4 Fantastic Health Benefits of Being Clutter-Free
February 16, 2022
The Benefits of Being Clutter-Free
- Gives you a better sense of well-being. Did you know procrastination is linked to clutter? According to a recent study clutter problems led to less life satisfaction, especially among older adults.
- Helps you lose weight. Constantly being in cluttered room, office or car can be stressful. All the undone cleaning tasks in the back of your of mind cause stress, which is linked to obesity.
- Promotes mental health. Having clutter around can make you feel anxious or overwhelmed. This prevents you from truly relaxing or focusing.
- Saves you money. It’s not a secret that money worries cause stress. According to a Journal of Consumer Research study, you’re more likely to make a purchase when you’re sitting in a messy room compared to a tidy room.
Clutter-Free Tips
- Start with a plan. Make a list of your clutter-improvement priorities and the tasks needed to accomplish each one. Focus on one section of your home per week, so you don’t get overwhelmed. In fact, organizational expert Peter Walsh suggests starting with the easiest room first to gain momentum. Conversely, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" author Marie Kondo suggests organizing by category (for example clothing or books). Experiment with an organizing plan that appeals to you. There are also many helpful on-line calendars you can use as a starting point.
- Delegate when you can. Include your children and spouse into your plan. Is uncle Bob an electrician? Then get him to swap out your eyesore of a ceiling fan or update an old light fixture. Of course it’s ok to outsource the duties - such as window cleaning or painting - if your budget allows.
- Buy less. The less you purchase the less you need to store, clean, keep track of, organize or dust. Seems simple, right? Not for everyone. On average we are bombarded with over 4,000 marketing messages a day, not to mention FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) when we see our friends posting about their newest toys on their social media feeds. Focus on quality over quantity.
- When in doubt, throw it out. Still on the fence about what to throw away? Use these declutter decision-making guide questions to help you.
Organize Your Health
Along with taking care of your surroundings, make a commitment to get up to date on your health checkup and screenings. Preventing an illness is a bargain compared to the cost of a chronic disease. It's also a good idea to go through all of your medications and check the expiration date. Remember to properly dispose of medications. DO NOT flush medications down the drain or toilet, unless the label indicates it is safe to do so.