It’s funny what arrives in your inbox sometimes – this week I received an email from a company specialising in storage solutions, The Plastic Box Shop.

It’s a 6-week plan to help you with a household declutter.

It’s not a bad plan if you’re trying to declutter on your own so I thought I would share it.

Mental wellbeing

The stress that a messy or overly filled house has on our mental wellbeing is a new area of research for sociologists with findings concluding

  • It increases our cortisol levels which can lead to stress, anxiety and long-term mental health problems
  • It triggers subconscious coping and avoidance strategies which make us crave unhealthy comfort food
  • It can be a visual distraction that can overload or drain our cognitive resources, affecting our memories
  • It can affect how our bodies fight illness, so we’re more likely to get viruses, diabetes and heart disease
  • It affects sleep quality and ability to fall sleep, which can decrease our focus, energy levels, and mood.

So probably time to get our acts together?

But this doesn’t mean you need to be a minimalist. Everything just needs to have its right place.

Professional Tips

When I’m decluttering, whether it’s for a house move or just a house tidy, I always ask the same questions over and over again:

  • Do I love it? Does it make me smile or my heart warm every time I see it?
  • Do I use it? Really? Have I actually used it in the last 12 months?
  • Do I have other items that serve the same purpose?
  • Am I keeping it because I feel guilty about how much I spent on it or because it was a gift and I feel I “should” keep it?

I find getting everything that is the same out together in the same place. So, if I’m looking at oven dishes (pyrex, china, stoneware), I put them all on the kitchen table to see what I’ve got. Then, I can be honest with what I like and what I use.

Decluttering is tough on your own, partly because we’ve all got better (and more fun things) to do with our time. So get help. A friend, a relative or a professional or you can always call us!

To find out more about The Homemover get in touch with us. Via email or call us on 01483 255895. You can also visit our website to find out more about The Homemover Specialist and follow us on our social channels Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.