“Less is more” we tell our kids as they’re squeezing out a whopping glob of toothpaste onto their toothbrush or piling a gooey mountain of glue onto a school project. With some things in life, a little goes a long way. What about when it comes to our home? With the latest trendy decor catching your eye, all the “must-have” gizmos and gadgets – and the ads that tell you, “You need this. It will make your life better”… it’s easy to fall into the trap of material things!
When the Overwhelm Hits
You may not consider yourself a “hoarder” or think you have “too much” stuff until one day you find yourself stressed and overwhelmed by your surroundings. You become fed up with picking up the same things and reorganizing the same areas of the house, over and over again. Have you ever found yourself thinking, “Is this really my life: endlessly cleaning up the same messes day after day?” It can drive you to the point you just want to give up and throw it all out. I’ve been there… and honestly, most of it did get “thrown out”. I can’t tell you how freeing that is (but I’ll do my best!)
Organizing in Itself isn’t the Answer
Full disclosure: I’m not a naturally orderly or organized person. If this surprises you, just ask my parents what my room looked like as a kid! We creative types tend to make messes when we’re enthralled in making something: whether a craft project, a meal in the kitchen, or simply making memories! We go all out, which can create an environment of chaos. However, the mess from the process always stresses me out and causes a level of subconscious anxiety.
I used to think this response was hereditary. Growing up, my mom would get overwhelmed whenever the house was “messy” and I didn’t get it. So as an adult, I’ve tried to tell myself to chill. I’ve tried to create and keep organized systems… all to no avail. The areas would look neat for a short time and then return to a chaotic state, which felt impossible to maintain. That is, until we did a massive declutter of our house.
After welcoming our third kid into the family, I realized how overwhelmed I was trying to keep up with household duties while caring for a newborn and working part-time. The amount of stuff I was picking up constantly became irritating and I was wearing myself out cleaning when I longed to be spending my time doing other things. This wasn’t working and I knew something needed to change.
Around that time, I stumbled across this thing called “minimalism” and was intrigued, to say the least! Letting go of items that you don’t love or that don’t serve a purpose in your life, in order to create more time and space for the things that actually matter? Count me in!
Hopping on the Minimalism Train
So, I watched as many YouTube videos on the topic as I could, as I slowly began the process of decluttering – drawer by drawer, cupboard by cupboard, room by room. Holy cow, you guys! Though the entire house took me months in all (because well, keeping up with the newborn, job, kids, life, etc. doesn’t leave a lot of free time) I noticed a difference immediately. After one space was done, it felt drastically more peaceful, and it made me anxious to move on to the next space.
Tangible Differences
It may sound dramatic to say that decluttering “saved my sanity” as a mom, but I truly believe it has. There are several tangible changes around our house. My closet has stayed consistently clean and organized, without clothes sprawled everywhere, for over a year! We eliminated our junk drawer. Our counter has stopped becoming a catch-all. I’ve been able to (mostly) stay on top of laundry. My daughter’s room doesn’t take an entire day to clean anymore. Best of all, our house can quickly become “reset” to a level of tidiness each day that lets me breathe and feel calm and focused.
And Much More!
Is less really more? I certainly think so! For me, on top of the physical differences, less stuff has resulted in more time, more freedom and flexibility, more “yes”s, a more peaceful/calm mindset, and more mental clarity, to name a few.
If you find yourself where I was, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of time you spend cleaning and organizing each day, just for the chaos to instantly reappear, I’d consider trying this out for yourself. Start by decluttering one space of your home, and see how it makes you feel.
I’m not here to tell you how to declutter your space or become a “minimalist” – there are plenty of more qualified people to do that (just look it up on Youtube!) All I can share is why I chose to take steps towards minimalism, and the difference I’ve experienced so far. As with many things in life, it’s a journey and I still have a ways to go. If you have any questions though, just ask! 🙂
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