“The Things You Own End Up Owning You” – Chuck Palahniuk, The Fight Club.
We are living in a day and age where consumerism is at its peak. We buy, buy, and buy and eventually end up owning a lot of stuff that we don’t use and doesn’t mean anything to us. It is often possible to feel weighed down by these things or we may even develop an unhealthy attachment leading us to fear losing them. While it may not be practical to be an anti-consumerist, we can try to declutter the junk in our spaces and re-cycle so as to improve our quality of living. Here are some of the benefits that decluttering our space can bring.
1. Improved Focus And Gained Time
If you’re working on a cluttered desk or trying to pick out clothes from an overflowing closet, you will soon realize how much of your attention is dispensed on things other than what your primary focus should have been on. Having only the things you need and use on an everyday basis around you can help direct your energy on what has to be done without any distractions. Apart from this, a decluttered space means it’s a lot more easier to find things saving you a lot of time and energy.
2. Making Space For Things That Are More Important
Getting rid of the junk that we’ve accumulated helps us make space for things that are more important in our lives. Over a period of time, as we grow, our tastes and preferences change. You may for example, begin to realize you’re more comfortable on a chair than the bean bag that you bought when you were younger. Or perhaps, your partner is moving in with you and that might mean prioritizing them over some of your things. Decluttering helps us to evaluate what things we still want to hold on to and what things we want to give up to make space for newer and more important things.
3. Recycling Or Donating Helps The Environment
“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”
When was the last time you wore that dress? Do you see yourself wearing it in the near future? Why let something you don’t use gather dust when someone else could be using it? You can ask your friends or neighbors if they want the stuff that you’re not using or you could even donate them. Don’t want to just give away your stuff? Hold a yard sale and sell them. If you have a little extra time and don’t mind taking on a DIY project, you could even try recycling them. These are all ways your choice of decluttering helps the environment and if you’re lucky, you can make some money out of it.
4. Helps Reduce Stress And Improve Temperament
Living in a cluttered space may give you the vibe that your life in itself is unorganized. In your attempt to find things amidst the chaos, you may be causing unnecessary stress on yourself. This can leave you in a bad mood. Straightening things up can improve your state of mind and many people have even found the process of cleaning to be therapeutic. So the next time you’re feeling stressed, try decluttering your space and see if it helps calm you down.
5. Letting Go Of The Past That We So Tightly Hold On To
Sometimes things aren’t just things to us. We attach memories, emotions and sentiments to them. Of course, if something means a lot to you, you don’t have to throw it away but it is essential to ask yourself if it’s inhibiting your growth in anyway. If this is the case, it might be a sign that the thing you’re holding on to symbolically represents the emotional baggage that you have to let go of. Setting on the path of healing may be rough but it’s definitely worth it. Once you have completely let go of the things that are holding you back, the final act of getting rid of the stuff that represents them can be extremely liberating.
