How To Declutter Your Home And Clear Your Mind

Clutter isn’t just a physical mess; it can also affect your mental and emotional well-being. I know that from having a long struggle with the boxes of costumes, props and just general ‘rubbish’ that I have accumulated over the years. Research shows that a cluttered environment can increase feelings of stress and anxiety, making it harder to focus or relax. Our brains thrive in order, and when our surroundings are chaotic, we experience mental overload. Then it’s clearly time to declutter your home and clear your mind.

Why you should declutter your home: the power of a tidy space

Clearing clutter is not just about aesthetics—it can have profound effects on your mental and emotional health. Studies show that a clean, organised environment helps reduce cognitive load, allowing our brains to rest and focus. When your space is tidy, you’re less likely to feel distracted or overwhelmed.

Studies from UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives and Families show that clutter in our homes can elevate cortisol levels, the stress hormone, leading to greater anxiety. In contrast, a clean, organised space can improve focus, reduce stress, and even enhance creativity. See https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/what-does-clutter-do-to-your-brain-and-body for a link to research on this matter.

I speak from personal experience on this. I grew up in a house that was full of boxes and stock for my dad’s business. Since he worked from home, our home became his office, factory and warehouse. I didn’t realise that I had just grown up accustomed to and accepting the clutter as ‘normal’ until I started visiting my friends’ houses as a teenager. I suddenly realised that I was the only one who had boxes of stock in their hall, and boxes of all sorts of household items littering the living room. And our dining room table was always covered in paperwork, so we always had tea on trays in the living room. I just thought it was what everyone else did! Needless to say, these formative experiences have led to my ignoring a lot of the mess in my own house, so I’ve had to make a real effort to declutter and clear up for the sake of my own children and my sanity.

The act of decluttering your home also gives you a sense of control. In today’s fast-paced world, we can’t always control external events, but we can control our immediate environment. Creating a calm, organised space helps us tackle life’s challenges with greater clarity and focus.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by clutter, learning how to declutter your home can significantly improve your mental clarity and peace of mind. A tidy environment is linked to greater productivity, better sleep, and improved mental health.

Getting started: simple steps to declutter your home

The idea of decluttering your home may seem daunting, but the key is to take it step by step. Start with the areas that cause the most stress, like your kitchen counters, your workspace, or even the entrance hall. Addressing these “clutter hotspots” first will give you a sense of immediate relief and encourage you to keep going.

Set small, achievable goals. For example, clear one surface or drawer each day. Breaking the task down into manageable chunks keeps you from feeling overwhelmed and helps you stay consistent. Keeping a written plan or checklist will guide you and keep you motivated along the way. Remember, it’s about progress, not perfection.

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Practical tips for decluttering every room in your home

When you decide to declutter your home, it can be helpful to tackle one room or area at a time, although there are people who would disagree with this strategy and I’ve listed some alternatives to this below. To my mind, you will need to choose a strategy that fits in with your own thinking and the time you have available. We can’t all have Stacey Solomon hire a massive warehouse for us and move out whilst our life is “sorted out”, although I do love watching this “Sort your life out” program on TV and I love Stacey’s down-to-earth approach to everything.

The main mantra in decluttering is simple;

A place for everything, and everything in it’s place!

If you master this, you’re already near the finish line!

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Here are practical tips for clearing clutter in key spaces:

Kitchen: Start by clearing out the pantry and cabinets. Discard expired items and reorganise your essentials for easy access. A tidy kitchen encourages healthy habits and makes meal prep less stressful. For sustainability’s sake too, try to reduce what you buy so that you are not storing supermarket loads of food – just enough for the next few days if fine.

Living room: Clear clutter from your entertainment centre and coffee tables. Use baskets, trays, or bins to store small items like remote controls and magazines. Add bookshelves but don’t overfill them with books. Allow space for the eye to rest. By reducing visual clutter, you create a calm and inviting atmosphere.

Bedroom: Sort through your wardrobe and donate or sell clothes you no longer need. Get rid of EVERYTHING that no longer fits you or which you haven’t worn in a year. You will NEVER wear it again. If you do lose those few extra pounds, then celebrate your success and buy yourself some new clothes.

Maximise closet and under-bed storage to keep your bedroom peaceful and organised. A clutter-free bedroom promotes restful sleep.

Bathroom: Toiletries often accumulate, making bathrooms feel crowded. Sort through your skincare and toiletry products, discarding anything that’s empty or expired. Remember to wash, dry and recycle empty plastic bottles to prevent them from going to landfill. Use drawer organisers to keep smaller items neatly arranged and accessible. A tip here is to use some colourful wrapping paper as a drawer liner and add a few drops of your favourite scent or natural oil to add a welcoming aroma to your room.

By focusing on a ‘one room at a time’ strategy, you can create an organised home that supports both physical and mental well-being, and spread the sessions over a number of days.

Decluttering the garage

The garage often becomes a catch-all for items we don’t know where to store, leading to piles of unused tools, old furniture, and seasonal decorations. Decluttering this space not only improves organisation but also creates a safer environment by reducing trip hazards and freeing up space for essential items. Start by sorting everything into categories—tools, sports equipment, seasonal items, etc.—and then assess what you truly need to keep. Donate, sell, or recycle items that are no longer in use, and invest in practical storage solutions like shelves, bins, and wall-mounted hooks to keep everything in its place. A well-organised garage can turn into a functional space, whether for parking your car, starting DIY projects, or simply having a clean, clutter-free area to work in.

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Decluttering outdoor space

Your outdoor space can be a sanctuary, but over time, it can accumulate clutter such as unused garden tools, broken furniture, or leftover construction materials. To reclaim the serenity of your garden or patio, begin by evaluating what is truly essential. Start with clearing away debris, old garden furniture, or items that no longer serve a purpose. Consider donating or recycling anything that’s in good condition but no longer needed. Once the space is cleared, create designated areas for gardening tools, outdoor toys, and furniture, using weather-resistant storage solutions to keep things organised. By maintaining a tidy outdoor space, you’ll not only enhance its visual appeal but also create a peaceful and relaxing environment to enjoy all year round.

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Clearing clutter with expert advice

Marie Kondo and Dana K. White are two well-known figures in the decluttering world, but they take different approaches to the process. Here’s how their methods compare:

Marie Kondo’s KonMari method

Marie Kondo advocates for decluttering by category, not by room. Her method encourages you to sort through your belongings and ask yourself whether each item “sparks joy.” By going through categories like clothes, books, or papers, you can create a home filled only with items that truly serve you, helping you feel lighter and more in control. She has a very specific order in which to do things too.

Marie Kondo has lots of ways to tidy and sort things once you have decluttered your life too; from the way to fold clothes and towels, to how to store socks and tea towels. Her book is a motivating read for people like me who tend ‘not to see the mess’.

Dana K. White’s “decluttering at the speed of life”

Dana White’s approach is more practical and focused on habit-building. She advocates for creating simple, sustainable routines, such as tidying up daily and focusing on the areas that gather clutter the fastest, like kitchen counters or entryways. White’s method is about progress, not perfection, and making small, consistent changes that keep clutter at bay.

Both methods encourage the idea that decluttering your home is a personal journey. Whether you’re tidying by category or building lasting habits, the goal is to create a space that nurtures your well-being.

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Feng Shui and clutter: creating harmony in your space

Feng Shui (pronounced “fung shway”) is an ancient Chinese practice of arranging your environment to promote balance and harmony. This traditional view of the house and the environment in which we live also underscores the importance of decluttering. In Feng Shui, clutter is seen as a blockage of energy, or “chi,” which prevents positive energy from flowing freely through your space. By clearing clutter, you allow good energy to circulate, creating a harmonious environment that supports peace and clarity.

For example, a tidy bedroom promotes better sleep and restful energy. Similarly, organising your living room or office helps improve communication and creativity, encouraging positive interactions and focus.

Incorporating Feng Shui principles into your decluttering routine adds intentionality to the process, helping you create a space that feels not only clean but energetically balanced. There are a few ‘rules’ and advice to follow if you are going to adopt this approach, and you will need some information about the direction that your house and rooms within it face, as well as an appreciation of the spacing, construction materials and orientation of things within the house.

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Maintaining a clutter-free home: practical habits for success

After you’ve successfully decluttered your home, the key to keeping it that way is forming good habits. Here are some practical habits to help you stay clutter-free:

1. Clean as you go
   Tidy up immediately after using a space, whether it’s putting dishes away or wiping down kitchen counters. This prevents clutter from building up over time.
2. 10-minute daily tidy-up
   Set aside 10 minutes each day to tidy up. Focus on high-traffic areas like the kitchen or living room. These brief sessions prevent clutter from overwhelming your space.
3. One in, one out
   For every new item you bring into your home, make sure to donate or discard something old. This helps prevent clutter from accumulating and keeps your space balanced.
4. The “touch it once” rule
   When you pick something up, deal with it immediately—either put it away, discard it, or take action on it. This prevents things from piling up and becoming overwhelming.
5. Mindful consumption
   Before buying something new, ask yourself whether it adds true value to your life. Adopting a more mindful approach to purchasing will prevent unnecessary clutter from entering your space.
6. Weekly decluttering check-in
   Set aside 20-30 minutes each week to declutter an area or category. Regular check-ins keep your home organised and prevent clutter from piling up again.

My favourite here is what we call the “Tidy Ten”. We all spend 10 minutes quickly tidying up the area that we are in, and hey presto, it works! If you develop these habits, you’ll keep your home organised and gain a much-needed sense of calm, clarity, and control in today’s hectic life.

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