I used to be so much of a stuff-loving person that having too much made me feel secure. Ever since I was a kid, having my own room and closet was something that I heavily desired. I would look forward to the rare shopping days our family used to have and always wanted to own everything on display. I bought clothes after clothes even if I didn’t get the chance to wear most of them.
When I moved out of my family home to a hostel for higher studies and was given just a small closet to keep my stuff in, a part of me wanted to run away. I had no idea how I would survive three college years with just a handful of clothes that could fit into that closet. The room was small and didn’t have any space left for another closet.
Though hard, those three years turned me into a minimalist. They taught me that I could live with less and still be happy. Clothes still fascinate me but I have learned to buy less and rotate more on the ones I already have. I still sometimes hoard on skincare and makeup products but I always make it a point to keep getting rid of the old ones on a regular basis.
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Decluttering has changed my life in so many ways that I actually love writing about how big an impact it has had on my life. I have managed to cut down on the sentimental items to zero and this feeling is so freeing. Here are a few ways how decluttering changed my life and added meaning to it:
1. Easier To Find Things
Though it’s been an exhausting journey getting rid of excess and unwanted stuff, it has now become easier for me to find things in my home. I don’t have to spend half an hour rummaging through my closet to find something to wear because I’ve gotten rid of most of the unneeded clothes.
Less stuff means that things aren’t hiding underneath a pile of clutter, not to mention how easy it has become to locate stuff when my cupboards and drawers aren’t overflowing with irrelevant stuff.
2. Makes Cleaning Easy
I used to loathe dusting because I literally had to move stuff from one flat surface to another to clean them every alternate day. Too much clutter also meant that there were always critters, spiders and cockroaches weaving their homes in it which made my home look like a junkyard. With clutter gone, cleaning has become so much easier that I have stopped procrastinating for days before picking up my decluttering tools.
3. I Feel More Calm And Composed
A calm living space attracts visitors because of how it makes them feel. Don’t you love visiting homes that are glass clean and tidy? And clutter makes you feel exactly the opposite. Don’t you hate visiting homes that are full to the gills with clutter?
With all the visual clutter gone and closets organized, my bedroom has become a relaxing sanctuary where I crash in at night to experience the soundest of sleep. Living in a clutter-free home has truly made me realize that clutter builds up in your mind and body faster than it does in your home.
4. I Feel More Focused
I hated having a home where there was never enough space to move around. My living room wasn’t inviting enough for the family to spend time together and I feared having surprise guest visits because it used to be cluttered 24X7.
But ever since I was bitten by the decluttering bug, my home feels almost like a hotel. I now spend more time watching television with my family or playing board games in the living room. I love having friends over and they never fail to notice the change in my home. The clean and tidy workspace makes me want to work more without all the distractions.
5. I Have Stopped Being Materialistic
As someone who always used to find happiness in material things, I feel more liberated as a minimalist. Although I do visit stores and malls just as often as I did before being a minimalist, I now make informed decisions before buying anything. There’s always a need attached to everything I buy. I make sure that I don’t buy anything on impulse. Needless to say, it’s so freeing to be able to stop finding happiness in lifeless objects that were taking physical and emotional space in my life.
6. It Saves A Lot Of Time
Though I initially found it time-consuming, decluttering has totally saved me more time than it took away from me. With the unwanted stuff gone, I spend less time finding things in my cupboards and drawers. I spend just half the time in cleaning my home as I did earlier because I don’t have to move clutter from one flat surface to another. Also, I now make it a point to spend a few minutes decluttering my home every day rather than accumulating all the tasks to be done on the last weekend of the month.
7. Saves Money
I remember spending a lot of money replacing items that I couldn’t find because my home was way too cluttered. Now that every little thing has a home of its own, I don’t have to run to the store every time I can’t find anything in my home. There’s a dedicated space for the littlest of stuff and the similar items are all grouped together to make it easier for me to guess where everything is. Moreover, I make a little money every year when I run a garage sale for the items I don’t need anymore.
Before undergoing the decluttering therapy, my home lacked the calm and peace it now exhibits. Though I sometimes wonder if I am crazy for throwing away too much stuff, I have learned to make peace with the fact that my home only needs the stuff that is adding value to my life. And I hope my journey encourages you to purge your house of everything that it doesn’t need.