M-BLOG

For most of us, the UK’s lockdown restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have relaxed enough that we’re back to some sense of normality. Lots of us are back at work and are now able to spend precious time with loved ones who we perhaps haven’t seen closely in months. However, the most vulnerable among us are still shielding from the outside world, so lockdown remains as tough as it has ever been.

Lockdown is known to have had detrimental effects on people’s mental health; more than two thirds of adults in the UK polled reported feeling somewhat or very worried about the effect Covid-19 has had on their lives. Levels of anxiety, worry about the future and even boredom were marked to have increased.

Remove additional stresses

With that in mind, nobody needs any additional reasons to feel stressed or uneasy during lockdown. Yet one of the most common causes for stress around the home — a space anyone shielding will want to make as tolerable as possible — is clutter and mess. Studies in recent years have shown that excess clutter in our homes can increase levels of cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress. Other studies in the area have also shown that those with the cleanest homes are generally the healthiest.

No better time to tackle the mess

How does a home become cluttered, though? It’s as simple as most of us just having more things; more gadgets, toys for the kids, clothes and possessions. We accumulate these things over long periods and then can’t find the time necessary to tidy up the mess. If you’re shielding, all that extra time at home should be enough to get a handle on your clutter!

If it seems too much, tackle a small bit at a time

You might have plenty of time, but if your clutter has really gotten away from you, it might seem daunting to try and tackle it all at once. So don’t! Don’t be afraid to break down the tidying into more manageable tasks; go one room at a time, taking your time to decide what you want to keep and what you might be able to get rid of.

One good strategy for ploughing through the mess is to have piles for things you want to keep and find a home for and things you’re not so attached to, that can either be given to a charity shop, sold or thrown in the rubbish. It’ll be a good way to see just how much stuff you have that you don’t need!

It isn’t always so straightforward; sometimes we have too many possessions, but they have great sentimental value and we can’t bear to part with them. If that’s the case, then self-storage could be the answer. It can give you time to think about exactly what you want to do with all your things while giving you the space at home to relax and take stock.

If you have a house-full of things that you need — but just not right now — why not consider storing some things with us here at M-Store? We have a convenient location off the A30 and have a huge number of flexible, secure storage solutions. Give us a call on 01726 890880 and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.