The Power of Decluttering: Transforming Your Home and Your Life

Have you ever felt like your house owns you? The endless cycle of tidying, organizing, and managing your home can feel overwhelming. But decluttering isn’t just about creating a clean space, it’s about unburdening yourself from what’s holding you back and reclaiming your peace of mind.

At Reset Your Nest, we believe decluttering is one of the most powerful tools for creating a home that works for you rather than against you. In this blog, I’ll explain why decluttering matters and 7 simple systems to help you declutter in a way that’s manageable, effective, and even life-changing.

Why Decluttering Can Transform Your Home and Your Life

1. Embracing Small Change

Decluttering doesn’t have to mean marathon cleaning sessions or striving for minimalist perfection. The key to lasting change is starting small and staying consistent. Organized living is a lifestyle, you can declutter your entire home in less than 30 minutes a day.

2. Managing Your Mental Load

We often underestimate how much clutter impacts our mental load. The constant effort to remember where every item is, when things expire, or where they last landed creates unnecessary stress. Decluttering is about more than just physical space; it’s about lightening the mental and emotional weight that comes with “stuff.”

3. Being Patient with Yourself

Research shows that clutter can significantly increase stress levels, particularly for women. Here’s why:

• Higher Sensory Sensitivity: Women’s stronger response to visual chaos leads to heightened stress.

• Emotional Connection: Women often have a deeper connection to their environment, making disorder more anxiety-inducing.

• Multitasking Expectations: Juggling multiple roles exacerbates feelings of being overwhelmed.

• Societal Pressure: Cultural expectations for women to maintain a tidy home add to the stress.

• Hormonal Fluctuations: Hormonal changes can amplify sensitivity to clutter’s effects.

Understanding these factors can help us approach decluttering with more empathy and purpose. Be patient with your family, but especially be patient with yourself. 

4. Prioritizing Self Care

Getting rid of clutter isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a form of self-care because decluttering will:

• Release dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone.

• Improve sleep by creating a calmer environment.

• Reduce ADHD symptoms by minimizing distractions.

• Lower stress and anxiety.

• Enhance focus, productivity, and mood.

5. Better Emotional and Physical Wellbeing

Women who feel their homes are cluttered often experience:

• Higher cortisol levels and unhealthy stress patterns.

• Difficulty transitioning from work to home life.

• Increased feelings of depression and fatigue.

• A sense of ineffectiveness and overwhelm.

But a clutter-free home can reverse these effects, offering a sense of calm, control, and well-being.

6. Improved Relationships

Clutter is one of the top triggers for arguments among couples, with 47% reporting regular fights about it. It’s also a major trigger for arguments between parents and their children. 

By addressing clutter, you’re not just creating a peaceful space—you’re reducing stress in your relationships. Sometimes we all need a little reminder that relationships matter more than things, and decluttering is a great way to minimize or completely eliminate this common stressor.

7 Systems to Help You Declutter

Want to see big changes with little effort? Try these easy and effective hacks:

1. The Outbox

Designate a box for items you’re unsure about. Revisit it weekly and decide what stays or goes.

2. Donation Bin

Keep a donation bin accessible to immediately capture items you no longer need.

3. Return Basket

Use a basket for items that belong outside your home or need to be returned.

4. Stair Basket

Place a basket at the foot of the stairs for items that need to go up.

5. Touch It Once Rule

Handle items immediately—file, toss, or put them away rather than setting them down “for now.”

6. Two-Minute Rule

If it takes less than two minutes to complete, do it right away.

7. 20/20 Rule

If an item can be replaced in under 20 minutes for less than $20, it’s okay to let it go.

When you think, “I should get rid of that,” act immediately. Instead of putting things away, donate them. Instead of trying to fix or clean something, toss it. Don’t let indecision keep clutter in your life.

• You don’t need to save things “just in case.”

• Decluttering benefits everyone, not just hoarders.

• If something takes more work than joy, it’s okay to let it go.

• A decluttered home can still be cozy.

• Letting go of clutter is an act of self-care and empowerment.

I have put together a FREE 6-step Declutter Guide to help you change the way you live. It will walk you through how to declutter with additional tips, reminders, and decision-making questions. Plus a complete list to declutter your home in 80 days!

Decluttering doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing process. Start small, stay consistent, and watch your home transform into a space that supports your life. Remember, decluttering is about more than just organizing your home—it’s about creating the lifestyle you want in a sanctuary where you can thrive.

Jen is the founder of Reset Your Nest, a Professional Home Organizing Business in Utah (servicing Salt Lake City, Park City, Ogden, Alpine, Highland, Mapleton, and St. George). She loves creating order and systems out of chaos and is known for bringing a beautiful aesthetic as well as easy to maintain function to any space. She shares her tips and tricks on Instagram @reset_your_nest.