I don’t usually observe Lent, although the days of Lent are seen as a season of reflection and self-discipline and so I thought it was a great time to start on a decluttering journey. As I’ve already described, when in the peak of my burnout, my impulsivity got the better of me so I’ve now got LOTS to declutter!

Lent spans 40 days so it’s a finite timeframe; enough to keep my focus and give me a deadline. I decided that decluttering just 1 item per day over these 40 days was manageable but could also make a big difference.

Many of us will have a tendency to fill our homes with “stuff”, and the longer we live there, the more “stuff” we have. That’s fair enough; a lot of the things we keep are based around memories and sentimentality, or sometimes we keep hold of things because it ‘may be useful at some point’. There’s nothing wrong with that, but for me, the amount of “stuff” in my home means I make use of every possible storage area, and then some. It’s hard to keep clean and tidy because there’s just too much ‘stuff’ and then I find myself in a state of overwhelm because I have no idea where to start!

The phrase, “Tidy house, tidy mind ” (or similar variants) is familiar to a lot of us. Apparently it dates back to around 1947, where it started out as “A cluttered up desk is a sign of a cluttered up mind “. One version was even attributed to Albert Einstein, although I’m not sure he actually said that…there’s no record that I can find, anyway. It’s all well and good having a well known phrase, but is it actually true?

There are so many websites or even TV shows that talk about the benefits of minimalistic living, decluttering or making space but I’ve been surprised at how few of them actually make reference to supporting literature or evidence base (that’s probably the academic in me).

Needless to say, I thought it worth an exploration…

Interestingly, one study¹ found that clutter was linked to procrastination, feeling overwhelmed and lower quality of life; just some of the traits expressed by neurodiverse colleagues, particularly in burnout. The study suggests that having a sense of order and control to our external environment can help us feel more able to manage some of the internal feelings.

The physical act of cleaning, a bit like exercise, can also release endorphins. Hardly surprising when you think about it; cleaning is a workout in itself! These endorphins are known to act as a pain reliever, stress reliever and generally improve our overall wellbeing².

Did you know that having too many items in our field of vision distracts the brain’s processing capacity³? This means the notion of ‘tidy desk, tidy mind’ does actually ring true as clearing away clutter allows the brain to focus on items and tasks one at a time.

I think it is important to acknowledge that while cleaning and decluttering can help support better mental health, finding the energy to this can be extremely difficult, particular for people experiencing anxiety, depression or burnout.

I could not have started my decluttering journey a few years ago and even now, I do it as and when the mood takes. Despite my plans to declutter one item every day during Lent, I’m not sticking to it religiously (excuse the pun). I’m declutting when I’m able, and being kind to myself when I’m not. I know that when I have the energy, I achieve MUCH more than the the one item I set out to; I managed TWENTY unused make up palettes last Sunday, as well as a few other oddities around the house. I’m far beyond the number of items I should have decluttered by now and that gives me the extra dopamine hit to keep going and forgive myself on the days I find it hard.

If there’s one piece of advice I’d share, it would be to find something that works for you. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books, TV shows, and websites telling you how to tackle decluttering; you don’t have to follow them! You don’t even have to use the same approach all of the time. If you don’t find something to suit your energy levels, or motivation, you won’t keep up with it, so make it as easy as possible for yourself.

For me, the idea of starting in a single room is far too overwhelming. Instead, I pick an item or a theme because it’s then a discreet task (and I get my dopamine hits faster, giving me more motivation and energy to do more than I intended). I may not see the impact of it as quickly as if I dedicated my time to a single room but I know that in doing it my way, I’m not moving clutter from one room to another. I’m making a conscious decision to ‘get rid’ at the moment but maybe my approach will change when I actually feel like I’ve made space to be able to organise what I have left.

References

1. Ferrari, J.R., Roster, C.A., Crum, K.P. et al. Procrastinators and Clutter: An Ecological View of Living with Excessive “Stuff”. Curr Psychol 37, 441–444 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9682-9
2. Sprouse-Blum, A. S., Smith, G., Sugai, D., & Parsa, F. D. (2010). Understanding endorphins and their importance in pain management. Hawaii medical journal, 69(3), 70–71.
3. McMains, S., & Kastner, S. (2011). Interactions of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in Human Visual Cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(2), 587-597. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3766-10.2011