2024 New Year’s Resolution: An Uncluttered Home

The list of recycled New Year’s resolutions goes on and on.  From being able to fit back into your skinny jeans, to eating better, exercising more and everything else in between, these resolutions are typically a passing commitment. Even those with the best of intentions often see their goals evaporate by the time February rolls around.

One resolution that many people make to themselves is to get their lives in order.

And there’s good reason behind this. An uncluttered life, not only an uncluttered home, helps create a more organized space in which to thrive. An uncluttered home also has increased visual appeal, whether you’re thinking of selling your home in the future or just want to improve its function. An organized home also improves your mental and physical health and helps you see the forest for the trees. It’s a win-win all the way around.

So, why is it so important to live an uncluttered life?

Based on our experience, we believe that it is healthier to live with less. Living with less also makes the decluttering process much easier to attain and stay that way.

Living with less can also help with relationships and social connections, as many who hold onto too much clutter sometimes are embarrassed to have people into their homes. This is true for people who even have a small amount of clutter. Children also feel this strain and may at times avoid inviting friends to visit because of a cluttered home. There is less area to play and more to explain.

So why not take the plunge this year to declutter, whether your home is just slightly cluttered or more cluttered than you’d care to admit? Once you get your home in order, you will be more mentally focused and physically healthy. And you may even be able to keep other resolutions you’ve made to yourself in past years. A clean, uncluttered home is often the lynchpin.

What are the other benefits of decluttering and making this your New Year’s resolution?

For one, decluttering reduces stress and anxiety.

Clutter can be overwhelming and chaotic, which can contribute to stress and anxiety. By decluttering your home and space, you can create a more peaceful and calming environment. A more peaceful and calming environment helps to reduce these negative emotions.

Having help removing large unwanted items can be done with the help of an outside company. Many companies offer pick-up services that take large items away for a fee. Some charities pick up large items for free. With these larger items out of your way, you’ll be able to see what else needs to be decluttered.

Decluttering increases your productivity.

A cluttered space is distracting and makes it difficult to stay on task. This is true in the home environment as well as the workplace. Having less visual clutter to distract you makes it easier to know what needs to be done. It also gives you a better grasp of your priorities. Focusing on priorities rather than distractions makes for a better workflow. It also helps increase productivity and reduces your need to tidy up before getting to more important things. The need to tidy up causes an increase in cortisol levels which increases our stress levels. Future cleaning wreaks havoc on our emotions.

Decluttering improves your physical health by improving the safety of your environment.

A cluttered home creates hazards, such as tripping over items left on the floor or straining to reach things that may be too high. An unsafe home, especially for small children or seniors, makes this a dangerous environment for many. In addition, a clean and decluttered home reduces the amount of dust and dirt that is contained in a home or work environment. It is easier to keep an environment clean when living with less. Reduce accidents and injuries by keeping a decluttered home environment.

A decluttered home improves your mental well-being.

A cluttered space can make you feel overwhelmed and disorganized. It also may make you feel out of control in your space, which can have a negative impact on your mental health. By decluttering your home (and life!) you can feel more capable of managing your environment. This ultimately improves your mental clarity and feelings of happiness.

A decluttered home can improve your life in many ways!

And what better time of the year to focus on making your life less cluttered than when the new year begins? Sticking to a New Year’s resolution such as living a life of less or a decluttered life, will make a tremendous difference in the way your life flows throughout the year. Start with small goals, for example, decluttering a small space and working your way up to things that are harder. Or follow the KonMari Method® by Marie Kondo. Or one by Karen Kingston, which tends to correspond to the Chinese New Year. Any approach you take will be worth the investment in yourself because you will see the benefits of this pay off in spades.

Yes, fitting into those skinny jeans and exercising more may seem like a big deal that will improve your health. But there are other ways to improve your physical and mental health that have nothing to do with diet and exercise. A resolution to improve your living environment in 2024 may make more of a difference than anything else you do. Start the new year off right by decluttering and organizing your personal space. You’d be amazed at the difference this resolution will make.

Declutter Deck® is a great 2024 decluttering option!

If getting started is a little more than you feel able to do, we are always available to provide virtual clutter coaching. Or pick up our Declutter Deck® from The Uncluttered Life, Inc. Both ways of decluttering will support your efforts and keep you on track throughout the year. The most important thing is to stick with the process. We are here to guide you if you get stuck, need to talk through your goals and objectives, or require help with ways to keep your space organized once you’ve fulfilled your New Year’s resolution.

Happy New Year to you! And happy decluttering!