Creating Space For Joy-The Spiritual Benefits of Decluttering (2024)

It has been almost two years since I last did a spring cleaning and decluttering of my home. Therefore, it is time now to invest in another round of spring cleaning the house.

A home keeps us safe and offers a secure place to brave the choppy seas of life. Therefore, it is essential to keep it clean and clutter-free.

By cluttering our homes, we complicate our life. To maintain all the possessions we collect, we spend valuable resources like time, money, and energy.

Owning less makes a simple, decluttered life possible, but it takes time to understand and let go of the possessions we hoard.

This time I decided to focus on decluttering my living room. I have collected many brass items, handcrafted items which I bought during my travels to different countries, and crystal pieces that my mother had gifted me.

I made a collage of some of my favorite pieces and took pictures. I can always look at these pictures and relive the memories. I could let go of many of these things to charity or people who wanted them.

While decluttering the physical space, I started thinking of mental clutter.

I had read about how physical clutter and the choices required from these things can trigger mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

Four leading causes of mental clutter

According to the book ‘Declutter Your Mind’ by S. J. Scott, there are four causes of mental clutter. I could relate to all these four causes.

1. Daily stress: Daily stress gets created by information overload, physical clutter, and endless choices. A simple example of infinite choice can be about what to wear when you have a lot of clothes in the closet. I have a closet full of sarees I have passionately collected over the last four decades. Whenever I decide to wear a saree, the endless choice sometimes makes me nervous. Information overload can also trigger anxiety and depression. I have had sleepless nights and sometimes procrastinated over important decisions because of information overload. This can cause sleep problems and headaches.
2. The Paradox of Choice: Increased choice can lead to greater anxiety, paralysis and indecision. I can relate to this when I visit the supermarket. I make a list of things to buy. My list would have only five items, so ideally, I should be able to grab those five things in ten minutes and be out of the place, but I spend time browsing and looking at different items and end up buying stuff I don’t need.
3. Too much stuff: How often do you receive a notification on your phone alerting you that you have run out of storage? I receive this notification frequently. I am piling up information, and collecting stuff leads to mental exhaustion.
4. The negativity bias: We are hard-wired to overthink, worry and view situations more negatively than they are in reality.

Simple ways to declutter the mind

A simple and effective way I have found to declutter my mind,

1. Journalling: Journalling helps me release bottled emotions. Initially, I started with a bullet journal and slowly started writing in more detailedly, capturing my feelings and thoughts.
2. Deep breathing: I found this to clear my mind and induce tranquillity. It also elevates my mood, and my concentration improves.
3. Media Intake: Becoming very selective about media intake. I have considerably reduced Television and Social Media time and have limited the information I consume.
4. Time to unwind- I have developed the habit of nature walks. An hour of nature walk daily helps my brain rest and recharge.

Enhancing spirituality

Decluttering is a powerful tool for promoting spiritual growth and helping us to connect with the divine.

Decluttering helps us connect with the divine. It can create a sense of clarity and openness in our environment, promoting a greater understanding of inner peace and spiritual connection.

Cluttered physical surroundings create mental and emotional chaos, making it difficult to focus on spiritual practices or connect with a higher power.

It allows us to let go of attachments to material possessions, which can hinder spiritual growth.

“The more stuff I donated, the more I was able to breathe. The more trash I threw away, the more weight I felt lifted. The more stuff I took out of our home, the more I was able to see a new life. The more uncluttered I lived, the more joy I found.”- Zina Harrington.

This quote is a beautiful reminder that decluttering does not just help tidy up our homes but creates space by removing the burden clutter can add. It gives more joy and happiness, helping us connect with the divine.