11 Unexpected Benefits of Simplifying Your Home & Life

I think most of us can agree that there are many benefits of simplifying and decluttering our homes. Today I want to talk about some of the more unexpected benefits of simplifying.

We expect more time and space

When we start decluttering our homes, there are some benefits of decluttering that we expect and anticipate. For example, we expect to add more time and space to our lives when we clear the clutter.

Clearing the clutter means we have more space in our homes, simply because there’s less stuff.

It means we have more time because we aren’t spending so much of our time shopping for, picking up, cleaning, organizing, looking for, fixing, picking up again, etc. all the stuff we have.

Even something as simple as not losing things and wasting so much time and energy looking for them is a great benefit of simplifying.

Some benefits of simplifying are more surprising

I’ve been simplifying, decluttering, living in and enjoying our clutter-free home for well over 8 years now. I love the extra time and space simplifying has given me and my whole family.

But I’ve noticed the benefits of simplifying go far beyond what I was first expecting.

Initially, I set out to declutter because I was so sick of picking up the same “stuff” around our house, and realized we didn’t use or need so much of it. My goal was to make cleaning quicker and easier, so I’d have more time to enjoy our home and life and spend less time taking care of it.

Simplifying and decluttering our home and our lives have let me achieve all that, and so much more!

Cleaning and maintaining a tidy home are so much easier with less stuff! There is less “stuff” to pick up and clean around. As well as less stuff itself to clean!

But the impact of simplifying our home and lives has gone far beyond that. Today I want to share 11 benefits of simplifying that I wasn’t expecting when I first set out to clear the clutter. And these benefits have been such a welcome surprise!

If you’re ready to simplify and declutter your home and are looking for an extra dose of inspiration to boost your motivation, check out these 11 surprising benefits of simplifying you may not be expecting either!

11 unexpected benefits of simplifying and decluttering

1. Happier in your home

Feeling content and happy in your home is an awesome benefit of simplifying and decluttering.

When you clear the clutter from your home, you not only create more space in your home. But you also help create more contentment and gratitude for the home you already have.

Maybe you don’t need a bigger house or more storage space, you just need less stuff filling it!

Not only that but when your home isn’t full of “stuff” that requires your time, space and energy, your home feels less stressful and becomes less of a time suck. You can clean, tidy and maintain your home so much easier.

And when each item you choose to keep easily has a designated space to keep it, it’s easy to use it, put it away and find it again when you need it!

2. Better relationships

I definitely wasn’t expecting decluttering to have such a big impact on my relationships, but this has been a huge unexpected benefit of simplifying!

When your home and your “stuff” take up less of your time and energy, you have more time and energy to invest in your relationships with the people you love!

You can give your friends and family more of your time, attention, energy and focus because your home and your “stuff” don’t take so much of it. And when you can invest your time and energy into your relationships with the people you love most, those relationships can flourish and grow deeper!

Not only that but when your home is easier to maintain and keep tidy, you are likely to feel less stress and less resentment towards your family because you won’t feel like you’re living with a never-ending to-do list or chaotic mess. And removing a source of lingering stress or resentment is a great way to create the opportunity to improve your relationships with your family.

3. More happiness & patience

One of the most surprising benefits of simplifying our home was the improvement it made to my mood. I didn’t realize how stressed all the “stuff” in our home made me until it was gone.

When our home was cluttered, messy and chaotic, it made me feel overwhelmed and cranky. My patience would be short because I already felt overwhelmed by how much time and energy our home and “stuff” took from me. I need order in our home to feel calm and peaceful.

Getting rid of all the stuff we didn’t use or need was such a simple solution to this problem.

In fact, even now if I ever start to feel cranky or stressed cleaning up and taking care of the house, that’s usually a sign it’s time to do another quick round of decluttering.

4. Less anxiety

Studies have shown that a cluttered environment can cause stress and anxiety in people.

Not only can the clutter overstimulate your brain, causing stress and making it difficult to relax. But also, the looming thoughts of all you need to do to clean up, find things, take care of your home, etc. can cause a lot of stress and anxiety.

When your home is cluttered, disorganized and out of order, life, in general, can feel out of control, leading to stress and anxiety. By simplifying and decluttering, we can remove a significant source of stress from our homes and lives, and lower our anxiety level as well.

Removing the clutter from your home can even help improve your sleep! A clutter-free bedroom gives your brain the opportunity to rest, relax and sleep better.

5. More money & financial freedom

When you choose to simplify and declutter, you have made the choice to own less. And when you choose to own less, you usually tend to buy less. Not only can this save you money, but it can also give you more financial freedom.

Your spending habits improve as you become more thoughtful and intentional about your purchases. And you often tend to buy less in general as you begin to realize you already have enough!

As you become more intentional with your spending habits, it gives you the freedom to spend your money on what is important to you.

6. Less shopping

As an extension of saving you money, another great, and unexpected benefit of simplifying, is you tend to shop less.

How much time do you spend running errands, buying things, looking at things to buy, thinking about things to buy, researching things to buy, etc.?

When you choose to own less, you choose to buy less. And this frees up a lot of time and energy previously consumed by consuming and buying more “stuff”!

Instead, you can choose to use this time and energy for something that will give you a better long-term reward. Like pursuing a hobby you love or spending time with the people you love. All without filling your home with clutter that you’ll have to clean, organize, pick up, look for, take care of, etc. later!

7. More freedom & opportunities for fun

When you spend less time managing all the “stuff” you own, you give yourself more freedom and opportunities to have fun!

You can say yes more, knowing you won’t get behind on household chores or pay for it later because your house will be out of control. Simply because your home won’t take up so much of your time anymore once there is less stuff.

“Less stuff = less mess.
Less mess = more time.
More time = freedom.”
~ via Janine Young

8. More confidence

When your home is in order in a way that makes you feel comfortable, proud and happy, your confidence can increase. You feel in control of your home, not the other way around. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, which makes you feel good and increases your confidence.

Choosing to live with less can sometimes feel counter-cultural in our consumer-driven society. But knowing the benefits of simplifying make you feel happier and healthier, you feel confident in your choice to simplify your home.

You might even feel more excited to host friends and family in your home when you declutter and simplify. When you feel confident and happy with your home, not embarrassed by the mess, you may be more open to inviting people into your home. Which only helps to continue growing your relationships!

9. More present in your life

When you simplify and declutter your home and life, you tend to become more mindful of where your time and attention are going. Then you are better able to make intentional choices if your time and attention are going where you want them to.

This mindfulness allows you to be more present in your days, rather than distracted by your “stuff” and the time and energy it takes up.

Also, simplifying and decluttering allow you to live for today, rather than living in the past or worrying about the future.

For example, instead of keeping things “just in case” you might need them “someday”, decluttering helps you to stop worrying about every possible future scenario and focus on what you use and need right now, in the present.

In addition, decluttering helps you let go of the past and makes space for you who are today.

Keeping some sentimental items from the past is nice. But too many sentimental items means they go from special, important items, to a pile of clutter instead. It’s hard to live in the present when your space is cluttered with the past.

Decluttering and simplifying your home help you let go of worries and fears about the future, as well as frees you from living in the past. All so you are free to enjoy the present moment and who you are today!

10. Start valuing experiences over “things”

Another surprising benefit of simplifying is the way it shifts your overall mindset to focus on what you can do, not what you can buy.

You start to recognize that all the “stuff” you acquire, will eventually become the stuff you spend your time and energy cleaning, organizing, looking for, picking up, etc.

Instead, experiences let you make memories, have fun, etc., all without adding any more “stuff” to your home and life to take care of or cause clutter.

11. More gratitude

Of all the unexpected benefits of simplifying, this has to be the most impactful one.

When you have less stuff, you have more time and energy to value and appreciate what you do have.

You recognize that what you have is enough because it adds value to your life. It’s easier to appreciate what you have when it’s valuable to you because you love and use what you own. Rather than being a burden taking up more time and energy than it’s worth.

Not only that but as your mindset shifts from wanting to accumulate more and more, you start to notice and feel grateful for what you already have.

11 unexpected benefits of simplifying

I hope these 11 unexpected benefits of simplifying inspire you to see that decluttering and simplifying are about so much more than making it easier to keep your house clean.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great benefit of simplifying in itself. But the benefits of simplifying your home and your life can go so much deeper than that. From your bank account to your mindset and outlook on life, simplifying and decluttering can have an impact on your whole life!

If you’re willing to let go of the clutter, the excess and the distractions, there are so many benefits waiting for you!