Why declutter and organise?

In advance of National Declutter Week next spring, Rachel Papworth, from Green and Tidy, explains the different motivations for decluttering – and why it pays to call in a professional.

I’m Rachel Papworth, from Green and Tidy. I help people with way too much stuff, to declutter and create homes they love – homes that support them to live the life of their dreams.

Everyone has their own vision for their life, with unique priorities, hopes and dreams. So the benefits of decluttering and organising are different for different people. Creative people need mental space to develop ideas, and physical space to work in. One client is creating a home her partner will want to share, another a home where she’ll be proud to entertain.

However it’s always true that when your home works, your life works, and there are common themes in the benefits people experience.

If you need motivation, here are six reasons to declutter and organise.

1.    Money 

People clearing a clutter backlog usually find professional support pays for itself and not just because they find items to sell.

Regular decluttering and organising keeps you in touch with your stuff. You know what you’ve got and where it is. You don’t buy duplicates because you’ve forgotten you’ve got something, or you don’t know where it is.

Because your stuff is stored carefully and appropriately, things don’t get damaged. You’re not constantly knocking things off piles of clutter.

When you’re moving, decluttering reduces removal costs and makes your home attractive to potential buyers.

Decluttering and organising ensure you store only what you really want or need, reducing off-site storage costs.

2.    Save time

In a decluttered and organised home, you can find everything quickly and easily. You don’t waste time searching, or shopping for duplicates.

3.    Simplify your life

Decluttering leaves you with less to manage. Organising ensures your home works efficiently for you, and enables you to do the things you want and need to do.

4.    Reduce your environmental impact

Green-minded people sometimes hoard to avoid waste. Hoarding isn’t green though, especially if something might deteriorate: better to Freecycle or donate it. Getting unused stuff into circulation enables other people to use your stuff rather than buying new. Plus I help clients reduce the amount they regularly acquire.

5.    Achieve peace of mind

Physical stuff is a manifestation of emotional and mental state. As we clear physical clutter, we clear mental and emotional clutter.

A clear and ordered home generates peace. After working with me, clients have fewer arguments. When they get home, the stresses of the day melt away. They enter a calm space, which supports them to relax and let go.

6.    Protect your health

Your clear and ordered home protects your mental health, which in turn reduces the physical toll of stress and upset.

It’s easy to keep a clear and ordered home clean and hygienic. Dust, which can cause respiratory and skin problems, doesn’t build up.

Rachel Papworth runs Green and Tidy. A trained coach with a psychology degree, she is fascinated by the way that decluttering your stuff declutters your mind, and the contribution decluttering and organising make to living a low impact life.

Click here to join the Green and Tidy community, and receive hints, tips and inspirational stories. This also allows you to access Rachel’s free audio decluttering masterclass. You can also follow her on Twitter @greenandtidy and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/GreenAndTidy.