Decluttering 11: The Mental Cost of Clutter (and how to fix it!)

 Hey all,

Clutter can cost us mentally. Whether it be depression, anxiety, stress or all 3. It can overwhelm us. Our homes do not need to be an episode of Hoarders level bad to have the clutter affect us. Sometimes just having a little too much stuff can affect us in ways we didn't know were possible!

I know for me, I live in a 1 bed 1 bath apartment. I'm not a Hoarders show bad, but I have lots of stuff. I do have mental health issues on top of being autistic and I struggle to stay organized. Because I am not good at staying organized, I have clutter happen, and because I have clutter it creates difficulty in thinking and planning.

And if you are like me and have down points at times where you need your meds adjusted, it can be hard to stay on task and tackle clutter! I am slowly paring stuff down at the flea market. You don't necessarily have to get rid of everything you own or even sell it all for money. You just need to find what sparks joy and really make some decisions. Once you pare down your stuff a little, it will be easier to organize your stuff!

Anxiety, depression, OCD and any other mental health issues and/or mental illnesses can impact your clutter. It can make it hard to get started. You just need to make baby steps. Every little step forward counts!

Also, don't forget to declutter old receipts, papers that are no longer relevant, old food including expired canned food. This will free your mind. Clutter creeps up on us in mysterious ways.

Even clearing a little clutter at a time helps improve mood, stress, anxiety and depression!

Tidy and declutter little by little. Baby steps are worth it!

Curlyalicia