7 Tangible Benefits of Decluttering

(THIS POST PROBABLY CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. OUR FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY IS REALLY BORING, BUT YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.)

There’s good reasons why the decluttering movement is such a BIG one.

In our current consumer driven culture, it’s not hard to find yourself buried in piles of stuff – without even realizing it’s happening! The chaos of clutter is everywhere. 

During any stressful or turbulent time in our lives or when we begin to feel overwhelmed by the chaos, it’s natural to look for something we can physically take control of.  Clearing out the clutter is one of those things, and it can do more than just make your home tidy or seem more spacious. There are many benefits of decluttering and it can actually be a life-transforming process in a multitude of ways.

Here’s just a few of the tangible ways decluttering has improved my life. If you need a little encouragement to get decluttering yourself – well, these rewards speak for themselves:

You’ll have more time

Think of all the time you waste looking for this or that or maybe… keys? Cell phones? Anything I set down in a cluttered space automatically blends into the background. Clutter is like camouflage for my stuff. Clean surfaces guarantee no more wasted time searching.

Not only that, but think about how often the mess just leaves you feeling paralyzed. A mess can leave me not wanting to do much of anything… and not doing things is a huge time suck too! Investing the energy to clean out and organize your home can pay off big time in all the hours of your life you suddenly get back.

You’ll be able to focus better

I can’t think straight in a mess! Being surrounded by clutter makes it hard for me to concentrate and zaps my energy. An organized space makes for an organized mind… (this is especially important if you work from home.)

You’ll enjoy your home, and be able to relax in it

This seems pretty self explanatory – it’s just not relaxing to have to clear a pile of clothes off the couch before you sit down, and it’s not that enjoyable to sit next to the pile either. (It’s probably my favorite of all the benefits of decluttering – having a more peaceful home life!)

Related: A Simple Solution to Clutter & Disorganization

You’ll sleep better (yes, for real!)

I honestly don’t understand this… but it’s 100% true for me. When there’s clothes on the floor or clutter on the dresser it takes me longer to fall asleep and I don’t sleep as peacefully. (Just like getting into an unmade bed isn’t as relaxing as climbing into a bed that’s been made.) 

It’ll cause some serious personal growth – if you let it

Make this a mental exercise as well and take the time to address WHY you have so much clutter. Do you use shopping as therapy? Do you struggle with the guilt of being wasteful or of appearing ungrateful? Are you too busy and overwhelmed? If that’s the case, you probably need to leave some margin in your life. Are you a little bit lazy? (Oooohhh that one is hard to admit, but sometimes, this is me. I can be a little bit lazy.)

Whatever the reason, you need to find the reason for your clutter problem and address it, if you want the decluttering work you’re doing to last!

By decluttering the STUFF in your home, you make more space to move around. It could lead to your having an entire room free to put to a new use. You could start a hobby that you’ve always wanted to pursue or set up the space as a bedroom to host a foster child – or invite the family members that want to visit (but you’ve always felt bad not having a place for them before). 

You can make some extra money

SELL. YOUR. JUNK. And not just your junk – sell the good stuff that you don’t use too! Use eBay, Craigslist, Kijiji, or plain old post it on Facebook. Go old school and have a garage sale! Just because you’ve decided to declutter doesn’t mean everyone else has – there’s always someone out there who’ll want the stuff that’s just sitting around collecting dust and causing you overwhelm.

And – please please – let stuff go for less than “what it’s worth”. If it’s stressing you out to live in clutter, the stuff must go. It’s not like it was “worth” anything sitting in your garage…Here me out: getting 20 bucks for something that you THINK it worth $100 is a better deal than someone else taking that thing to the dump when you die. Use your $20 to enjoy life a little.

Related: 5 Side Hustles to Make Money Immediately 

You’ll SAVE money

IF (a big IF) you don’t buy more stuff to replace the stuff you’ve purged. I find that putting the effort into seriously decluttering absolutely curbs my spending. I am far more likely to think twice before buying anything if I allow myself to be aware of all the money I spent previously on stuff that eventually became a burden. 

Try it!

Even if you feel emotionally attached to your stuff, give decluttering a try and a see if it doesn’t improve your whole outlook on life!