It’s nearly spring time, that time of year that we decide to dust off the cobwebs, get fit, loose weight and start again.

So I thought I’d chat about decluttering my home, which in-turn declutters my life & mind! Which is harder than it seems….When you have grown attached to your belongings, no matter how little you look at them, it’s not easy!

And there have been scientific studies that prove this is the case! Psychologists at Yale University have completed research into what actually happens deep with our brains when have a connection to objects, and then subsequently let them go. The anterior cingulate cortex and the insula light up like a Christmas tree when this happens. But what is interesting is THIS part of the brain is also associated with physical pain such as a paper cut or needle scratch. Crazy! So…it is genuinely painful to let go sometimes.

However I can personally say that the mental & physical benefit of decluttering in the long run, outweighs the concept of momentary physical pain,.

I live in a small house, in which I have implemented many of my professional skills as an interior designer to create ‘clever storage’ in the words of IKEA.

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much ‘clever storage’ you have….sometimes you have too much stuff!

I can feel myself drowning, almost like a stress hanging over me and the thought of bulging cupboards, and a packed loft above my head. Full of items that are neither ‘beautiful or useful’

A very interesting blog post I read recently used this phrase ‘useful or beautiful’ in regards to decluttering your life…

Get rid of absolutely everything that doesn’t give life to your life. I ask myself this question about everything within my four walls. Is this thing beautiful or useful? (To me or others who live here) I ask ‘why am I keeping this? Do I feel guilty at the thought of letting go? Am I holding on ‘just in case’? – theartofsimple.net

I also have started following a similar philosophy since watching the Netflix documentary ‘ the minimalists’ As a consumer of goods, I always ask myself “do I need these pair of shoes?” If I come to the conclusion that “yes, I do” then another question is asked “do I have a pair of shoes in my wardrobe I no-longer need, which can be replaced by these new shoes?” This mindset of ‘one in one out’ helps me think more clearly about what I have. If I don’t have a pair I can part with…well tough. No new shoes. That’s the way it works. And I have found it to be really successful. So has my husband.

By decluttering my house I feel my head is clearer and my shoulders lighter.

It’s a form of mindfulness.

why don’t you try it.