Does Decluttering affect our Health?

How does decluttering affect our sleep, weight, energy and mood?

Why do so many of us start decluttering at the beginning of a new Year, a new Season or a new phase in our life?

It is a natural process to begin decluttering when we are beginning a new phase in our life. When we are looking for a fresh start on the year, Season or in a particular area of our life we begin to see our space differently. We intuitively know to move forward in an area of our life we need to make space. Space in our homes, our closets, our cupboards, our relationships and our mind.

It isn't just a hunch that decluttering is a way to feel better, research has actually proven that spending time in a cluttered space increases our cortisol and spending time in a room that is organized, less cluttered and has an obvious purpose associated with the room, lowers our cortisol.

If stress has been shown to negatively impact every health condition and has been shown to be an actual cause of many health conditions, is it time to take inventory of your space and our "stuff"?

Letting go of our "stuff" and making space can feel overwhelming and can even feel like we are losing part of ourselves or our identity, but stuff doesn't define us, it often holds us back and gives us a false sense of security. The best advice I can give you is to start small, very small. Go slow and start with the easiest room, and the things that you are less emotionally attached to will be easier to give away or donate. When you have a feeling of accomplishment, you will feel motivated to continue and it will be easier to let go of things that you are more attached with. Remember be gentle with yourself, and the first time you go through a room you may only be able to donate, discard a few things but each time you go do this it will get easier and the decision of what to keep and give away will get easier! Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and the sense of freedom you will feel when you lighten your load and have less “stuff” overwhelming you.