Everyone wants to live in a clean, comfortable, and clutter-free environment. The longer someone lives in the same space, the more their belongings can pile up around them. If you find yourself looking around and seeing a home in constant disarray with treasures passed down from beloved family members and friends, children's crafts, precious souvenirs, and favorite books you have continued to hold onto for years, keep reading.
Imagine coming in after a long day of work and being able to sit, relax, and enjoy time with the family in a pristine home. If you feel bored, unhappy, and uninspired by the residence, keep reading to learn how removing clutter can renew love and enthusiasm for the home.
What if I'm Not Ready to Part With my Heirlooms and Other Valuables?
Many will feel helpless when trying to scale down their belongings for more tidy surroundings. It can be difficult deciding what to donate or toss. There's always a nagging voice at the back of the mind pointing out that once an item is gone, it's gone forever. What if you end up needing it in the future? What if a relative asks about an item that once belonged to a departed loved one? How will you explain that you threw it away or donated it to a local thrift store?
The best part of decluttering is that it's not necessary to get rid of any of the belongings you love. There is always the option of using a self storage facility. By taking that route, you're simply deciding what doesn't have to remain in your home taking up space rather than removing those items from your life entirely.
Self-storage takes away the stress of having to give beloved items away. It offers the flexibility and peace of mind to keep important things, like Grandma's Christmas china, stored in a safe place until it's time to be taken out and used again. Storage units can be rented long-term, so they are a viable solution to excess items that are still sentimental and shouldn't be thrown away or donated.
What are the Benefits of Removing Clutter From my Surroundings?
Removing clutter from your home can bring about numerous benefits. One of the most obvious would be freeing up extra space. Think about that for a moment. What could you do with a little extra closet space or that spare bedroom that's filled with items that rarely get used? The possibilities are virtually endless.
On top of that, creating extra space in your home can kick-start a cycle of positive change. Emptying a spare bedroom or closet, or even a corner for that matter, can give you extra wiggle room. Then, you can begin to branch out. You may even be able to start organizing all the items that will stay in the home once the excess has been sent to a self-storage unit. From that point, there's no limit to what you may be able to accomplish. Of course, that's only one advantage to consider.
Reduced Stress and Improved State of Mind
Current research shows that a messy and unorganized space can have deleterious effects on stress levels and mental states. Over time, stress can cause anxiety and unhappiness. It can also contribute to many different health problems.
Links have been established between high stress levels and a long list of medical issues. On the most basic level, mental and emotional stress lead to physical tension. In turn, tension brings about minor aches and pains. They may not be debilitating, but they can certainly detract from your quality of life.
Stress can also cause high blood pressure, chest pain, and digestive disorders. It weakens the immune system and can lead to insomnia as well. Both of those problems open the doors for an entire list of additional health issues and can negatively influence your mental health. Therefore, reducing the mess will reduce stress and can have a positive impact on your current and future health.
Combating Allergies
Another health benefit to decreasing the number of places for dust to hide is a reduction in allergens. Reducing allergens in the home can help everyone breathe healthier and can reduce the potential for health concerns like allergies, asthma, and respiratory illnesses. Studies show that indoor air can contain as much as 10 times more contaminants than outdoor air, and excess clutter and the dust it collects is a leading contributor to poor indoor air quality.
More Time for Important Things
Furthermore, there will be more time to do fun things when the home doesn't require constant cleaning and rearranging. It'll be easier for everything to stay clean and put away when everything has a home and there are fewer belongings to worry about. Downsizing will create a clean slate to try out trendy and chic interior design projects. It can allow for more family bonding time as well. Sometimes, simply having more room to spread out can help bring a family closer together.
Moving Forward with Decluttering Efforts
People tend to amass a great deal of clutter over time. In most cases, they don't even realize it's happening. Items trickle into the home one or two at a time, so they're not entirely noticeable. Once they begin to build up, their effects are quite clear. Many people simply work around the clutter and try to ignore it. Eventually, though, it's bound to take its toll. Taking some time to sort through the mess and send the excess to a self-storage unit will make a world of difference in the long run.
Keep What's Most Important
You will be sure to fall back in love with the home by filling it with things you love. Have a close friend or loved one help to go through the clutter and decide what's most important to keep. Make new memories while remembering the old. Displaying the most important possessions where they can be seen will fill you with happiness. Coming home will be happy and peaceful instead of looking around to see a long list of chores and cleaning that needs to be completed.
A clutter-free home is a happy home. Give yourself the opportunity to fall back in love with the space by removing things that don't need to be kept around. By purging the home of possessions that are better off donated or stored elsewhere, it's possible to truly appreciate all that the home has to offer.
This article was written in cooperation with Ana Chiao