From Cluttered to Clear: A Tidy Home Boosts Your Wellbeing

Does the thought of dedicating a Saturday morning to clearing up a week’s worth of chaos & clutter fill you with dread?  You’re not alone if keeping your home tidy and clean seems like a never-ending chore that you want to avoid at all costs!

What if the dreaded chore could become easier and more enjoyable by adjusting your expectations and approach to clearing the mess?  

Unexpected Benefits of Cleaning & Tidying Your Home

Your home should be an antidote to stress, not the cause of it. The act of tidying and cleaning your home goes beyond the immediate visual reward; it’s directly connected to your mental health and overall well-being.

Decluttering isn’t just about clearing out and organizing your physical spaces – it’s about creating a space that fosters emotional wellbeing and the freedom to love and enjoy your home the way it was meant to be.

Liz Doyle, Owner of Sandpiper Services Cleaning Company says “Our minds feel automatically out of balance when our homes are in disarray. Our homes should be a place of peace and a retreat.”

Here are some notable benefits of decluttering and cleaning your home:

• Easier to Clean:  When there’s less stuff in the way, it is so much easier to clean.  In fact, decluttering your home can reduce regular housework by up to 40%!
• Mental Clarity and Stress Reduction: Our environment significantly impacts our stress levels and overall effectiveness. A cluttered home can increase stress and anxiety, making daily activities more challenging and time-consuming. In contrast, spending just a few minutes resetting your space daily can save you even more time in the long run.
• Physical Health: Engaging in the physical activity of clearing and cleaning releases endorphins, which ease pain and stress. Plus, less clutter means less dust and dander, so you can breathe easier in your home.
• Sense of Control: Cleaning and organizing provide a sense of control over your surroundings, a feeling of accomplishment, and can increase dopamine levels, enhancing your mood.  

A Twist on Tackling the Clutter

Feeling stuck?  Feeling defeated by the perpetual mess and starting to believe you’re failing because your living space isn’t Pinterest-perfect? 

The solution isn’t necessarily working harder but smarter.   Adjusting your mindset about what it means to have a tidy home can make the biggest difference in your confidence and ability to get things done.  We tend to think about decluttering and cleaning as an all or nothing game, but it’s just the opposite.  A little bit, done consistently can add up to big changes in your home and how you feel.

Simple ways to adjust your mindset and habits:

1. Lower Your Expectations: The goal is progress, not perfection. Remove the pressure you’ve placed on yourself to have a spotless home and focus on creating a space that works for you and your family.  Being organized doesn’t mean that your home will always be neat & tidy, especially with kiddos around.   Having realistic expectations for how your home looks & functions in the midst of “real” life is important.  

2. Get stuff off the floor: The floor is not an effective storage solution. When you start to pile things on the floor, your brain eventually accepts that the floor is for storage, and you add more and more without even thinking twice about it.  It’s easier to drop it than to take the time to find a home for your things. Simply clearing the perimeter is a game-changer in a cluttered room, making the room look and feel larger and lighter.

3. Try a Speed Decluttering Session:  Don’t worry about a whole-house cleanout right now.  Start with a quick declutter session to build momentum and make it easier and faster to clean.  How?
   • Grab a trash bag and a box.
   • Set a timer and put on some fun music…get the kiddos involved, too.  
   • Walk through the main rooms of your house looking for items that should be disposed of or donated.  You’re only looking for obvious, quick decisions right now.
   • Toss the trash.  Pop the donation items in your car to drop off the next time you’re out.
   • Come back later for a more detailed decluttering session.  We’ll be ready to help you, if you need some support and encouragement for the big clear out.

4. Focus on Key Areas: Start with the kitchen or laundry room, as these spaces are used most frequently by the entire family. Prioritizing these areas can have a significant impact on your daily life. Do 1-minute task right away. You’ll be surprised that most small tasks take you even less time than we think.
   • Super-Quick Clearing Steps:
     • Remove counter clutter by eliminating unused items.
     • Rehome items that belong elsewhere.
     • Ensure your spaces aren’t overstuffed, making it easier to find and replace items.  True organization takes a bit more space than cramming everything onto a shelf.

5. Adopt a Daily Reset Routine: Implement a daily 5-minute tidy and reset routine, focusing on maintenance of 1 or 2 key spaces, like the kitchen counters and the bathroom vanity.   Remember, it’s about progress, not perfection. Even resetting a counter, cabinet, or tabletop each day can make a noticeable difference.

Conclusion

Real life is messy.  Real life organization isn’t about living in an “insta” home with color-coded bins, it’s about creating simple systems and forming habits that support your family’s lifestyle.  The best systems will always be effortless to maintain.

The journey to a tidier home is not about achieving a spotless living space but about finding balance and creating an environment that reduces stress and increases joy. It’s not all or nothing; every small step counts in a big way. 

Less Stuff…More Space…Better Life

If you found this blog helpful, you’ll love my 6 Quick Tips to Bust Clutter Guide. Sign Up for the Guide here and join my Inner Circle to get real-life, easy-to-implement organization tips and ideas delivered directly to your inbox!

Overwhelmed by stuff? Ready to transform your cluttered and home into an orderly, peaceful space, but not sure how to get started?  Contact us to learn more about working together.

Cheers to creating an organized and simplified lifestyle!  Barb