5 Reasons to Declutter your home during Covid-19

The pandemic has opened our eyes to a lot of things, including how cluttered our homes are. Unused and withered vegetables in the fridge, unopened gift boxes from years ago, clothes for a Goa trip that may never happen, shoes that aren’t your taste but you don’t want to throw out, toys that are have too much sentimental value to donate—we are all guilty of accumulating clutter in our homes. However, thanks to remote working, spending more and more time at home has helped us assess the clutter we have collected over the years. With everyone at home, it is only natural for family members to crave space. No matter the size of the home, it is easy to create ventilation and space in a minimalist home with the least clutter. Though it may not be a priority, iit is now more important than ever to declutter our homes. There are many benefits that come with decluttering old items. You don’t just get more space, but you also reduce the risk of infection. Decluttering can help reduce stress, promote better sleep, help stay more organized, improve productivity, and boost morale. In these trying times, it is important to take small steps towards happiness and peace. If decluttering could be the small step, then why not pursue it? Here are some more reasons why you should declutter your home, especially now during the pandemic.

• Decluttered homes are easier to disinfect
  The need of the hour is disinfection. The WHO advises that every surface that may come be exposed to viruses be disinfected. But, it is also difficult and impractical to account for every corner at home. It is especially difficult if you have a cluttered home where it is hard to reach into nooks. Having a home with minimal clutter can help speed things up when it comes to everyday disinfection.
• A space for everything
  With a little planning and lots of decluttering, a home of any size can accommodate a space for everything you may need. Apply a little creativity so your home can accommodate dedicated spaces for recreation, work, kids’ studies, and more. You could begin by moving old and unused furniture out of rooms and replacing them with work desks. Even within a single room, you can allocate one corner to work and another to recreation without mixing up the two. Decluttered homes are more open to creative alterations that you can put to good use.
• Increased productivity
  As discussed in point number 2, decluttered homes allow for maximum utilization of space. With remote working becoming the new normal, work-life balance has taken a serious hit for many professionals. One of the major causes why this occurs is because it is easy to get distracted from work at home which in turn results in a drop in productivity. Though it may not be possible for every home to have a home office, it is still a possibility to have a dedicated space for work so you can emotionally separate work from leisure. This in turn contributes to increased productivity in work and better focus for the kids in your family during classes. Dedicated spaces within your home also helps you unwind and keep work related stress away, and enjoy a better quality of life.
• Better stress management
  Clutter in the home can be stressful for many. Clutter is associated with anxiety, stress, and depression, and can be perceived as ‘unfinished business’. A decluttered home also makes staying indoors a little more bearable. Residents living in organized and clutter-free homes are proven to enjoy better sleep which in turn contributes to better stress management. Given the constant risk of infection, an organized home that is disinfected better is also a contributing factor to stress management.
• Declutter to save money
  Remember that time you thought you didn’t have socks only to declutter your shelf and find an unused pair? Declutter helps save money in the most surprising ways. When you sit down to declutter you discover forgotten and hidden assets that you may be able to put to good use, thus helping you save some cash. Decluttering is also a great way to take a loving trip down the memory lane as you pull out things you once used. Dig into the kitchen loft and you may find some forgotten family heirloom that you could lovingly put to good use as you fondly reminisce about the time you spent with grandma.

How to declutter during the COVID times?

You may need to take extra precautions than normal times during the pandemic for a safe declutter experience.

• Disinfect everything before and after decluttering.
• Clean every corner of your home after the declutter.
• Split everything you declutter into the “put away, donate, and dispose” boxes.
• If you donate things, then instruct the receiver to disinfect before use.

All said and done, decluttering gives us a sense of accomplishment during these very volatile times and is a great distraction from distressing news.