How your clutter can affect your health and well being?
A cluttered house is never ideal, but so easy to accomplish given the consumer driven society we all live in. Besides a general dislike many of us have for clutter, it can also have an impact on our health and well-being.
Dust mites decoded
The more clutter you have, the more opportunities dust mites get to settle into your home. Dust can be particularly damaging to your health if you’re prone to allergies and asthma. The best way to cut down on dust is to provide a clean home that minimizes opportunities for dust to collect.
While not visible by the naked eye dust mites are everywhere. They live in tapestries, rugs, clothes, mattresses, and even stuffed animals. The more of this kind of stuff you have piled up in your home, the more opportunities dust mites have to reproduce and produce dust.
While dust mites themselves aren’t exactly a problem, the dust they create certainly is. Dust is the number one trigger of allergies and allergy induced asthma. Getting rid of items that are dust mite havens, and washing other items like comforters and pillows regularly will cut down on the amount of bothersome indoor allergens.
The psychological impact of clutter
Enough research exists to reinforce the idea that clutter can have an effect on your emotional well being. Too much clutter can contribute to feelings of anxiety and loss of focus and control over one’s life. Clutter piling up can be stressful and if allowed to build up can contribute to worsening feelings of depression.
Clearing out the clutter
Deal with the worst first
Most of us have that one room in our homes that all the extra junk gets thrown into; start there. Look for the obvious things to throw out first. Any item that you think you might, could, maybe, or possibly have a use for far in the future – pitch immediately! Chances are you will never need it.
Take pictures
Next look for those items that pull on your heartstrings but don’t have much real purpose in your home. Consider taking a picture of these items instead of keeping the actual item. This is especially relevant for items such as old programs, songbooks, ticket stubs, certificates, etc. You can then make an online album of these items that can be turned into an actual photo book you can store in your home.
What can you sell?
Some items may not deserve to be thrown out, but also don’t serve much of a purpose for you anymore either. If you haven’t used that margarita mixer in five years, chances are you won’t in the next five either. Consider selling items like these on Facebook or Craigslist or in a yard sale. So, you can do your own personal junk removal.
Keeping it Clean
A decluttered house is much easier to clean now that you don’t have things in your way to vacuum around or items to pick up to dust under. Less junk means more room to relax, enjoy a clutter free environment, easing your stress, increasing a sense of well being, and contributing to your respiratory health.