There’s a lot written about decluttering, and how to do it. But many people still don’t do it, because they lack the motivation. So I thought I’d write a quick reminder of some of the advantages of simplifying your life. Perhaps thinking of the plusses might encourage you to get started.
1. NEW FRIENDS Clearing space in your life encourages new people, friends and opportunities to arrive in your life. If you’re wondering why you never meet anyone new, then the chances are you fill your life with the same routines, and leave yourself no spare time to bump into new people and get to know them. Some of the best friendships are made by coincidence, and in the in-between times. But to help the coincidences happen, you need to be alert to others, and free of other commitments.
2. EASY TIDYING A very simple environment is very easy to keep clean and tidy. If you only have a few possessions, then there are fewer things to get in the way. You can spend less time tidying up, and more time enjoying the space.
3. MORE ENERGY Clutter is a great energy sapper. This is the principle behind some elements of Feng Shui, which seeks to adjust the energy levels of environments by repositioning physical items. Unnecessary clutter can interrupt energy flow. It’s not magic, it’s science: if you can’t move freely around an area, then you will feel cramped, and discouraged from moving at all.
4. HYGIENE The more clutter you have, the more chance bugs have to set up home in your home. Simple, clean lines and surfaces are not only easier to keep clean, they are more exposed, and therefore don’t provide the breeding ground that infectious and parasitic organisms need to thrive.
5. AIR CIRCULATION More air means more oxygen, and more oxygen means more energy. If you have a good, open design to your surroundings, you are more likely to encourage the flow of clean air around your personal space, resulting in more clean air to your lungs.
6. MORE ENJOYMENT OF WHAT YOU DO HAVE How can you enjoy your possessions if they are stacked on top of one another? Visit a museum, and you will notice that the items on display are quite sparsely and carefully placed. This enables each object to be appreciated in all its glory. Better to have one or two really nice things which bring joy, than a pile of assorted items that confuse the eye and brain.
7. BETTER SHARING If your space is clutter free, you will find it easier to have friends round. Your space becomes more welcoming, as it isn’t splattered with too many of your own random possessions. Furthermore, your friends can enjoy better hygiene, instead of having to worry about what’s clean and what’s not.
8. WELCOMING CHANGE Certain things make it easier to welcome change and opportunity into your life. Empty bowls are a display to the universe that you are ready and willing to accept new things. Also, clear areas of floor space. Empty spaces on your mobile phone display, even, let the world know that you are not over-cluttered, and have space for new things. Even notice boards that have very little on them act as a welcome beacon to new things, by making it clear that you are receptive to new ideas, not just full of your own history.
9. LESS PREJUDICE The more open your personal space, the less prejudiced you are being. A public space that is full of cultural signifiers is a prejudiced space – it is already judging who should use it and how. But a clear, simple space is open to any use, and is free of pre-judgement.
10. PHYSICAL OPENNESS Finally, keeping your personal and public spaces clear and clean encourages the human body to open itself out. It does not have to curl itself up and protect itself. It has a welcoming space around it, and can expand.
So there you are. Ten reasons to clear, simplify and declutter your personal space.
Remindful UK 