Declutter and discover better health

Are the spaces around you organised so the healthy choice is always the easiest one? We’ll teach you how to target problem areas where clutter gets in the way of your diabetes management goals

Clutter can do more than make it hard to find your keys, a good snack or workout socks.

“Fundamentally, clutter is about avoidance more than anything else,” says

Mindy Godding, a decluttering expert and certified professional organiser.

“If you declutter and establish systems, it can help you live with intention.

It’s empowering to be able to access what you need when you need it.”

In the same spirit, decluttering can help you better reach your health goals. In Diabetic Living, we often repeat the same three lessons – eat well, keep moving and live well. It’s smart to arrange the spaces around you so it’s easier to do all three.

“Set up your environment so your habits are healthy,” says dietitian Melissa Joy Dobbins from soundbitesrd.com.

We’ve put together an easy six-step system for decluttering, with your wellbeing in mind. It starts, as always, with asking yourself what’s in the way of achieving your goals. By the final step, you’ll have made your path to better health just a little more clear.

1 Choose a goal

Grab a piece of paper and write down a health goal that’s been hard for you to achieve. Our examples on the following pages will help you get started.

2 Tie it to a personal space

Write down where this goal “lives”. Keep it narrow so your decluttering project doesn’t overwhelm you. For example, if you want to snack healthier, maybe your goal lives in the pantry. If you want to get to Zumba class on time, your goal might live in the closet where you keep your workout clothes. If you are trying to better stick to your medication schedule, but your supplies are all over the house, pick a place for that goal to live, such as a shelf in the kitchen cupboard.

3 What’s in your way?

What’s going on in that space that makes it hard to achieve your health goals? Make a list of the clutter or obstacles that stand in the way of what you want.

4 Make a plan

Think about ways to clear out chaos so that making the best choices will be easy. Pinterest is a great resource for organising and decluttering ideas. But remember, this isn’t about prettying things up. It’s about making your spaces work hard for your health.

5 Get started

Put a date for your project on the calendar. You’re more likely to follow through if you make it official in writing. Next, make a list of supplies you’ll need. And then set a time limit so you’ll stay on task and won’t get too overwhelmed (another reason it’s important to pick an easy, manageable goal area).

6 Pat yourself on the back

Choose a reward that motivates you to finish the project. Yes, you’ll get the benefit of a clear path for better health. But immediate rewards help to make any project all that much more fun.