Decluttering to Reduce Anxiety

There! I put the last of the shirts and pants I no longer wanted into the bag to take to the thrift shop, and I felt suddenly lighter. Whenever I let go of things, I always walk away with a sense of renewal.

Clutter is a stressor for almost everyone, but especially for people with any form of anxiety, including generalized anxiety, post-traumatic stress, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Anxiety and clutter enjoy a perverse kind of codependency: Anxiety can lead to a cluttered home, and a cluttered home can lead to anxiety. This is because clutter reminds us of all the things that need to be finished, which makes us feel guilty and leaves us overwhelmed. The clutter in our homes not only makes our homes look bad, but it also makes us feel bad.

Research backs this up. In one study, women who described their homes with positive language had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than women who described their homes as cluttered.

But let’s face it—anyone who has tried to declutter knows it’s no picnic. The act of dealing with our possessions often evokes memories, which can be messy and painful. Dealing with what we’ve accumulated takes physical energy and stamina, constant decision-making, and emotional resilience.

The Psychological and Physical Benefits of Decluttering

Nonetheless, decluttering is worth it! Here are some powerful incentives for people with anxiety to declutter their homes:

It relieves stress. When things are disorganized, it can often bring vast amounts of anxiety. We may feel constantly worried or afraid of accumulating yet more clutter. Letting go of “stuff” can lighten that weight and help us feel calmer.

It builds a sense of confidence. Just a few minutes of decluttering can fill us with a sense of “Yes! I can!”

It helps us focus better. A cluttered environment can lead to cognitive overload and fatigue, as the brain struggles to make sense of competing distractions.

It improves our mood. If we’re feeling low, lethargic, or irritable, just a few minutes of active decluttering can make us feel better.

It helps us feel better about our home. The less clutter we have, the more we’re likely to enjoy our home and feel comfortable having friends over.

It helps if we’re feeling stuck. Feng shui experts maintain that decluttering is a concrete, tangible metaphor for letting go psychologically. It helps to free us from what is holding us back and create space for new possibilities.

It gives us more time in our day. The less clutter we have, the less time we’ll spend cleaning, organizing, putting things away, and looking for them.

It can help us sleep better. Decluttering may even reduce asthma and allergies, since keeping a clean home decreases the likelihood of breathing in dust, mold, and mildew.

Mindset Strategies for Decluttering for Anxiety

The process of decluttering is as important as the outcome. We don’t just relieve our home of mess; we lighten the load of the people who live in that home. How we let go matters.

Here are some ideas for how to approach the task:

Clear respectfully and gratefully. Thank your possessions for the role they have played in your life. Don’t approach them as enemies but rather as things that once served you.

Tap into the “joy.” Rather than looking at what you don’t want in your home, focus on what you definitely want to keep. This is the method made famous by Marie Kondo in her best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

Get comfortable. If you feel anxious about tackling the mess in your home, consider asking a friend to join you. Make yourself physically comfortable. Put on music or make a cup of tea. Do whatever it takes to help yourself enjoy the process.

Consider a ritual as you embark. Light a candle, take a moment of silence, or bow before starting.

Be kind to yourself. Some of us (I speak from hard-earned experience!) can be unforgiving and angry at ourselves for buying things that turn out to be mistakes. (Why did I waste my money on that stupid thing?) Notice when you’re being harsh and try to forgive yourself.

Find language that works for you. The phrases “get rid of” and “throw away” feel unfriendly to me, so instead I use words and phrases like “release,” “let go of,” “circulate,” and “repurpose” when clearing out old messes.

Practical Strategies for Decluttering for Anxiety

New Zealand professional organizer and feng shui coach Vicky White defines clutter as “anything unfinished, unused, unresolved, tolerated, or disorganized.” Using these categories as guidelines, here are some suggestions for how to declutter:

Start with the small and irritating. If you succeed early in the process, you’ll feel more confident and motivated. So, begin very small by zeroing in on a single concrete, solvable clutter problem: one corner, one shelf, one box, one drawer. You’ll be even more motivated if the clutter annoys you.

Commit to five minutes a day. Anyone can commit five minutes to donating, recycling, or tossing old items. You can always add more time, but five minutes is all you’re requiring of yourself. It’s an easy way to sneak through your resistance. Write it in your calendar. Those five minutes can change your life.

Keep a dedicated clutter box close at hand. A ready container to toss items into makes decluttering easy and automatic.

Designate a “four month box.” Things I’m not sure I want to keep but am not yet ready to give away are put in what I call a “four month box,” which I ask my husband to hide. If I don’t ask for any of the items in four months, he has my permission to take the box to a thrift store. I’ve rarely asked for anything back!

Monitor the point of entry. The easiest way to prevent clutter from accumulating is before you own it. Once you own something, it’s easy to become attached to it, and you can almost always come up with justifications to keep it. So, be vigilant when it comes to acquiring new things. Ask yourself, “Is this something I’m likely to enjoy over a long period?” Asking this can help deter you from buying things that will just sit there taking up real estate.

Surrounding Yourself with Things You Love After You Declutter

I once owned a beautiful mosaic glass candleholder a friend had made me. There was nothing wrong with it, but I simply didn’t love it, no matter how hard I tried. So I finally gave it away. Even though it was gorgeous, I didn’t truly love it, so my decision to donate it was wise.

On the other hand, I’m very fond of the print hanging above my desk. Delicately patterned kimonos sway on a clothesline tied to cherry trees on a grassy hillside. I often look up at that painting as I’m writing. The kimonos fill me with a sense of peace. Where the candleholder robbed me of energy, the kimono print restores me.

The more you surround yourself with only the things you truly love, the happier, lighter, and more peaceful you’ll feel. Start now. Light a candle, put on some music, dedicate a clutter box, and begin.

Learn how physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual clutter can affect our lives, and how to deal with it.