The process of decluttering has an undeniable ability to change your life. It can allow you to live more freely in your physical space but it also has a plethora of other benefits, some of which you might not even realize.

We at Swoon Spacesoften say that organizing is an overlooked form of self-care. But we also believe that decluttering is a huge part of that. Decluttering your home is similar to going through a detox, just with purging your personal belongings.

The goal for decluttering your home is not to get rid of as much as possible but instead to realize what you need and love, to make your home calm and peaceful, and for that to be reflected in your emotional wellbeing. Decluttering can be an emotional process but it is so worthwhile and can have such a strong impact on your overall happiness. I’ve outlined a few of the unexpected benefits that decluttering can have on things other than your space.

5 Ways Decluttering Can Positively Impact Your Overall Wellbeing

1. Decluttering can free up your physical space AND your mind

When you go through the process of decluttering, you are able to get rid of items that are no longer serving you and are, frankly, just taking up valuable space (in your home and in your mind). Without those unnecessary blockages, you are left with an environment that can truly feed your growth, productivity, and creativity.

2. You are reminded of what you need and love now

When you detox your home, you are given the opportunity to part with items that served your past self. A lot of times we hang on to items because they have sentimental value, which is okay. But other times we hold on to things just because. Decluttering is a good way to live in the present and consider your future, instead of lingering in the past.

3. Decluttering spaces will give you energy

Cluttered spaces (including visual clutter!) take up 50% more brainpower and mental energy to keep track of and navigate. By cutting down on clutter, you will automatically have more energy, as you won’t be wasting it by looking at or maintaining all your items.

4. Lowered stress and anxiety levels

This one kind of goes hand-in-hand with higher energy levels, but when people have a lot of items to worry about, they tend to have higher levels of stress, anxiety, and self-doubt. By decreasing the number of things in your home, you won’t have additional stimuli that create negativity and cause you to feel stress and anxiety.

5. Improved focus

As I’ve said, visual clutter absorbs more energy so, it sometimes makes it hard to focus on the task at hand. Whether it’s work, cooking in the kitchen, reading a book, or playing with your kids, distractions make for extremely chaotic home life. Decluttering can allow your home to be a more peaceful place where you can focus more easily.

Decluttering can entirely change your mental and emotional state. Clutter has a tendency to make us feel trapped or stuck. Doing a deep clutter (we recommend twice a year) and then a regular practice of decluttering can help you feel liberated in your space much more easily and for longer periods of time. It doesn’t need to be a huge two or three-day project. If you do it once or twice a year and are able to keep up a regular practice, you will almost always feel lighter and be able to enjoy a clutter-free sanctuary.

**Another strong recommendation we have is to declutter before a move, not after.**

We did a deep dive with Lily before her move and it made all the difference. We edited her entire apartment and she was thrilled! She was able to move into her new place with exactly what she loves and needs, and nothing more. She was also able to know her inventory before setting up in a new place and knew exactly what she needed to buy, without wasting money on duplicates.

I’d like to leave you with one more thought on decluttering. I just can’t say enough how big of an impact it can have on a person’s mental and emotional health. Once you learn the difference between living with clutter and living without it, I promise you will feel like a fog has been lifted, both mentally and physically, and you won’t ever go back.

If you need any help with your decluttering process, don’t hesitate to reach out!