If you’ve ever looked around your room or any messy space and suddenly felt anxious and overwhelmed, you are not alone. It’s normal to feel exhausted just thinking about the amount of cleaning you need to do. You also shouldn’t feel guilty if the thought of cleaning is more stressful than it is therapeutic for you. The presence of clutter can actually trigger the release of the stress hormone, sometimes even decreasing productivity. Feeling anxious already? There’s no need to fret! Even little steps can go a long way. Take it a day at a time and tackle tidying up these six things around your home. It’s no spring cleaning, but you’ll thank yourself for sure once you feel the impact of these small changes!

It’s common for charging cables to be scattered at every corner of a home thanks to each individual owning and using multiple devices. Something that is not as common is awareness of how the tangled cables and jumbled wires can actually contributed to clutter-causing stress. There’s no reason you need to give up the convenience of having cables accessible throughout your home. Perhaps just tidy them up with cable organizer clips or opt for power strips that eliminate the need for adaptors for a cleaner look.

This should be an easy one. Why would you knowingly keep products and apply them on your face when they could possibly be harboring bacteria? This is especially important if you have kids that like to play around with the items on Mom’s dresser. There’s a reason cosmetic product manufactures label their packaging with their product’s expected shelf life. In case you didn’t know, the opened cream jar symbol indicates how many months a product is meant to be used. Past its expiration, the products may cause skin reactions or irritations.

Email subscriptions can quickly build up without you even noticing. It make sense to keep the subscription if you actually enjoy reading through the newsletters or get to utilize the discount codes. However, if it’s from a brand you have not patronized in years or from a long-forgotten hobby, it might be time to click that unsubscribe button. You’re probably already used to scrolling through a cluttered inbox, so go ahead and treat yourself to the luxury of scrolling through a clean one.

Whether it’s because it’s difficult to find anything in your unorganized pantry or you just never got to try that new recipe from Tiktok, some ingredients never make it to the final plate. It’s not the funnest chore to clean out refrigerator and pantry, but it is one that should be done more often so food doesn’t go to waste. If you’ve overstocked on certain items because of the pandemic, do gather them up and donate them to those in need. Make sure to check the expiry dates before donating to ensure quality and safety.

“I’m keeping this in my closet for when I’m skinny again,” says almost all women ever. There is nothing wrong with keeping the clothes for motivation, just be sure your closet is not overpowered by them. Your closet should be filled with pieces you look forward to wearing and feel comfortable and confident in. There’s no need to hold on to that pair of jeans that makes you feel insecure every time you try and put them on. When a closet is rid of sentimentality, you might be surprised just how fast it takes to pick out an outfit in the morning.

As the famous Marie Kondo has taught us, “discard anything that does not spark joy.” Whether you’re holding on to items as a memento from people that are no longer in your life or just in case you feel like talking a walk down memory lane, if it does not make you feel good, it’s time to let it go. Clear the space it once held in your home and in your heart, and make room for better and brighter things ahead.

Looking for more helpful tips and content on tidying up your house? Check out these articles on Practical Things You Can Do to Organize Your Home and KonMari Approved Tips for the Bedroom and the Living Room. Good job on taking the first step towards a clutter-free home. We are rooting for you, Mamas!

Sources: 

• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, What’s The Connection Between Clutter and Stress, February 2021.
• Rachel Jones, The Clutter-Depression-Anxiety Cycle: How to Stop It, 2021.