Decluttering After the Holidays

A woman is bettering mental health by decluttering after the holidays.

New year, new you, new… stuff? After the holidays, clutter can take over your home and leave you feeling overwhelmed.

The mess can weigh on your mind when you want to feel fresh and renewed. Instead of hiding things in the closet or under the stairs, take time to declutter and start the new year organized.

Clutter and Mental Health

Recent studies have linked clutter to poorer mental health and wellbeing, in addition to unhealthy eating habits, less efficient thinking, and low subjective wellbeing. When your home is messy, it can make you feel uncomfortable and unwelcome in your own space. By reducing the clutter around your home, you could make it a more comforting, relaxing space for yourself, while improving your mental strain and clarity.

Not only does a clean home benefit your mental health, the act of cleaning and organizing can be beneficial as well. Cleaning your space for a few minutes can help you feel more in control. It can also reduce anxiety. There are plenty of places you can reduce clutter in an effort to clear your mind, including your closet, your holiday decorations, and even your kids’ toys. Spending just 15 minutes straightening up can make it easier to go through the rest of your day without interruptions.

A person cleans around their house in an effort to better their mental health after the holidays.

Mindful Decluttering Techniques

  1. Set Intentions
    • Breakdown the spaces you want to declutter into individual tasks. For example, rather than writing that you want to “declutter your room,” break it down into cleaning out your closet and going through your dresser. This can help you to prioritize your tasks and make the process of cleaning a bit more manageable.
  2. Start Small
    • There are a couple of ways to start small in your cleaning process. First, you can set a timer for 15 minutes to complete as much as you can before taking a break. You will be surprised at how much you can get done in a short period of time.The second option for starting small is to identify one area of a space — your kitchen table, your desk, your closet — and thoroughly declutter that area. This will allow you to focus on one task a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
  3. Use the “Three-Pile” Method
    • As you are decluttering your space, utilize the “Three-Pile Method:”
      • Keep: items you are planning on keeping that can be put away in your newly cleared space
      • Donate: items that can be donated to your nearest homeless shelter or thrift store
      • Discard: items that are damaged or are unable to be donated
    • While you are decluttering, you may find items that you have kept out of guilt or obligation to the person who gifted it to you or the memory it is associated with. These should be discarded or donated. You should only be keeping items that truly bring you joy, that are practical, or that hold sentimental value.
  4. Practice Gratitude
    •  While identifying which items you are keeping, donating, and discarding, take a moment to acknowledge how each item served its purpose while it was in use. This can help with any feelings of guilt or discomfort when you are deciding to discard or donate a piece. If you are feeling uncertain about getting rid of something you no longer use, remember that it was useful to you for a time and, if you are donating it, someone else will be delighted to have it.
  5. Involve Your Family
    • Decluttering can be a great family activity, using it as a time to reminisce on old memories and items from the past. It can also help to speed up the process, making it feel less overwhelming and anxiety inducing. Involving your kids in the decluttering process can also help them to feel ownership and responsibility over their belongings, making them more careful and intentional with their clothes and toys.

The Long-Term Benefits of Decluttering

Decluttering isn’t just a short-term solution for maintaining a tidy home. The long-term benefits of keeping a decluttered space can have a profound impact on your mental health and well-being.

When your living space is free from excess clutter, it creates a sense of calm and clarity that carries over into other areas of your life. A clean and organized home provides an environment where you can focus on the present, rather than being distracted by the physical reminders of disorganization. This mental shift can make it easier to stay productive, accomplish tasks, and feel in control of your environment.

Additionally, decluttering can lead to better habits. As you sort through your belongings and decide what to keep or let go of, you may begin to adopt more mindful habits, such as regularly evaluating what you truly need or want. This can help you make more intentional decisions in the future, avoiding the accumulation of excess items. You may also find that your new, simplified space encourages you to maintain cleanliness and organization on a daily basis, making it easier to sustain a clutter-free environment over time.

In the end, decluttering is more than just cleaning. Creating a space that supports your mental well-being allows you to focus on what matters most. By making decluttering a regular habit, you can enjoy a peaceful, organized home for years.

Conclusion

Following the busy holiday season, your home can begin to feel chaotic and uncomfortable. Not only does decluttering make you feel more relaxed and welcome in your home, the act of cleaning and getting rid of unnecessary belongings can make you feel more proactive and focused.

By incorporating the five techniques above into your decluttering process, you can make it easier, more intentional, and potentially even fun to clean out your home. And remember that decluttering isn’t about having a perfect, spotless home; it’s about regaining your grasp on your mental wellbeing and reducing your stress.

Visit Acenda's Mental Health Resource Center for more blogs on improving and maintaining your mental wellness.

About the Author

Riley de Jong, Communications Strategist at Acenda, attended the University of California – Los Angeles for her undergraduate degree in Communication and minor in Entrepreneurship. She enjoys supporting her community, telling engaging stories, and connecting with others.

Sources

How Clutter and Mental Health are Connected - Verywell Mind

5 Reasons Why Clutter is Bad for Your Mental Health - Psychology Today

The Connection Between Cleanliness and Mental Health - Verywell Mind

14 Things to Declutter After the Holidays - Real Simple