I’ve got a short answer and a (super) long answer to these questions below. Read on! :p
Why should I declutter? Does it really matter?
Short Answer
Because you matter. Because your family matters. Because your home matters. Because your work and community matters. Yes, it matters. More than you know.
Longer Answer
There are many reasons why people decide to declutter. It is quite a range of responses but here is what I have found to be true of members in The Declutter Community. The reasons essentially are broken down into five categories.
We declutter because of:
- Money
- Time
- Health + Safety
- Environment
- Our Mental State(?)…I’m not even sure how to categorize this one…sanity, freedom, confidence, you, me, us…
Let’s take a look at these reasons…keep reading…
I want to apologize before you start reading. The reasons are not explained in any particular order under each category because that’s how my brain is operating right now. But trust me, having participated in and hosted dozens of decluttering-type groups in the past decade or so, these reasons, both good and not-so-good, are what I’ve observed and experienced to be true.
Money
When it comes to clutter and money, there seems to be an emotional trigger that ties the two together. It can be that someone wants to hold onto an item because they’ve spent money on it. Or it was a gift and someone else spent money on it. But the flip side of clutter and money is that it can offer you a way to make an income. If you are done with an item, you may be able to sell it at a discounted price. If you don’t have to keep things you don’t need, you may be able to save some money when you get rid of your storage unit. You can also save money by not accidentally buying duplicate items because you weren’t sure if you had them or where to find them in the piles. (think: children’s science fair project or history presentation materials or cooking experiments) In one group I was in, one member had a “Noah’s Ark” of condiments in their fridge – two opened ketchup bottles, two opened mustard bottles, two opened mayonnaise jars… We have had several group members who found unpaid bills, barely missing the late fees, and others who found lots of gift cards and birthday money. I’ll be honest and say that those fancy storage containers are tempting for me but we will find that we’ll save money on buying them to contain items that we might not even need.
Time
Our time is limited. Some of us may have more days than others but they are all numbered. It’s not always something we want to think about or even have time to think about but my guess is most people don’t want to spend most of it looking for things and cleaning around things or organizing things. Because that’s what they are, just things. Most of us would probably want to spend our time with friends and family, learning new things, exploring, or just relaxing…I’m up for a good old video game tournament over having to party favors over so I can dust the mantle…we don’t have a mantle…or video games…or a TV/screen. That’s not a good example. Sorry. Anyhow, there are lots of stats out there about how many hours (years maybe?) we spend in our lifetime looking for lost things, and how many hours are wasted in companies because of clutter, and how much time you can save on cleaning things if you didn’t have so much of it. So we can do some focused and intentional work of decluttering, we won’t really have much to declutter at the end…it’ll just be maintenance. Even for members of The Declutter Community who don’t have lots of time to devote to these tasks because of their season of life, they’ve learned to build their decluttering muscles and decision-making skills so that it’s easier when it’s time to finish the work. If you’ve ever said, “I wish I had more time to…” or “I just don’t have enough time to…” and it’s because you’re spending time on chores on the weekends or evenings, then it’s a great reason to kick clutter to the curb (on collection or bulky pick-up day) and you’ll have more time to spend on your passions, hobbies, opportunities to serve your community and family, and much more!
Health + Safety
This would a reason to immediately declutter! If items are protruding from places, items are scattered on the floor, or items are piled too high, that can become a dangerous situation. We have had members who had stuff fall from higher-up shelves as they were starting to declutter. Luckily, it was stuff like a blanket in a linen closet. But I have also heard a story from someone in another decluttering group I’m in where the lady signed up because she was tired of the piles in her hallway. A few days before the courses started, she tripped on one of the piles and broke her shoulder. That might be extreme but at the same time, I don’t know that many people would share about these types of situations and I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened more often than we think. For our home, one important reason is so we can breathe easier with less dust. And I “follow” a professional organizer whose team brings a can of spider-killing spray to all their jobs because every single time they encounter giant spiders, especially in the garage! Considering how many little crawly things come out when we move boxes and everyday items, I don’t even want to even think about what’s hiding in areas we don’t touch often. Bleck! Yes, I know, they are God’s creation but I wonder if they can be God’s creation outside my house or if they can pay some rent. :p hehe
Environment
I’ve read too many posts about empty nesters who are now needing or wanting to downsize since it’s just one or two in the home that used to have many. Yes, there will be holiday gatherings and visits but most days, all the things and surfaces may become extra chores to complete, and I believe kids and grands are certainly okay with making do with what’s available during those gatherings. Big homes would be amazing for those who are house-sharing or really do have lots of people over but mostly I have not found this to be true. With a smaller home, we are able to hopefully have a smaller environmental impact with less house to heat and cool and less to maintain. When we pay attention to the items we have or would like to keep, we are more likely to choose quality over quantity. This may be a whole different post so maybe I’ll finish this category here.
You
Like I mentioned above, I’m not really sure how to categorize this one…sanity, freedom, confidence, you, me, us…that covers it, right? :p But this is probably the most important category. Most decluttering/organizing experts report that their clients want to declutter because of overwhelming stress and anxiety from all the stuff. And this is especially true for women. Even when things are out-of-sight, they’re not always out-of-mind. It can be mentally draining, or even paralyzing at times, to consider some of the above categories of reasons – time, money, health and safety, environment – and the impact on our minds. hearts, and everyday life. Each item is a decision to make and that can take more brain calories than we have to spend. (It’s a thing. I’m still learning but there’s always more to learn.) The stuff can fill us with the worry of what will happen if there’s a fire, natural disaster, theft, or anything insurance-related. At the end of a long day, it would be amazing to not move the piles so there is space on the counter for meal prep. During non-pandemic times, we would be more ready and focused on welcoming our guests instead of running to the store for one last item or clearing spaces to sit. True story. How wonderful would it be to appreciated most items in our home and be grateful for each one, to create good habits that can trickle down to other good habits (less time decluttering/cleaning/organizing could mean more time taking daily walks with neighbors, to be able to share and give more because we’ve spent less in other areas on unnecessary items, and even to recognize our own needs and provision from others in our community.
Action Step
Declutter one small area in your home that needs some decluttering.
Question to Consider
If your home is in need of some decluttering, what is your main reason?
This piece really moved me.