Moving Home: Why Gentle Decluttering is an Act of Self-Compassion
“Isn’t it true that birds are free to soar high into the sky because their nests are simple and they aren’t weighted down by the need to accumulate things?” Fumio Sasaki, Goodbye, Things (2015)
In his essay Goodbye, Things: On Minimalist Living (2015), Japanese minimalist Fumio Sasaki describes his experience of moving home after he embraced minimalist living:
“The packing (without a single cardboard box, mind you), the move itself, and the unpacking all took but an hour and a half. I kid you not.”
Sasaki describes the “freedom to move” as one of the many advantages of minimalist living, much like a bird’s freedom to soar with ease because it is not weighed down by excess.
For Sasaki, moving home becomes almost effortless, taking only 90 minutes to do so. Frankly, it can take me the same amount of time to simply leave the house (let alone move house!), whether I’m running errands, going swimming, visiting a client, or heading to a social event!
Moving is often listed among the most stressful life events, alongside bereavement and divorce. The emotional impact can be even greater depending on the reason for the move. Relocating after separation, bereavement, financial pressure, or major life change can intensify feelings of anxiety, grief, uncertainty and loss of control. Add children, pets, work pressures, school transitions, and the general complexities of family life into the mix, and the emotional load increases still further.
According to Psychology Today, moving can trigger stress and anxiety because of sensory overload, disruption to routines, decision fatigue, and the uncertainty of adapting to a new environment. Even positive moves can sometimes feel emotionally and physically overwhelming.
Whilst there is much we can do to reduce the stress of moving, one of the kindest things we can do for ourselves is commit to some gentle, intentional decluttering as early as possible prior to moving.
Decluttering before a move is not about stripping away your identity, living minimally, or forcing yourself to let go of treasured memories. Instead, it is about thoughtfully reviewing what is currently taking up physical and mental space in your life and deciding what truly needs to come with you.
In many ways, this mirrors the principles of Swedish Death Cleaning, the compassionate process of gradually sorting through one’s possessions to make things easier for loved ones in the future, whilst also reflecting on one’s own life with gratitude in the present. The beautiful side effect of this process is often a greater sense of calm, clarity and peace for oneself.
Compassionate decluttering before a move is a gift we can give ourselves and our families. It allows us to approach a major life transition with more intention, less overwhelm, and greater perspective and self-compassion. It creates an opportunity for a reset, a fresh start, and a chance to move forward more lightly.
Gentleness is what matters most
Too often we are bombarded with urgency and pressure which tricks the threat-focused parts of our brain into believing we are somehow failing if we haven’t already done everything yesterday. This can leave us feeling anxious, fearful and overwhelmed.
A little intentional decluttering can pay dividends, not only for the moving process itself, but for the wellbeing and energy of your current home too.
A calmer, clearer space can:
improve day-to-day life
increase the appeal of a property for sale
reduce the physical, emotional and financial strain of moving
And sometimes, the process of decluttering can help us realise that what we truly needed was not necessarily a new home, but a different relationship with our current one.
And if the move is inevitable, then decluttering beforehand is an opportunity to:
say goodbye to possessions that no longer support your life
reduce the decision fatigue surrounding finding homes for your things in your new space
simplify packing, loading and unpacking
create space, physically, mentally and emotionally, for whatever comes next
Moving is an emotional transition too
A professional organiser can help ease that burden by supporting you with decluttering, planning, unpacking and creating systems that help your new home feel settled and manageable more quickly. Sometimes, this gentle accountability and compassionate support can make all the difference during periods of change.
Afterall, the true value of decluttering before a move is not simply about saving time or money. It is about reducing stress, protecting wellbeing, and creating space for new opportunities.
