Remove your Stress: Sustainable & Aesthetic Decluttering For Your Home

Tidying and organizing our homes can greatly impact our happiness and productivity. Whether we’re doing an annual clean-out or spring cleaning our closets, decluttering our belongings is a process that not only refreshes our space but also our mental health. It can be liberating to get rid of things that we don't utilize anymore, unblocking all the positive manifestations. A cleaner home is like a much-needed vibe check that can boost our spirit and make us feel energetic.

In a world where we often focus on how to get more than we already have, sometimes the best approach is to remove something we already have. “Letting go, is more important than adding.”

The fact that we possess a surplus of things that we can’t bring ourselves to discard doesn’t mean we are taking good care of them. In fact, it is quite the opposite. By paring down to the volume that we can properly handle, we revitalize our relationship with our belongings. Just because we dispose of something does not mean we give up past experiences or our identity. Through the process of selecting only those things that inspire joy, we can identify precisely what we love and what we need.

Though decluttering can seem overwhelming, there are many ways to make the process easier and more fun. Whether we want to clean up because we’re moving, downsizing, or just feeling overwhelmed by too much stuff, organizing our home, is therapeutic. The Six-Month Clutter Rule

The six-month clutter rule says, to make a commitment to get rid of anything we haven’t used in the past six months. Generally speaking, if we haven’t used something in six months, we’re almost surely never going to use it. There are exceptions like Seasonal items, Special occasion clothing, Mementos, etc.

Benefits Of Home Organization

In addition to a nicer-looking home, there are several reasons you should tackle clutter. Thoroughly organized spaces are easier to keep clean, reducing allergens and dust. Tidying up an organized space is quicker as well, leaving you more time to enjoy other activities.

Here are some products that can help you declutter your space:

1. Organise your Clutter: Mianzi Stackable Baskets

A study suggests that clutter in bedrooms can affect a person’s sleep quality, leading to symptoms like brain fog or an increased risk of depression. When your space is neat and organized, it is often easier to fully relax, making rest more rejuvenating and giving your mood a positive boost.

Now, you can organize your space with these bamboo baskets that can be stacked one upon another. Easy to slide under your bed, or stack in your wardrobe, these baskets are perfect for storing books, towels, clothes, toys, or shoes.

2. Mianzi Bamboo Desk Baskets: Sustainable and Handmade

Upgrade your storage game with this hand-woven bamboo catch-all. Perfect for clearing desk clutter while still being able to see what's inside. Tidy up your desks, dressing table, dining table, or washrooms now by bringing this beautiful bamboo basket home.

3. Throw it all here: Handmade Bamboo Trays by Mianzi

Declutter your space with these exquisitely handcrafted podium trays. Choose the small round to eliminate the clutter from your study or dressing table, while the oval large is perfect for your kitchen and dining space. Now you can buy these trays online.

4. Peony Basket: Sustainable Wicker Basket by Mianzi

Easy to slide under your bed, or stack in your wardrobe, these baskets are perfect for storing books, towels, clothes, toys, or shoes. Available in a nature-themed color palette, these baskets use nontoxic, natural paints. Shop these baskets now.

5. Mianzi DoCo: Handmade Bamboo Box

Organize your handbags, and store your cosmetics or stationary in this classic one-of-a-kind naturally made organic bamboo box.

Getting rid of clutter improves focus and reduces the stress and anxiety that come from too many visual distractions.

- Brenna Renn, Ph.D., Psychologist, University of Washington

However, once we’ve gathered our unwanted belongings into a pile of boxes and bags, we are stuck with what to do next. The most ideal goal would be to keep everything out of landfills or contaminate our oceans, but how do we achieve that? We suggest before you start decluttering, have containers defined for the following purposes to sort items:

1. Put away: Items that have crept out of their designated storage spaces

2. Fix/mend: Items that need something before they're put away, such as a shirt with a missing button

3. Recycle: Items that can be recycled. You can swap or share them with your family, friends or someone who might need them.

4. Trash: Items to throw away in the household trash

5. Donate: Unwanted items that are still in good condition and can be donated to a charitable organization or another person. There are several eco-friendly organizations and programs that take old items, thus helping in responsible decluttering.

Decluttering also saves time and money. When each of your possessions has a designated storage spot, you can grab what you need quickly without a stressful search. You may also discover things you can repair, repurpose or restore and avoid purchasing something new. This money-saving approach is eco-friendly, too, as it reduces the number of items going to landfills.

Decluttering is great for cleaning up our spaces and our minds. However, we should also try our best to consume responsibly and declutter. Taking care of our planet is a big job — but we can tackle it one step at a time by making sustainable choices where we can.

“When you are choosing what to keep, ask your heart; when you are choosing where to store something, ask your house.”

Let us know in the comments what you like to do for earth-friendly decluttering!