Declutter to Reduce Anxiety

There is a direct correlation between clutter and anxiety. Physical clutter can make us feel overwhelmed and like we are drowning in chaos. When we can’t find things we need, that only increases our stress levels.

A cluttered home can cause higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which is linked to weight gain, anxiety and depression.

Using these five steps you can reduce your clutter, and your anxiety.

1. Start small.

   Don’t try to declutter your entire life in one go. Instead, pick a small area to start with. This might be your car, the hallway closet, or that random drawer in the kitchen where everything that doesn’t have a home goes.

2. Make a plan.

   Take a moment to think about what you want to accomplish and how you are going to do it. For example, if you want to organize your shoe closet you might want to have just enough shoes that fit neatly on the rack. You could start by taking all the shoes out, sorting through them, and deciding which to keep, which to sell and which to donate.

3. Do a little at a time.

   It can be overwhelming so plan to tackle the task in small chunks. Perhaps set a timer for 30 minutes and then allow yourself a 5-minute break before resuming. Sometimes when you set a small time limit it can help your brain to accept doing the task and the next thing you know you have been at it for 2 hours.

4. Remove what you don’t use or love.

   As you go through your chosen section, ask yourself for each item. When did I last use this? Will I use it again? Does it make me happy? Only keep things that you are actually using or that genuinely make you happy. This applies to everything, from decorations and art to clothes, spices, sporting equipment, and paperwork.

5. Stay organized.

   Once you have everything organized, keep it that way. Take a moment to put things away when you are finished using them, set time aside each week for a quick cleanup of anything that was missed.

Enjoy the sense of calm you experience from a clean and organized space. You can download a printable handout to help you here.