Declutter for a Greener Home

 

Written by Jenny Catton

 

Is your home a haven of organised tranquillity – or are your cupboards and drawers bursting at the seams with junk? Clutter in the home is known to drain our emotional energy – after all, looking at mess is depressing and having to battle with clutter every time you want to find something is frustrating. But clearing the clutter in your home isn’t just beneficial for your emotional health – getting rid of excess possessions can actually make your lifestyle greener too.

 

As the popularity of buying second-hand goods from thrift stores, online auction sites and charity shops grow; more and more people are choosing recycled goods rather than buying new products from high street shops. This is great news for the environment as the manufacture of new products can be a huge drain on the world’s resources. By having a clear out and donating the things you no longer need to others, you’ll be helping to support the second-hand movement.

 

In addition, simply getting rid of the things you no longer use can reduce your own consumption. For example, have you ever found yourself buying something you thought you needed only to find that you already have two or three of the same item in a cupboard that you’d forgotten about? Without the clutter, it’s easier to see what you already own and this means you’re less likely to buy things you don’t need.

 

Want to find out more about recycling your unwanted items? Visit: www.recyclenow.com

 

Categories: buying, catton, Clutter, emotional, Home, jenny, nbsp, written

Warning! Clutter is Bad for Your Health

 

Is your home environment an oasis of calm and tranquillity or do you feel like it’s a constant battle to keep your house tidy and organised? Well, if you struggle to keep your home free from clutter, you are not alone. With full time jobs and busy lives, keeping on top of household organisation is difficult for many.

 

The problem is that in our consumer-driven society it’s easy to find your home quickly fills with clutter. Whether it’s overflowing drawers and cupboards or piles of paperwork and unloved toys, living amidst chaos and clutter isn’t pleasant and can even be harmful to your health.

 

Clutter may seem like a trivial problem but has been linked to anxiety, exhaustion and depression. People often find it hard to be positive or motivated when surrounded by an untidy environment and living amidst mess can put a strain on relationships too – particularly when family members criticise one another for the clutter.

 

Your physical health can also be impacted by clutter. For example, a mountain of stuffed toys in the bedroom is a haven for dust mites. Pet hair and dust gathering amongst clutter can aggravate allergies. An office overflowing with paperwork and electrical equipment could be a fire hazard. And odds and ends in hallways or on staircases can be a trip hazard or could prevent you escaping quickly in the event of a fire.

 

The problem is that once the clutter gets out of control it can be difficult to find the time to get your home back in order. And when faced with a house full of mess, many people struggle to know where to start.

 

The solution is to start small. Trying to deal with the whole house in one go is unrealistic and if you take on too much at once, it’s easy to become disheartened and give up.  So don’t think about trying to sort out the whole house or even a whole cupboard in one go. Instead, break the task down into small manageable chunks – and spend just five minutes at a time sorting things out. Five minutes might not sound long but it’s amazing how much you can actually get done. For example, if you have an untidy wardrobe that is bursting at the seams, spend just five minutes pulling out a few items that can be taken to the charity shop. If you spend a few minutes each day doing this, by the end of the week, you’ll find that your wardrobe is much more organised. Or if your kitchen cupboards need cleaning don’t try to organise them all at once – instead keep a rubbish bag, cloth and detergent to hand and sort out just one shelf at a time. Perhaps each time you are waiting for the kettle to boil you could sort just one shelf. Alternatively, a really quick way to make a start on clutter is to go from room to room with two bin bags – one for rubbish and one for the charity shop.

 

To find out more about how clutter could be causing negativity in your life – as well as tips for dealing with clutter, visit: www.clutter.co.uk

Categories: charity shop, Clutter, health nbsp, house, minutes, nbsp, time

5 Small and Simple Steps to Better Environmental Wellness

You might not think environmental wellness is important compared to, say, fitness or good nutrition, but all of these elements are equally essential to your overall wellbeing. Environmental wellness, when you think about it, has far more of an impact on your health than you initially realise, because you rarely stop to consider how you feel in your environment, and how these environments may be affecting your emotional, mental and physical health.

 

According to Jessica Rhodes, of health and wellness website 123FeelBetter, ‘Environmental wellness does involve our connection to nature and our concern about the health of our planet, but there is much more to it than that. All the people, places and things around us make up our environment, and these things can have both direct and indirect effects on how we feel. Taking care of our home, car and work environments helps us to feel as though we are taking care of ourselves, creating spaces that we want to be in and in which we can thrive. Environmental wellness involves surrounding ourselves with supportive atmospheres which will help us feel nurtured and accomplish our goals. Appreciating nature, spending time outdoors and taking steps to care for our natural environment are also behaviours that help to build feelings of love and nurturance, and are an integral part of our overall environmental wellness.’

 

However, you don’t need to make big changes to make a big difference to your wellbeing; the following small steps will go a long way in enhancing your environmental wellness:

 

1. Spend five minutes a day cleaning: ‘In just five minutes a day, you can affect a simple but substantial change in your environment, and the way you feel about your surroundings,’ says Rhodes. ‘Wash the dishes. Do one load of laundry. Clean the toilet, but don’t worry about the rest of the bathroom. If you spend just five minutes each and every day de-cluttering or cleaning your home environment, you’ll see big changes with minimal effort, and you’ll enjoy your time at home so much more.’

 

2. Bring the great outdoors indoors: Rhodes explains, ‘Placing a few potted plants in your home will create a feeling of freshness and life. Surrounding yourself with living things like plants and animals helps you feel more connected to the energy of life, and caring for plants and animals helps you feel loved and nurtured as well. If you don’t think you have a green thumb, there are plenty of plants out there that require very little care.’

 

3. Clear your desk: Yes, environmental wellness doesn’t only apply to your home, but your workplace too. Rhodes advises, ‘Whenever you sit down at your desk to study for school or begin a work project, clear up the clutter. A few minutes spent de-cluttering and organizing your desk each time you sit down to work will help you focus on your work, find what you need and avoid frustration. This small investment of time and effort is well worth the reward of not having a big mess on your hands later.’

 

4. Keep some small plastic bags in your car: Rhodes instructs, ‘Each time you get out of your car at the end of the day, pick up any trash that has accumulated and throw it in the sack. Then simply take the sack in and throw it away. This is a really simple way to keep your car from getting cluttered, and it’s easy to make it part of your daily or weekly routine.’

 

5. Get rid of useless clutter: ‘If you haven’t used it, worn it or even touched it in a year, it’s time to get rid of it,’ Rhodes asserts. ‘Donate clothes, furniture and other durable goods to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, recycle anything else that you can and throw the rest away. If you’re not using it, it’s simply taking up space and cluttering your house.’

Categories: animals helps, cleaning, Clutter, Environmental, Environmental Wellness, feel, nbsp, plants, time, Wellness, wellness nbsp

How to Improve Your Life by Removing These Elements

When it comes to improving your life, sometimes editing is required in order to feel more relaxed and stress-free. Often we hold on to things which have been in our lives for so long they are there more out of habit than necessity. Here are some things that you can remove from your life in order to gain a little more space, in both your living space and your mind.

1 – Holding on to old ideas and attitudes about things can be damaging, as it stops you from moving on and growing as a person. It’s not just your circumstances which could be holding you back, but more your views and attitudes towards them. Try changing the way you respond to things, by saying ‘How can I think about this differently?’, instead of just saying ‘That’s just how it is’.

2 – Clutter in your life only leads to a messy mind and lifestyle, so try getting rid of some of the junk in your life. Sort through your cupboards and wardrobe, and get rid of anything that you know deep down you haven’t looked at in months. Old magazines, bills from years ago, and those outfits that don’t fit anymore – get rid of them and make space for things in your life that are more worthwhile.

3 – Negative relationships, much like the clutter in your home, can hold you back and drag you down. Some relationships are draining, and while it may be difficult to let them go, if they aren’t helping you to grow then they probably aren’t worth being a part of. Ask yourself whether the relationship is mutually satisfying – if it’s not, it may be worth questioning why you feel the need to stay in it.

4 – Those habits you have which are unproductive aren’t doing anything for your emotional wellness, or your lifestyle. To break the cycle, ask yourself whether the habit gets you closer to reaching your goals. If it doesn’t, it might be worth replacing it with something that will develop you more as a person.

5 – Many people get caught in the trap of thinking ‘someday’, rather than acting on something immediately. Most of the time, there is little stopping us from making a start on achieving our goals right away – so what’s stopping you? Make a list of all the things you need to do in order to achieve your goal, then get started on step on.

6 –  Lastly, being close-minded is the quickest way to miss out on opportunities. Change is difficult to accept sometimes, but if you aren’t flexible and willing to change your attitude, you could be missing out on things which could be great for you. By ridding yourself of this habit, you will also rid yourself of anger and resentment.

Categories: Clutter, Emotional Wellness, Stress