{"id":1468,"date":"2018-12-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/organization\/benefits-decluttering\/"},"modified":"2023-04-24T20:56:30","modified_gmt":"2023-04-24T20:56:30","slug":"benefits-decluttering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/benefits-decluttering","title":{"rendered":"Beating Winter Blues Part 1: Psychological Benefits of Decluttering"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that more is better. Before you know it, every inch of your home is filled with clothing, electronics, books, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/teaching-children-to-organize-one-step-at-a-time\">toys<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n<p>The result? A home that feels more<a href=\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/getting-rid-clutter\"> cluttered than calm<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>And when you\u2019re cooped up inside because it\u2019s the middle of winter, all that stuff can really <a href=\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/home-organization-benefits-for-a-better-life\">bring you down<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>The Psychological Benefits of Decluttering<\/h2>\n<p>First, let\u2019s define what clutter actually is: Anything you do not use or love.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Most of us know intuitively that clutter makes us feel bad, but let\u2019s take a look at what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/the-science-of-clutter\">science says<\/a> about it:<\/li>\n<li>Researchers at Princeton University found that clutter actually competes for attention, with whatever our brain is trying to get done, making it difficult for us to focus and stay on task.<\/li>\n<li>Another study, done at UCLA, observed 32 families in the Los Angeles area. It found that all of the mothers\u2019 stress hormones spiked during the time of day when they had to deal with clutter.<\/li>\n<li>A study published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology found that \u201cnoisy, crowded homes\u201d make it harder for children to regulate their emotions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Donate Household Goods to Charity<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s easier than ever to donate items these days. In many communities, you can schedule a time for The Salvation Army to pick up items from your home, including bags of clothing, books, household items, and even furniture pieces like chairs or couches.<\/p>\n<p>Dropping off your donation at a place like Goodwill Industries is another great option. In 2017, the nonprofit helped find employment for nearly 300,000 people. Check out this <a href=\"http:\/\/www.goodwill.org\/locator\/\">donation calculator<\/a>\u00a0to see the impact of what you\u2019re giving. Donating just three pairs of jeans, for example, allows for someone to receive 28 minutes of on-the-job training.<\/p>\n<h2>About StorageMart<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes, clutter is caused by simply having too much stuff. But there are also times when it\u2019s caused by simply not having enough space.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that there\u2019s a solution that\u2019s a lot easier\u2014and more affordable\u2014than buying a bigger house. Renting a self storage unit can give you the extra space you need, without any kind of long-term commitment. At StorageMart, all of our units can be rented on a month-to-month basis\u2014and they\u2019re always clean, well-lit, and easy to use. Need more info? Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/self-storage\/unit-size-guide\">storage unit guide<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/\">rent a unit online<\/a>\u00a0today.<\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that more is better. Before you know it, every inch of your home is filled with clothing, electronics, books, toys, and more. The result? A home that feels more cluttered than calm. And when you\u2019re cooped up inside because it\u2019s the middle of winter, all that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What are the Psychological Benefits of Decluttering?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Research shows that a mess can cause stress. 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Discover how you can boost your mood\u2014and beat the winter blues\u2014by getting the clutter out of your home.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/benefits-decluttering\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog: Life Unboxed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/storagemart\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-12-16T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-24T20:56:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/winter_blues_declutter-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"601\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sarah Little\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@storagemart\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@storagemart\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sarah Little\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"StorageMart\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/instagram.com\/storagemart\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/storagemart\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/storagemart\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/StorageMartMedia\",\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/StorageMart\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/storagemart\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/storagemart\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/logo.png\",\"width\":3604,\"height\":904,\"caption\":\"StorageMart\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Blog: Life Unboxed\",\"description\":\"StorageMart\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/benefits-decluttering#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/winter_blues_declutter-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/winter_blues_declutter-1.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":601,\"caption\":\"Lady folding clothes neatly\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/benefits-decluttering\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/benefits-decluttering\",\"name\":\"What are the Psychological Benefits of Decluttering?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/benefits-decluttering#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2018-12-16T00:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-24T20:56:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"Research shows that a mess can cause stress. 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