The benefits of decluttering your home are immeasurable. However, I have a few I would like to share with you directly.
But before I do, I have a small confession to make… I am obsessed with decluttering! For several months of 2015 and most of 2016, I decluttered my entire life.
Downsizing from a 1,400-square-foot home to a 600-square-foot home really opened my eyes to the excess in my life. I let go of so many things, and I regret none of it!
However, now that the big decluttering phase of living as a minimalist is over, I still find myself wanting to declutter.
The benefits of decluttering your home and helping others in need are like nothing else I have experienced. The problem is that I don’t really have much left to declutter.
I have watched several YouTube videos of people decluttering their lives, and almost wish I could do it all over again…. almost! What I gained when I let go of so much was more than I lost.
Technically, I didn’t lose anything other than energy because it takes a lot to go through everything. But I gained time and space! Both things are so very much needed in my hectic, anxiety-driven life.
Saying all of this makes me feel a bit silly, but the truth is, so many people I know are on the fence about decluttering as a means to improve their quality of life.
So I am going to share with you what you can gain from getting rid of the clutter once and for all!
Before we get into that I want to address something very important.
Why decluttering is good for you
Many dream of a decluttered home and life, but few really go after it. You’ll see all the benefits of decluttering and living minimally throughout this post, but I need to address the actual process of decluttering.
When you’re in the thick of clearing out what no longer serves you to live a minimalist lifestyle, you begin to change the way you think and feel.
It is an amazing experience that will help you better identify the excess in your life so that you can live your best life sooner rather than later.
The process is what helps you experience the benefits and opens your eyes to many possibilities and opportunities. Take your time with it, be aware of the changes occurring, and enjoy it!
**Post updated March 2020**
10 Benefits of decluttering your home
1 // Decluttering Creates Space
Let’s start with the obvious. If you declutter, you gain space. Simple right?
What you may not realize is that you clear out things like organizing drawers, dresser drawers, decorative shelves, etc.
All of these things no longer are needed when you declutter the things within them that you no longer need. Now you have space to rearrange a bit, cull a few organizers, or leave the space as is.
One space I am currently at battle with is my shelving unit in my bathroom. It holds all of my bathroom products, cleaning products, bulk purchases, towels, and medicine.
When I first organized it two years ago, it was crazy how much it held. I knew I wanted to work it down and remove baskets and organizers as we used up things, so I had no worries if it was “Pinterest worthy” or not.
Fast forward to today, it does not hold nearly as much, but still a considerable amount of things. It is still not “Pinterest worthy”, but that was never my intention for this space.
I want to gain space and discover what I actually need and what can go.
The only way I know to do that is to consistently work through the products I have.
Once we build our home, I will have all the time in the world to make things “Pinterest-worthy”. Right now, I am just focusing on what I actually need in my life.
Related Post: Tidying Goals that Were Achievable in a Weekend
2 // Free Up Your Time
Everyone needs more time, but how do you gain time if you are always having to reorganize things? The truth is you cannot reorganize clutter and expect to accomplish anything. [Been there and done that!]
You have to cull and declutter consciously and be intentional with what you bring into the home.
You gain time after decluttering the things out of your life you no longer need. Again, I ask you to trust me.
I never thought I would gain time to do anything besides take care of a home, worry about projects I needed to complete or figure out a way to have an organized and tidy home. But I promise it is possible!
Now that I live in a decluttered home, I had time to go back to school, study, have a small farm, and really dive into my passion hobby of sharing this lifestyle with you.
I am working towards my dream life because I have the time to do that now.
Related Posts: How To Cut Cleaning Time in Half & Make Time for Things You Enjoy!
3 // Decluttering Creates Peace & Calm within Your Home
Do you go to bed at night thinking about what you want to clean or organize?
I used to do just that. But now, I have a great system in place that allows me to feel at peace in my home.
When I walk into it after a long day of work, the calming feeling washes over me, and I know it is going to be just fine!
As I sit here typing, I am looking around my home and am so relaxed. I just need to turn on my diffuser. Be right back!
………Okay, I am back!
Now I really feel calm with the lovely fresh scent diffusing into the air. When you have a decluttered home, this feeling lasts! It really does!
I cannot remember feeling consistently at peace or a state of calm before I decluttered my home and life.
I always went to bed thinking about the what-ifs hiding in my junk room or the laundry that was piling up because I just did not want to deal with it. My mind was exhausted all of the time.
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4 // Welcome Joy into Your Home
How many times do you walk into your home and feel joy? I am sure if you have children playing and laughing, your answer is probably more often than mine.
But I didn’t know what joy felt like with all the extra things in my life. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself when I was not working, so I dove into taking great care of my yard.
Sure, having a beautiful yard is important, but it never moved me closer to my dream life. I never felt joy in mowing the yard or pulling weeds from the flower beds. Pride? Sure! But no joy.
Joy is something special that you can only feel when you have allowed your mind to pull away from all the things clouding around it. The sight you see around your home is a major influence on this feeling.
When I have my home all tidy, I feel so excited and accomplished! The joy a clean home brings sounds absolutely crazy, I know, but try it! See if you feel it!
Related Post: 3 Rs for a Joy-Filled Life
5 // Simple Organization
Oh, My Lanta!! [Yes, I am a total Full House geek! Thank you, DJ!] I have never been so organized in all my life!! When everything has a home, it is amazing!
I “organized” clutter for years and never felt organized. Decluttering and giving everything a home is absolutely life-changing!
Now when the hubby asks where something is, I can tell him! How cool, right?! Because we all know he did not go looking for it himself, even though claims he did. haha!
Another thing I love about being organized is that it makes cleaning and tidying up time easier and quicker.
Without having to guess where something goes or find it a home, cleaning is a breeze! It definitely was not that way before decluttering, that is for sure!
6 // Your Home is Tidy!
So in my mind, being organized and tidy are a little different. Being organized means that everything has a home. Being tidy means that everything can neatly go into that home.
For example, the beloved sock drawer. Sure, you know where your socks go, but how well can you pick out a pair of matching socks?
When you declutter all of the excess from your life, you make way for a tidy home. There is no better feeling than knowing everything you have is neatly tucked away until you need it.
Related Post: Minimalist Cleaning Routine to Maintain a Clean and Tidy Home
7 // You Cultivate A Passion for Life!
Passion is a big benefit of decluttering for me personally. When I had all that clutter in my life, I was grasping at straws, trying to figure out what my passions were in life.
Besides the obvious of my family, I had no clue what I wanted from my life. Dreams were one thing. I could dream up hundreds of dreams, but passions were another story.
It was not until I decided to start the decluttering and downsizing journey that I figured out what my passions were.
For creative outlets, I have tried so many different things. From crafts to painting to refinishing furniture to little DIY handmade gifts, I have tried it all. None of these stuck or sparked any kind of excitement.
When I picked up my laptop and started writing about my journey, something sparked. I knew within a couple of months that this blog was an extreme passion of mine.
I found through this blog that I have a HUGE passion for helping others simplify their lives, which excites me so much!
8 // Increased concentration and focus
This wasn’t something I anticipated, but when you remove the things that are distracting you, your ability to concentrate and focus on the things that are important to you increases tenfold.
I used to get distracted by the little things like a pile of paper here or random dirty clothes there. But with a decluttered home and systems in place to help me keep it clutter-free, I can deep dive into things that interest me.
It is one reason that I have found a passion for journaling, gardening, and so much more!
What would you focus your time and efforts on if you could increase your concentration and focus on them?
9 // Increased creativity
The benefits of decluttering your home and creating space for new things include creating space for increased creativity.
You may find that you want to take up writing or photography. [Both are two that I put my creative efforts into personally.]
Regardless of the way you express your creativity, you’ll actually gain the freedom to explore it.
I honestly didn’t know that I had a creative side to me because I’ve always been so analytical. [Fun Fact: I originally majored in Mathematics and Computer Science, then found myself earning two Business Degrees.]
It wasn’t until the excess had been removed that I could see any creative abilities, and I’m so thankful for that!
10 // Improved sleep
Decluttering your home and living minimally allows you to go to bed with peace of mind. The to-do lists are complete, the house is most likely clean, and you intentionally think about how great you’re going to rest.
All of these things combined help you get more restorative sleep, which also improves your energy for the upcoming day.
I won’t say that every night will equate to perfect sleep, but the small things won’t take up so much space in your mind, which allows you to fall asleep more peacefully than before decluttering.
Related Post: My Nightly Routine that Sets Me Up for a Better Morning
Benefits of minimalism and living with more intention
Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of decluttering your home let’s take it a step further and discuss the benefits of living minimally.
I have a series of posts that discuss how to become a minimalist, why you want to become a minimalist, and some of the benefits, so you’ll want to check those out, too!
- How to Become a Minimalist & Overcome Struggles You Encounter
- 11 Reasons to Become a Minimalist
- 15 Benefits of Minimalism: Own Less, Do More
I share a lot about minimalism here, so if you really want to deep dive into the minimalist lifestyle, you can head here to learn more.
I briefly want to share with you about living minimally…
Decluttering your home and living minimally doesn’t mean that you deprive yourself. Actually, by keeping clutter in your home, you’re already doing that.
I want just the opposite for you, and the only way to do that is to remove the things that distract you in life.
The benefits of decluttering and living minimally mean that you finally get to focus on the life you want to create for yourself.
It doesn’t include decluttering because there isn’t room for more things. It includes creating space for the things you believe are truly important and want to create time to do.
I experienced the benefits of decluttering because we downsized the size of our home by more than half. While I do suggest it for anyone who is open to the idea of living smaller, it isn’t necessary.
You can experience all the benefits of decluttering and living minimally right where you are. You just have to put in the work to create it.
Related Post: How to Downsize and Simplify Your Life; Downsizing Your Possessions
Final thoughts the benefits of decluttering
If you’re tired of living a life that revolves around your clutter and not getting to fully experience the things your life has to offer, it is time to make a change, friend!
Don’t waste another minute drowning in your current lifestyle!
Declutter your life and experience the benefits of decluttering and living minimally!
You deserve to live your best life, so take action and go for it!
Wow, this article perfectly captures the transformative power of decluttering! I especially loved how you highlighted the impact on mental clarity and focus. It’s true that having less stuff can create more space for what truly matters.
Yes, I totally agree with all of these. I have been decluttering my home for the last two years (yes it was crazy cluttered and still needs more work), and the changes it made have been huge. I no have tons of space in my home, whereas before everything felt too small – to the point where hubby and I thought we might need a bigger home when we eventually move. I was also guilty of organizing my clutter, thinking that that actually helped. Now I know I have to get rid of things before I can actually organize. Though it’s been a long process, I now look forward to going through the house and seeing if there is clutter to get rid of and I’m especially happy when I find little to no clutter.
Isn’t it funny how a mindset shift can change our entire outlook on things? I’m excited to see how you continue to grow, Sarah! It does get really fun going through the home looking for things to declutter, and not being able to find anything. Peace and calm can enter the home once everything within the home has a special place just for them.
That is so true that it is a great feeling knowing that everything is neatly tucked away where I need it. It would be nice to have someone come to help declutter my home for me. My back is bad but my home needs to have some clutter removal done one it soon.
Dave, have you looked into hiring someone? There are some pretty affordable home organizing services out there.
Yes, these are great thoughts. I’m big on zero clutter as well, but I had never thought about some of these benefits that you listed. I’ve always just stopped at “Tidy”! Thank you for the great share!
Allen, I am glad you enjoyed this post! Thank you for the kind words!
Yes I wish I had more to declutter. I sit in my living room trying to think of something I can clean out. Totally addicted. If only other people would let me go through their house and make it manageable.
I am right there with you, Denise! I love cleaning out spaces and making them tidy. I went through a few spaces over the weekend, and found a handful of things to donate. Just not the same as having tubs full of stuff to donate, but it is something. 🙂