Why decluttering can help you move more

Do you dig through piles of clothes to find the shirt you want to wear? Or maybe you have piles of papers sitting around that you plan to get to soon.  The clutter might even drive you nuts and you tell yourself, I’ll declutter this weekend. But time keeps on passing, and that stuff is still taking up space in your home.

If any of this resonates with you, you’re not alone. But many people don’t realize the connection between clutter and movement.

Your home should be your sanctuary, a safe place where you can take time to unwind. But when you feel that your home is cluttered, it can impact your well-being. Decluttering not only helps to create more space and order in our physical environment, but it can also have a positive impact on your mental and emotional well-being.

Keep reading to learn why you should declutter so that you can move more and how it can benefit your overall health.

Creating Space for Movement: The Physical Benefits of Decluttering

Clutter can make it difficult to move more. I mean, literally make it difficult to move due to a lack of space. For example, you may not have enough space to lay down a yoga mat or do that exercise you’ve been wanting to try.  One survey found that 63% of Americans admitted to having a cluttered home, and 54% said it negatively affected how they moved (1). 

By decluttering, you can create a more spacious and organized environment, making it easier to move freely. 

From Chaos to Calm: How Decluttering Can Help You Move More

Cluttered spaces can contribute to decision fatigue and stress, leading to a lack of motivation to move. Studies have shown that a cluttered home environment can contribute to higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, which can lead to fatigue, depression, and weight gain (2). That’s no good. One study found that participants in a cluttered room exhibited higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol than those in an organized room (3). Isn’t that amazing? Just being in a cluttered room was more stressful. 

By decluttering, you can help minimize decision fatigue and create a more calming environment. This is beneficial overall, including when you want to move more.

A Clear Mind for a Healthier Body: The Connection Between Decluttering and Mental Health

Clutter can also contribute to mental clutter and distractions, making it difficult to focus on movement, relaxing, your work, or really anything.  You can fill in the blank there. Clutter competes for your attention. By decluttering, you can enhance mental clarity and create a more peaceful environment, making it easier to focus.

Decluttering can help create a more intentional lifestyle and promote conscious decision-making about movement and physical activities. One study found that 91% of people who declutter reported feeling more in control of their lives (4). That’s a huge number! 

Put it into action: What you can do

I hope it’s clear that clutter is not just “stuff” taking up space in your home. It has an impact on you. Decluttering can help you move more, clear your mind, and help you focus.

What can you do?

• Look around your space and see how you can open up the space. Is there any unused furniture you can remove? Do you really need that small table or buffet just to hold dust collectors? 

• Do you really need those piles of magazines?  If you’re saving them for recipes you hope to make one day just rip out that recipe and put it in a binder.

• Check out your closet. Can you remove any clothes you haven’t work in 6 months? Having fewer options can make it easier to make that decision.

• Do you have a table that collects random items? Can you find a home for those items? 

• What about where you work? Try organizing your desk and clearing away unnecessary papers.

Decluttering is a simple but effective way to promote movement in your daily life. By clearing physical space, minimizing decision fatigue, enhancing mental clarity, and creating a more intentional lifestyle, you can prioritize your health and well-being. So, take a step back, evaluate your physical environment, and start decluttering today!

If decluttering sounds like one more thing you have to do because you already feel drained then check out this article on tips to recharge.

Sources:

1. American Cleaning Institute. (2019). National Cleaning Survey Reveals Cleaning a Source of Pride for Many Americans, but Time Constraints Challenge Millennials. https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/newsroom/2019-cleaning-survey

2. Saxbe, D. E., Repetti, R. L., & Nishina, A. (2008). Marital satisfaction, recovery from work, and diurnal cortisol among men and women. Health Psychology, 27(1S), S15–S25. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.27.1.S15

3. Li, W., Li, Y., Gong, X., Zhou, Q., & Wei, D. (2019). The effect of physical clutter on stress: A virtual reality experimental study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 65, 101318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101318

4. National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. (2017). The 2017 Organizing Industry Survey. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.napo.net/resource/resmgr/industry_statistics/OIS_2017_Final.pdf