As I’ve been battling chronic illness for most of my life, I’ve come to understand that I’m probably never going to get completely well and that I need to focus on managing my symptoms and learn to thrive with them, rather than getting rid of them.
My diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder, was what really solidified it in my mind that I needed to start learning new ways to live well while managing a debilitating chronic condition.
One of the biggest things that helped me was decluttering my belongings and overall simplifying my life. I honestly cannot even describe the peace I’ve felt since clearing out my space! There’s just such a freedom to letting go of unnecessary items that are weighing you down.
I wanted to write this post of the ways decluttering has helped me on my journey of learning how to thrive with chronic illness in the hopes that it will inspire you to simplify your life and possessions and have more well deserved peace!
1. Less Cleaning
The main reason I decided to declutter was because I was diagnosed with a dust mite allergy and MCAS late last year and my allergist advised me to remove unnecessary items that may collect dust from my home, especially my bedroom. I removed my pretty knick knacks from the top of my dresser and the excess of stuffed animals and blankets( I LOVE my soft, cuddly blankets!) from my bed. I was kind of sad to remove my pretty decorations until I realized how much easier cleaning is without them! It’s so much quicker for me to just go around with the duster or vacuum now that I don’t have to move things around. Cleaning can already be challenging if you have an illness as it uses a lot of energy that and don’t have to spare and can be painful if you have a mobility or joint condition, but it’s so important for your well being. Do yourself a favor by decluttering unnecessary things and make a difficult chore a little easier!
2. Reduces Stress
Stress isn’t good for anyone and it’s especially bad for people who deal with chronic illnesses. It can trigger migraine attacks and cause illness flare ups, as well as interfere with sleep which is harmful for people with health issues. I feel like sometimes we buy things with the intention to reduce stress and make us happy but it’s ends up having the opposite effect, creating clutter and causing more stress in the long run.
3. Less Decision Fatigue
Decision fatigue is real! I’ve found that having a lot of options, like purses for example, can lead to more fatigue because I have to make a decision about which one I want to use and then move all of my things from the old purse into the new one( and probably forget something important too!) rather than just having my functional tote full of my chronic essentials and ready to go so I don’t even have to think about it. I’ve found that i feel better since decluttering my options so I can do less thinking and save more precious energy!
4. Saves Money
When realize you need less, you buy less! Since I decluttered my life, I realized that an excess of things doesn’t make me happy and in fact, the opposite is true! I’m much more careful about what I buy now to help keep down clutter, which has the added benefit of saving more money! Because like most chronically ill people I have plenty of medical bills and medication costs, so extra funds come in handy!
I hope you found this post helpful!
Love, Kate