hen we talk about health and wellness, we often hear about the four pillars of health: movement, nutrition, sleep and connection. What we don’t hear as much about is the influence of our personal environment on our well-being.   

A 2021 study from the Journal of Environmental Psychology found a strong correlation between subjective clutter and experiencing more meaning and accomplishment with life. They also found a negative correlation with subjective clutter and experiencing negative emotion, health, loneliness, and overall well-being.   

The key word here is “subjective.”  

Those who care about clutter should plan to proactively do something about it. Clutter can mean different things to different people. For some, they want a minimalistic lifestyle with lots of open space, while others want a room full of personalized items to put them more at ease. Whatever your style is it’s important to honor the environment you want to live in and intentionally craft your space with the things you want around.    

Odds are if you are reading this article, clutter matters to you! And you want some ideas of how to prioritize it in your life. The key is to pick a method that makes sense to you and stick with it! 

Aim to inspire others by the way you keep your space, you may be surprised at the domino effect that tidying up can have.    

The KonMari MethodTM: “Organization is ‘self-care’” 

The infamous tidying expert Marie Kondo strongly advises you only keep items in your house that “spark joy.” The idea here is to take time to choose what you want to keep in your life and let go of what is no longer serving you or what you are keeping “just because.” She advocates for a deep personalization of your space claiming that “organization is self-care.” Her method includes doing everything all at once and decluttering by category, starting with clothes, then books, then papers, then miscellaneous, and ending with sentimental items.   

I spent a week this winter “Marie Kondo-ing" my house and was proud to donate five garbage bags of clothes, two boxes of books, and one box of dishes. I spent time going through each category and piling everything in the middle of the room so I could pick up each item one by one and notice if it created an emotional response in me or if I was ready to let it go. At the time, it looked like a tornado had gone through my house. But coming out on the other side, I have a home I love being in and it has been easier to be productive, rest and recharge, and find things when I need them!  

Too much? Try taking these small steps instead. 

Another method of decluttering is doing a little bit each day. You can ritualize it by doing it before brushing your teeth, or first thing in the morning when the house is quiet and peaceful. Ten minutes can be dedicated to putting everything in its place and leaves you with a space that is an extension of yourself.  There is research that suggests “people who declutter frequently experience a stronger sense of home” and that sense of home can also add to your wellbeing.    

Have a designated “donate/give away” bag or box that you can put things in as you notice you no longer need them. You can even do this online! There are Facebook groups like “Buy Nothing Project” full of people that would love your belongings. These bags and boxes can also serve as a half-way point for items you are on the fence about. Make a day of the month your “get rid of the donate box,” and if you haven’t wanted to take the ”gray” item out, it’s time to let it go.     

Bottom line: Make space for what you love. 

It can be difficult to get started if you have a lot to declutter, so our biggest piece of advice is: get started. Something is always better than nothing, so even if you only declutter one area of the house, you will be on the road to a clearer space and a clearer mind! Decluttering is not so much living minimally as it is about only purchasing and ultimately keeping items that you truly cherish. Make space for what you love, cherish what you choose to keep, and let go of items that are no longer useful to you...with gratitude.