We are a week away from the Spring Equinox and do you know what Spring brings with it?

Yes, yes, warmer weather and more sunshine but that’s not what I’m talking about.

I’m talking about Spring Cleaning!

When it comes to mental health, did you know that physical cleaning and decluttering can have a huge positive impact? And THIS is why decluttering is such a great thing to make a part of your spring season!

What Clutter Can Do To Your Life

We all know that clutter is annoying. And it looks messy. And it's a pain in the as* to deal with. But the most serious link there is between clutter and your wellbeing is the fact that clutter may actually contribute to stress, anxiety and even depression. Seems extreme, right?

If you live in a place that is filled with lots of clutter, studies have found that you are more likely to experience fatigue and have higher levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) when compared to people who live in less cluttered homes. This is particularly relevant for women according to the studies.

Not only that, living in a lot of clutter also leads to more difficulty to focus, feeling more confused, tense and irritable.

(I'm sure most of us can relate to feeling grumpy and moody when we're surround by mess and clutter!)

It’s no wonder then that having a lot of clutter can have such an impact on your mental health and overall wellbeing!

Benefits To Decluttering

Knowing the negative side effects that living in a cluttered space can cause, let’s look at the positive impact that decluttering your home brings:

• Helps to increase your focus (so you stop feeling overwhelmed, distracted and can actually stay on task)
• Decreases your anxiety and stress levels (so you can actually feel mentally and physically calmer)
• Feel more confident and increase self-esteem (by feeling like you’ve accomplished something and feeling more organised, comfortable and proud of your home)
• Increase your sense of creativity (having more physical space to think allows your ideas to flow without the overwhelm and distraction of 'stuff' all around you)
• Be more productive (with less clutter, you have less things that compete for your attention and you can stay focused and have much less distraction that wastes time)
• Save time (because the more things you have in your home, the more you have to clean, organise and keep on top of them, not to mention finding the things you’re looking for!)
• Improved relationships (because when you feel calmer, more organised and in control, you are less irritable, less stressed and more able to focus on creating positive relationships)
• Better sleep (less stress, less anxiety and more calm and comfort from less clutter can all lead to better and more restful sleep)
• Healthier lifestyle (if you have a clean and organised home and feel less stressed, you are more likely to look after yourself and do things like cook nice meals in an organised kitchen)
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The reason Spring is such a good time to declutter is that after the long, darker days of winter, the fresher and warmer air and increased sunlight brings with it the energy of renewal and rebirth. The idea of spring cleaning actually comes from historical cultural traditions like Passover (ridding the home of any leaven), the Iranian New Year known as Nowruz (cleaning the home on the first day of spring) and historical Britain (clearing out the coal soot from homes after the winter).

Little did they know back then how good it was for their mental health!

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You can't deny how good it feels to get rid of clutter that has been taking up precious space and energy in your home that you no longer want or need. And how much we all love a little more space in our homes.

So, this week is all about getting ready to have a look around your home and think about how it makes you feel. It's not necessarily about how it looks. Leave judgement out of it. Focus on how your home makes you feel. Ask yourself these questions to help:

Does the state of my home make me feel calm and relaxed or frustrated and overwhelmed?

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Does the way my home looks help me stay focused or is there too much ‘stuff’ that distracts me?

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Does the amount of clutter in my home have a positive or negative effect on how I feel in life?

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Thinking about these simple questions will help you to start to notice if you might be able to benefit from decluttering this spring time.

Remember that as people, we are always changing and expanding. What we once thought we needed, we might not need anymore. What we once valued might have lost its importance. What we once wanted we might not want anymore.

It’s part of life to let go of things and letting go of the physical and material things in life that just cause us to feel stressed and overwhelmed is a wonderful thing!

So this spring, don’t look at spring cleaning as yet another chore or task you need to do. Think of it as therapy – as supporting your mental wellbeing and releasing what you don’t need anymore to allow yourself more space to feel calm, relaxed and comfortable in life.

And if anything, it's less sh*t to dust for the rest of the year! 😉

In Summary:

The small change → understand the impact that clutter has on your mental wellbeing (and then get decluttering!)

The big impact → less stress, decreased anxiety, better focus and better productivity just to name a few

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Wishing you all a wonderful (decluttered) start to your spring!

Martina x

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