Decluttering Is Good For Your Wellbeing. Try It!

Decade-old medical files. Crockery never unpacked. Décor pieces collecting dust. Clothes that no longer fit. An overdose of woollens, shawls or blankets from the time you lived in a city with harsh winter. Books lovingly bought but never read. Unused kitchen utensils. Sift through the drawers and cupboards of any Indian home, and you will likely find an overdose of clutter. 

We love collecting things. Sometimes for practical reasons, Sometimes for convenience, Sometimes for comfort and memory. And it seems to be a national sport.

A 2016 IMRB and online marketplace OLX study surveyed that Indian homes have over $11.7 billion worth goods that haven't been used in over a year. Ninety per cent of the respondents in the survey reported stocking up on goods. Indians aren't the only ones cluttering up their homes. A Los Angeles Times report once said that an average American home had about 300,000 items. 

Little wonder then that decluttering and tidying are now become much-used buzzwords and after the Japanese expert Marie Kondo, even profitable careers! Getting rid of what no longer "sparks joy" saves space and can be highly therapeutic.

Decluttering can be especially useful for older adults who may wish to live in smaller apartments with minimal items for the ease of cleaning and chores. But, simultaneously, one woman's clutter could be another woman's gold. So we asked professional organiser and decluttering consultant Aanchal Kejriwal to tell us how to define clutter.

Clutter would be the things that occupy space in our drawer, attics, bed storages, and garages that we don't use or that don't serve any purpose, she said, categorising it into two things:

· Things that we don't love

· Things that are serving no purpose in our lives. 

Why should we declutter? Kejriwal says the reason lies in those "happy hormones when we get rid of all the unwanted stuff and create a happy environment around us." A 2019 BBC article quotes Sophie Scott, a cognitive neuroscientist at University College London. She says tidying up and decluttering work as rewards, increasing the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, the brain's pleasure chemical. There are enough studies to show how clutter connects with mental health issues. Research has shown its links with the stress hormone cortisol and lower productivity, depression and insomnia.

Indian homes, with their many wardrobes and the inevitable store rooms, are often a declutterer's dream, though getting started on clearing up an overflowing space can be a daunting task. Here are some tips we culled out from experts:

When you want to declutter, close your eyes and picture the kind of space you want to create. That is the first step. 

The second step is to start decluttering. But avoid taking on a massive project and getting overwhelmed. Instead, start with a small corner of your house. For instance, pick up a medicine cabinet or a small work drawer.

How do you remove unwanted items? Pick up each item and start asking if you are using it currently. Are you going to use it in the next six months? Is it something that you love? As Marie Kondo's KonMari effect is famous for prompting: Does it spark joy in you? If it does, it's probably worth the keep!

Kejriwal warns that we need to be ruthless while doing this exercise. 

"There are lots of things like showpieces or photo frames that are not serving a purpose, but they make us smile. We keep many things at home even if they don't make us smile because we have invested money in them. But we need to understand one simple thing. The money we have invested in it is already gone, and now it's just occupying space. So if it is not serving a purpose, nor making us happy, what is the point of holding on to that object?"

o The third step in your decluttering journey is categorising every item - such as kitchen utensils, purses, and clothing. 

Once you have categorised, it is time to assign each item a place. The trick is to think of the first place you would look at if you lose that item. For example, if the drawer in the console at the entryway is where you always look for car keys, that is the right home for them. Kejriwal says that once we have organised, we need to maintain it by always keeping the item there. So organising is a continuous process.

Our clothes often take up the maximum time to sort and keep organised. They are also sometimes the hardest to give away. Deepthi Kala, a senior citizen who has moved 14 homes thanks to her husband's stint with the army, shared a few tips on ensuring you declutter your clothes.

Kala is now permanently based in Pune and takes on clothes decluttering exercise for herself every year. "In casual, everyday clothing, I keep aside anything that doesn't fit me anymore or that I haven't worn for more than a year because it wasn't the right buy. I have a donation box handy, and that's where these go."

We all keep some clothes for sentimental reasons, no matter how old, faded or unwearable they may be. "Once I turned 60, I pledged to let go of at least five old items each year. This year I donated my wedding saree to a charity that uses old clothing to make blankets." 

Kejriwal says organising a wardrobe could initially seem daunting, but a few simple items can help you channel your inner organiser. Here's her go-to list of accessories that will ensure your wardrobe sparks joy: 

* Velvet hangers with thin handles. Similar types of hangers help you optimise space. These are often available on Amazon at reasonable prices in bulk.

* Baskets to categorise items easily like leggings, lingerie, dupattas or other small things and make your wardrobe look neat.

* Multifunctional drawer organisers to make compartments in your drawers and keep smaller items neatly stored. 

And while we can channel our inner organiser the way we are best comfortable, sentimental items can be another story.

It would help if you were somewhat ruthless here too, but differently. "How many times do you revisit your old, sentimental possessions? Do you open and see them every day? Once a month or every few months? If you do, then it is worth having it as a keepsake forever. "Most of us don't revisit sentimental items at all. We simply store them somewhere. So if you have a space constraint, you need to ask yourself if you are really enjoying those items if you haven't revisited them and perhaps declutter," Kejriwal adds. 

Decluttering can help you create a neat, easy-to-maintain and happy space. It can also be a calming, mindful activity. So if your home looks like it could do with a good clean, perhaps it's time to give it a go.

Do you love to declutter different areas around your home? Share your tips with us in the comments below.

Photographs: Pixabay; Unsplash