Minimalism: Eight reasons why lockdown is the perfect excuse to declutter

by Lucy Moore | 25 March 2020

If you are in lockdown and struggling to think of things to pass the time, why not consider decluttering? Here are just some of the reasons why it might be wise to minimise during this time…

Minimalism on Female First

You have no reason to put it off: Now you are home all the time, you can’t delay it by using all the usual excuses. It will not only help to fill in your time around work if you are looking for tasks to do, but there’s little else to get in the way that normally might so you won’t have any fear of missing out.

You now know how much you actually use your things: You have never been closer to your stuff than now, so you know when you have access to everything in your home for 24 hours a day just what you actually use and what you don’t. This will make it easier for earmarking the things you have no need to keep.

It maintains a positive headspace: If you look around and all you see is clutter with no means of escape, your mental health will suffer. If you have an open, tidy and organised space, this will help you to enjoy being in it while you have to.

There is lots of accessible inspiration: YouTube has lots of videos on how to declutter, there are plentiful eBooks for your Kindle, shows like Tidying Up with Marie Kondo are available on Nextflix and you can always order a book to be delivered to your home to read before you begin. You aren’t short of people who have been there and done this before.

A family activity: If you are looking for things to do as a family, this is a great option and mood booster. Why not give your family a fashion show so they can vote on what has to stay and what has to go from your closet? Chances are there are some ridiculous pieces tucked at the back of the wardrobe that will give you all a good laugh!

Time to take pictures and record videos: Of your befores and afters. There is nothing more satisfying than looking at what a room, drawer or cupboard looked like at first and how you’ve transformed the space with a touch of TLC. This will help to keep you motivated to continue.

You can combine it with your spring clean: It makes total sense to declutter before cleaning a space, so these two activities go hand in hand. If you were planning on giving your home a spruce up, purge it of anything unnecessary first.

You can set things aside for thinking time: If you are unsure about anything, you can put these items in a ‘maybe’ box and store them somewhere out of sight and mind. Then once the lockdown is over, you can revisit it and decide whether you missed it or not. This is the perfect time to ponder over the things you are indecisive about.

Happy decluttering!