After you finish your declutter venture there will be obvious positives such as less time spent tidying and more time doing things you love to do. But even if you can visualize these material benefits to decluttering, the actual act involves a tangible loss.
Your stuff is gone.
It is replaced with many other advantages, most of which are intangible. You may not be able to see and touch these benefits, but you will soon realize that decluttering is an exchange from which you will gain far more than you will ever lose.
Here are three intangible benefits of decluttering…
1) Intangible Benefit of Decluttering – Enjoy What You Have
If you declutter well, what will remain are things that you absolutely love and use a lot. There is immense satisfaction in the awareness of knowing and making use of what you have.
During our decluttering we found an old digital photo frame. I wiped it off, loaded it with our favorite photos and placed it in a prime spot in our lounge. The kids love watching the photos flip by—it is almost better than watching TV!
You will wear clothes that have been lost in the depth of your closet. You will create a delicious antipasto platter on that beautiful serving dish that was hidden in the back corner of the kitchen cabinet. Your kids will play with toys they haven’t touched in years.
Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
2) Intangible Benefit of Decluttering – Relationships Improve
Embracing minimalism as a family is a rebellious act. It means not succumbing to the norm of excess consumption, full schedules and distractions and disputes caused by your stuff.
Decluttering can be the start of allowing your family to find out how they connect, rest, work and play best together in their own unique manner.
With less stuff around as a distraction, there is more time to talk. With a reduction in overfilled calendars, there is more time for spontaneous fun. With an emphasis on experiences, not things, relationships feel more connected.
Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
3) Intangible Benefit of Decluttering – You Just Feel Better
Once decluttering is part of your life, you will feel better. You will experience the feelings you were trying to get from buying and owning things on a constant and more real basis.
Decluttering your home and embracing minimalism reduces tension, overwhelm, distraction, decision making and mental stress as you are no longer controlled by your stuff nor the ‘buy more and buy now’ consumer culture.
Instead, you will feel generous, calmer, focused, energetic and content with what you have. You will replace that suffocating, chaotic feeling with the space to finally breathe properly.
Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
An Unlived Life
It is far too easy to get tied up with things and not live life to its absolute fullest. It is easier, but deep down you know it is not what you were put on this planet for.
Don’t declutter for the sake of it. Instead, focus on the most important things like these three intangible benefits of decluttering: enjoying what you have, improving relationships with loved ones and simply feeling better.
Overall, decluttering allows more meaning and happiness into your life, and who doesn’t want that? As author, Steven Pressfield says, “live your unlived life.”
If you enjoyed this blog post, check out my latest book, Clutter-Free Forever.
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