How to declutter your home for self-care, Tips from a Professional Organizer in Cleveland, Ohio

Why Decluttering Supports Self-Care in Your Cleveland Home

First I'm going to talk about some of the mindset shifts to focus on self-care. Then I'm going to talk about the act of decluttering to improve your self-care. And then I'm going to give some tips that will help you to declutter for self-care at the end. So you're going to want to stay on for that.

I wanted to tell the story of a recent client that we worked with.  I think she really had self-care in mind when she reached out to us. She kind of had clutter all over the house. It was a person who lived alone in a small freestanding house with multiple bedroom spaces.

She had a nice yoga room. To me, it looked a lot like a self-care room. There was some craft stuff in the closet, a yoga mat, some other exercise equipment, and a keyboard for some music.  I think this person, that was a real haven. Then when that started getting cluttered, it was like, we need help.  We were able to come in and over the course of a week make all the changes that she was looking for.  

Even at the end, she had these lovely plants in the living room and she said, "These plants are annoying to me."  I said maybe that's too many plants. Every person is different. Just like you like spaghetti and I like macaroni and cheese, people like different amounts of visual stimulation and different amounts of stuff out in their home.

I would not say at the end that it was a cluttered home at all, but I think it was still too much visual stimulation for her.  So when you're thinking about self-care, you really want to tune into what you want, what you're looking for, what's comfortable for you, and create that in your home.

She had a bunch of plants, so I suggested taking some of them outside for the summer and seeing how many plants felt like the right amount.  When I followed up a couple days later she said she felt so much better. She figured out what the right amount was.

You can make space to be able to care for yourself and make self-care a priority in your home. And also, the act of decluttering can be self-care as well.

Mindset Shifts for Decluttering and Self-Care

If self-care is your focus and your reason for decluttering or cleaning up around the house, really think about that as the strategy.  Not, "I have to clean up," or, "I have to do these chores," but, "I'm doing this for myself. I'm doing this to prioritize myself. I'm doing this as self-care."  Keep that in the forefront as you're taking action. Give yourself compassion. Be gracious with yourself no matter what your level of clutter is at home.

It did not get like this overnight, and it is not going to be undone overnight. Be kind to yourself through this process. Use kind words, kind thoughts, and kind self-talk. Similarly, focus on progress over perfection. Give yourself credit. Celebrate clearing off your desktop, organizing your makeup area, or tidying a shelf in the linen closet. Give yourself those pats on the back. Focus on the progress and the steps that you are taking rather than all the things you haven't done.

Start with What Bothers You Most

A strategy that I like to use both for myself and with clients is working on what's bothering you the most.

If something keeps falling over or constantly frustrates you, ask yourself: How can I change this so that it's not frustrating anymore? Do you need to get rid of something? Does something need a better home? Does it belong somewhere else? Identify those areas of friction and annoyance and get rid of them. That is compassionate to yourself. If something is annoying, why are you living with it day after day, year after year?

Take care of yourself. Prioritize yourself and your mental health by removing those everyday frustrations.