How Minimalism Can Help Messy People Find Peace

Are you someone who constantly feels overwhelmed by the clutter around you? Do you find yourself losing things, feeling stressed, or just wishing your space felt more peaceful and organised? You’re not alone as many of us struggle with keeping things tidy. In this article we explore how minimalism can help messy people find peace.

THE MESSY PEOPLE IN MY HOME

Minimalism isn’t just about having fewer things; it’s about making your life simpler and more intentional. By embracing minimalism, even the messiest of us can create a more organised, calming environment.

I’m a naturally neat and tidy person but I live with two people who are very, very messy. My husband and my eldest daughter struggle with keeping things tidy and it’s a daily challenge for them to stay on top of their spaces.

With age and experience my husband has more of a handle on this, but he’s a hoarder and likes to keep stuff. With more stuff comes the need for more control, organisation and habits and routines to stay tidy but these are elements that he finds difficult.

For different reasons, my messy teenager struggles to keep her room and desk tidy. So we’ve had to put in place strategies for her to keep her stuff from swamping her room and mind.

If you’re a messy person or live with someone who is, I can understand some of the challenges that this presents – for the messy people in your home and for you if you’re someone who prefers a calm, tidy, clutter-free environment.

WHEN CLUTTER BUILDS UP

Clutter affects us all to varying degrees. Research has shown that clutter impacts us negatively, from our physical to mental health, from our focus and concentration levels to how quickly and easily we can find things.

My husband, kids and I all have different clutter thresholds and we can tolerate and manage different amounts of clutter before it feels and looks evident that clutter has won the battle.

And whilst clutter may not be good for us, the benefits of decluttering sometimes aren’t enough to help us stay clutter-free. Decluttering requires energy, time, motivation, discipline, a plan of action and the ability to follow it through.

Sometimes decluttering is a struggle or it’s too overwhelming. We get stuck in a rut, paralysed from even starting, shift our clutter from place to place, or have trouble decluttering and tidying on a regular basis so the clutter builds up.

MESS WITHOUT JUDGEMENT

Before we dive into some ways that minimalism can help messy people, I think there’s an important point to be made.

Being messy can be down to laziness but it can be so much more. It could be due to difficulties with executive functioning and following through on tasks. It might be lack of time, energy, an overwhelmed brain, inability to put in place effective habits and routines, even mental health challenges and hoarding issues.

There’s no judgement here on why you or a loved one may be messy. Instead I hope to explain how minimalism can help you overcome messiness if you’re ready for change.

After all, messiness can be frustrating, both for the people who are messy and for those who live with them.

There are some benefits to being neat, tidy, organised and clutter-free but I hope these tips aren’t judgemental or directive. I’m not here to tell you to stop being messy and that it’s inherently wrong, because we all have different priorities and challenges and are affected by our environments in different ways.

Regardless of whether you’re messy or not, and the reasons for that messiness, I’d like to share some ways that minimalism can help messy people.

HOW MINIMALISM CAN HELP MESSY PEOPLE

If you’re a messy person ready for change, here are 9 ways that minimalism can help messy people find more peace (and maybe find a few things that you’ve lost amongst your mess!).

1. Less Stuff, Less Mess

One of the biggest reasons for a messy space is simply having too much stuff. It’s easy to accumulate things over time—clothes, gadgets, books, knick-knacks—but all that stuff needs to be managed, cleaned, and stored. The more you have, the more cluttered your space becomes.

Minimalism encourages you to pare down your belongings to only what you truly need, use and love. By reducing the number of items in your home, you’ll find it much easier to keep things tidy. Less stuff means fewer things to clean, organise, and worry about.

2. Easier Cleaning And Maintenance

Imagine cleaning your room or your home in half the time. With minimalism, this can be your reality. When you have fewer things, surfaces are clearer, and it’s easier to clean. You won’t have to move piles of things just to dust a shelf or vacuum the floor.

Minimalism helps messy people by making cleaning and maintenance less of a chore. You’ll find it easier to keep up with daily tasks because there’s simply less to manage.

3. Improved Focus And Mental Clarity

Clutter doesn’t just affect your physical space; it impacts your mental space too. When your environment is cluttered, it can be hard to focus, think clearly, or relax. Your brain is constantly processing the mess around you, which can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety.

By adopting a minimalist lifestyle, you create a calmer, more peaceful environment. This can help improve your focus and mental clarity, making it easier to concentrate on what’s important without feeling overwhelmed by the chaos around you.

4. Easier Decision-Making

Have you ever felt stuck deciding what to wear or what to do next because there are just too many options? This is a common problem for messy people, as clutter often leads to decision fatigue.

Minimalism simplifies decision-making by reducing the number of choices you have to make each day. When you have a streamlined wardrobe, for example, it’s easier to pick an outfit. When your kitchen counters are clear, it’s easier to decide what to cook. Fewer choices mean less stress and quicker decisions.

5. More Time For What Matters

Clutter not only takes up space, but it also takes up your time. How often have you wasted time looking for something you misplaced in the mess? How much time do you spend cleaning, organising, or just managing your stuff?

Minimalism helps by freeing up your time. With fewer possessions, you spend less time dealing with them. This gives you more time to do the things you love, whether that’s spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, or simply relaxing. Your life becomes less about managing things and more about enjoying experiences.

6. Easier To Find Things

One of the biggest frustrations of living in a messy environment is constantly losing things. Keys, wallets, phones, and other important items seem to disappear in the chaos, leading to stress and wasted time searching for them.

When you embrace minimalism, it becomes easier to keep track of your belongings. With less clutter, everything has its place, and it’s easier to put things back where they belong. You’ll find that you lose things less often, and when you do, it’s much easier to find them.

7. More Financial Freedom

Minimalism isn’t just about decluttering; it’s also about being more intentional with your spending. Messy people often end up buying things they don’t need, adding to the clutter and chaos in their lives.

By adopting a minimalist mindset, you become more mindful of your purchases. You’ll find yourself buying less, which not only reduces clutter but also saves you money. Over time, this can lead to greater financial freedom and less stress about money.

8. A More Peaceful Living Environment

Your home should be a sanctuary and a place where you feel calm, comfortable, and at peace. But when your space is cluttered and messy, it can have the opposite effect, making you feel anxious and overwhelmed.

Minimalism helps you create a more peaceful living environment by focusing on simplicity and calm. With less stuff and more organisation, your home becomes a place where you can truly relax and recharge. You’ll feel more at ease in your space, and this peace will extend to other areas of your life.

9. A Greater Sense Of Control

For many messy people, clutter can feel overwhelming and out of control. It’s easy to feel like the mess has taken over your life, and you don’t know where to start. Minimalism helps you regain control over your space and your life.

By simplifying your surroundings and reducing clutter, you’ll feel more in control of your environment. You’ll know where things are, you’ll have a system in place for keeping things tidy, and you’ll feel empowered to maintain a more organised, peaceful space – and it will be easier too.

CONCLUSION

Minimalism isn’t about perfection or living in a stark, empty space. It’s about creating a life that supports your well-being, helps you feel in control, and allows you to focus on what truly matters. For messy people, this can be a transformative shift.

Start small. Begin by decluttering one area of your home, or by reducing the number of things you buy. As you embrace minimalism, you’ll likely find that it becomes easier to keep your space organised and that you feel less stressed and more at peace.

Remember, minimalism is a journey, not a destination. Take it one step at a time, and enjoy the process of creating a simpler, more intentional life. You might just find that the messiness that threatened to define your life is replaced with a sense of calm and control.

Do you struggle with messiness, or do you live with a messy person? Have you found that embracing a more minimalist lifestyle has helped with that messiness? Do you have any more tips to share with people struggling with mess and who might benefit from clearing clutter? I’d love to hear from you so please leave a comment at the end of the article!

MORE RESOURCES ON MINIMALISM AND DECLUTTERING

• Home Management Tips for When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed
• Decluttering Paralysis: What It Is and How to Overcome It
• 10 Comforts of Minimalism For Your Body, Mind and Home
• 10 Minimalist Habits and Routines for a Calmer Life
• How to Become A Minimalist: 7 Ways to Start Today

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