My ten-bag detox! How decluttering my closet cleared my head.
This business concept is not something I ever knew I wanted or needed. But it transformed my life, cleared my head, and reduced my stress levels.
There has been a lot written about decluttering benefiting mental health, but I was never a disciple. I liked my clutter. However, studies show that a high level of household clutter is directly linked to higher cortisol levels—the body’s primary stress hormone. Clutter serves as a constant, nagging reminder of chores, causing guilt, while removing it eliminates this mental burden.
The Burden I had to accept that my walk-in closet had become the bane of my life. My initial joy at having this space five years ago turned into a nightmare as my natural hoarding instincts took over. I felt that with all this space, I could store more stuff. I would promise myself I would reorganise it, but the task seemed too huge.
It got to the point where trying to find a particular top involved tearing everything off the shelves, only to shove it all back haphazardly. The mental weight of this clutter was heavy.
The Professionals Enter Amanda and Michelle from Balanced Living Algarve. I met them at a women-in-business event and was impressed by their enthusiasm. I decided to hire them, though I admit I was nervous; the prospect of parting with items was slightly traumatising.
The dynamic duo arrived armed with trestle tables, baskets, cleaning products, and—most importantly—bin bags.
The Process: Amanda and Michelle used specific techniques that made the impossible feel manageable:
- The Trestle Table Method: First, they took everything out and laid it on a trestle table. This is an excellent way to create a mental shift. When you actually see all your possessions laid out – piles of clothes I had forgotten I owned – you realise the error of your ways.
- Categorisation: We sorted everything into ‘no’, ‘yes’, or ‘maybe’ piles. They encouraged me to lose damaged items and think realistically about when I would wear things again. In the end, they took away TEN bin bags of unwanted items. Despite this feeling like a monumental move, I have not missed one item.
- Organisation: They organised the ‘yes’ pile with a logic I could never have achieved alone. Drawers were fitted with dividers; storage boxes were labelled; jumpers were neatly lined up. They even put my swimming costumes in little bags to keep them separate.
The Result A tidy, orderly space promotes a sense of peace. Where I once felt dread entering my closet, I now feel happy to walk in and admire my clothes in neat, colour-coordinated order.
To maintain this, I now stick to the ‘one in, one out’ rule: if I buy something new, I must remove an old item to prevent the mess from returning.
Amanda and Michelle handled my personal items with such a lack of judgment that I can see why their new concierge and property care services would be a lifesaver for anyone, especially older people looking to downsize.
Clearing my closet didn’t just clear a room; it felt like clearing a space in my brain.
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