5 Ways Clearing Clutter Helps to Clear Your Mind

Are you guilty of cluttering up your space, your life, and your mind? Most of us have some experience of this, although some are more prone to amassing clutter than others.

But clearing clutter is about more than just clearing a space. It’s a great way to clear your mind too – and that is possibly the best feeling of all. Here’s why.

LESS CLUTTER MEANS FEWER DISTRACTIONS
A friend of mine has just decorated her home office. It looks wonderful – nice clean lines, calming colours, and lots of free space. It wasn’t like that before though. Just a few weeks ago, it was untidy and haphazard, with piles of books on the floor, shelves cluttered with paperwork and numerous other odds and ends, and… I couldn’t see further than that.

Neither could she. She’d taken to working downstairs at the dining room table. All the clutter in the office was proving too distracting to cope with. While it is nice to have a freshly-painted office to work in now, she admitted the step of decluttering it was more powerful than anything else.

IT FREES YOU UP TO CREATE A MINDFUL, RELAXING SPACE
We all feel relaxed and at ease on holiday, but it’s not just because we’re away from work and enjoying some downtime. Holiday rentals, apartments, and rooms are never cluttered, which means we can relax into them and enjoy every moment of the break.

But you can achieve this at home too. Your home can be a relaxing space, a haven, a place that feels calming and pleasant. It takes time to achieve, but just notice how much more mindful and calming that space is as you gradually work towards it.

YOU’LL FIND IT EASIER TO FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS
Are there things you want to do and achieve, yet you never seem to have the time or energy? Clutter could be part of the problem. Clutter is like an inquisitive two-year old that keeps nudging you, reminding you of its presence. Only toddlers are more fun to engage with!

You’ll find it difficult to focus on things you want to do and make time for until you’ve rid your home of its clutter. Freeing space in your immediate surroundings frees space in your mind too. Tackle the clutter one space or room at a time if you have a lot to get through. As the space opens, so will your mind, and you’ll find you have far more time and energy to focus on what you want to do.

YOU’LL FIND IT EASIER TO RELAX
This follows on from what I said about being on holiday. We all get days where we get home from work and want nothing more than to sit back and relax with a good cup of tea or coffee. But you can’t readily relax if your space is packed with magazines, piles of washing, and other clutter.

The more surfaces you can create, the more space you have, the easier it is to relax into that space. Try it and see. Tackle one room this weekend and see how much more calming it is to use when all the clutter has gone. Relaxation is great for our health and wellbeing and helps reduce stress levels. (Did you know less clutter means less stress too?)

YOU’LL RESERVE MORE MENTAL POWER
What do I mean by this? Well, look at a room or space in your home that is cluttered. How does it make you feel? What do you think about when you look at that area?

“I must sort out those clothes.” “I need to find something to do with all those magazines.” “I really should go through my wardrobe and give away anything I no longer wear.” “Why did I take up knitting when it just sits there in its bag and I get no time to do it – let alone the inclination?”

Maybe you identify with some of those thoughts. The more clutter you have, the more mental power it takes to think about it. Few people can walk into a cluttered space and feel relaxed and at ease there. Quite the opposite. So, by decluttering a space – however big or small – you’ll waste less mental power thinking about it.

Maybe you are surprised at how closely that clutter is associated with your state of mind. Yes, it takes time to clear things you have hung onto for months, even years… but it is worth every moment. If you feel overwhelmed at starting, recognise this is a normal feeling. Start small, and work towards larger tasks when you feel ready. As your home clears of clutter, so too will your mind and it will become easier to feel calm and to enjoy a new sense of clarity.  You might also want to consider using a sage smudging ritual to give your space an energetic clear out too. - . 

AUTHOR: LEANNA DOOLIN

Co – Founder of holistic skincare brand, Pure Thoughts and advocate for women finding pause in their day to breathe deeply, give thanks and reconnect to what matters. Loves early mornings, dogs and books that you can’t put down.