, uncluttered rooms allow the eye to flow gently and restfully, enabling you to focus on the things you want to achieve without distraction. 
• A cleaner home. Fewer items and more order means everything is much easier to clean and keep clean. 
• A more stylish home. Clutter free spaces are restful and beautiful. In fact, in art and design the concept of negative space (meaning the space around important items or in fact empty space) is just as important as what takes up space. Without it, beauty cannot be fully appreciated.  With negative space, everything (including you) can breathe. 
• Pride in your home. Clients often report a fresh desire to offer hospitality to friends as they are no longer ashamed of their home. Guests and visitors are welcome and there's no more embarrassing rush-around to hide things when the doorbell rings unexpectedly. 
• Pleasure in your home. It becomes your sanctuary again, a place that brings happiness and calm. There is once again space for doing enjoyable things. 
• Feeling of success. Enjoy that great sense of achievement in creating your dream  and a new level of empowerment that you now know how to keep rooms looking wonderful because you know how to control the clutter. 
• A happier family (including pets). A calmer physical environment creates a calmer emotional atmosphere and less mess is safer for our furry friends. 
• More time. Because everything you keep works properly and has a sensible place to live, you can find anything you need quickly.
• More money. You know what you have so don't end up buying another one unnecessarily. You buy less in general as you now know that having means storing and maybe you've already got something similar. Plus, when decluttering, you almost always discover good quality items you can sell or give as gifts, making or saving you money.
• Less of the 'Blues'. Looking at mess, broken things and layering dust is pretty demoralising and depressing. Somehow the life and joy gets sucked out, but when everything is orderly, well displayed and works as it should, there's a sense of 'rightness' and satisfaction.
• Reduce your environmental impact. You'll be more mindful about how you consume and consequently to reduce your negative impact on landfill and the resources used to make things. 
• Reduced hazards and germs. Nothing to trip over or dodge, no teetering piles to collapse or dirty clothes or dishes hidden by mistake. Your home becomes a true safe haven.  

​When you remember that it is more blessed to give than receive, you realise why decluttering feels so good!

---