Decluttering and getting organized might feel like a tedious chore—not something you’d actually consider to be self-care, but that’s exactly what it is: a self-care practice.
Yes. Seriously.
As Gretchen Rubin writes in her practical, empowering new book Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make Room for Happiness, “By getting rid of the things I don’t use, don’t need, or don’t love, as well as the things that don’t work, don’t fit, or don’t suit, I free my mind—and my shelves—for what I truly value.”
Outer order, Rubin writes, saves us time, money, space, and energy. It helps us to feel less frustrated and overwhelmed and overworked. Outer order creates a feeling of sanctuary, according to Rubin: “I experience true leisure because I don’t feel pressured to jump and deal with a mess…I feel more focused and there’s more room in my mind, my schedule, and my space for creative activity…I can revel in the beauty of my possessions because I can see and reach everything easily.”
Rubin also notes that outer order creates a sense of possibility. Which makes sense because when stuff piles up, we feel paralyzed and stuck. “When clutter is gone, I have more choices about the future: what to buy, what to do, where and how to live,” she writes.
Outer Order, Inner Calm is filled with simple, clever strategies for decluttering and organizing. Here are some of my favorites to get you started.
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