Happiness is . . . Decluttering!

March 17, 2009 | By Wendy In Happiness Is |

One of the quickest and easiest ways to start feeling happier is to declutter your space. Chronic clutter keeps your thoughts scattered, your energy low, and your mood down in the dumps – you just feel overwhelmed and weighed down, which makes it nearly impossible to feel truly happy.

When you start clearing away clutter, you feel an instant sense of “lightening up,” like burdens are being lifted from your shoulders. As your physical surroundings are cleared, you feel your mind also clearing and your mood lifting!

There are no right or wrong ways to declutter, but here are a few key steps to get you started:

1) Out with the old

Obviously, one of the most important steps is to let go of things you no longer want or need. This can be tricky business because plenty of excuses may pop up and try to prevent you from letting go. What if need this later and don’t have it? What if I can’t find another one if I need it?

Another obstacle is if you have an emotional attachment to having plenty of “stuff”. Some people hoard material objects as a way to feel safe against the possibility of lack. Even though they may feel oppressed by the clutter surrounding them, they’re afraid to let go of it because they might be without something they need. That’s a scary thought so they keep clinging to their stuff to avoid feeling discomfort. Unfortunately, clutter creates another kind of discomfort!

The best way I’ve found to deal with these situations is to look at them from a different perspective. Rather than worrying about not having something myself, I ask myself if someone else might be able to use what I’m not using right now. I ask myself if receiving this object could bring someone joy and happiness, since it’s not providing ME with joy and happiness. From that viewpoint, it’s much easier to let go because I feel good about helping someone in need.

2) Organize your newly cleared space

Organizing the stuff you are keeping is equally important because it doesn’t take a lot of clutter to make you feel run down and scattered. Don’t worry though, organization does NOT have to mean buying a label-maker and 20 million storage boxes.

Believe it or not, organization can mean simply knowing where everything is. Having a designated spot for all of your belongings so if you need something you can find it.

Of course it does help if your environment looks NEAT too – that’s a big part of using decluttering to improve your mood.

Do your best to store like items together and keep as many things out of sight as possible. Use your closets, cupboards and drawers to their fullest potential.

3) Do a little each day

Finally, remember that organization does not have a be a big project. Get into the habit of constantly organizing as you go about your normal activities. Shred the junk mail you received that day right after dinner. Take two minutes to throw away a few items from your kitchen “junk drawer” the next time you’re in there hunting for a pen. Clear your kitchen counters and coffee table daily so stuff doesn’t accumulate on them and get out of hand.

Decluttering a little bit each day makes you feel productive and keeps your home and workspace looking more organized, which automatically makes YOU feel happier.