Come home stressed out every day? Unable to ever fully relax and leave the day behind? Feel like your brain is always in overdrive? Statistics indicate that the amount of clutter you live amongst can significantly impact your mental health. Thanks, kids and adult kids (aka husbands!)
Studies show that clutter directly impacts your brain chemistry and hormone levels. Our brains crave organization, so when they observe the visual distraction of clutter, it puts them into cognitive overload. This in turn reduces our brains’ ability to process information, also known as our working memory. To sum it up, a scattered space leads to a scattered brain.
If this sounds familiar, keep on reading.
What the research shows
Research reveals that even moderate amounts of clutter can cause stress to the brain. For example, things like kids’ toys lying around, dirty dishes in the sink, and open cabinet doors (ahem husbands) all increase tension levels. It can make us feel out of control and decrease our quality of life. Clutter is often referred to as a silent trigger for anxiety and depression.
Start creating systems
Now let’s be real, we all can’t keep a clutter-free house 24/7. Firstly, give yourself grace and drop the goal of perfection. Don’t try to tackle it all at once. Start small, with jobs like cleaning out under the sink in your bathroom. Stick to one area at a time. Try not to bounce around, or, likely, you won’t accomplish a lot.
Create systems in the most trafficked areas. For example, place a basket by the door to collect shoes and bags. Mail scattered across the kitchen bar is something that drives me nuts. So I got two trays to separate my mail from my husbands’. These trays are also used as a catch-all for all the little things that he leaves behind. You’ll be surprised how much small changes like this can have a big impact.
The effect of cluttered spaces on children
As a parent, I can relate to the high volume of stuff that comes with having a baby or child. I came across an interesting article on this subject that referred to the book: Simplicity Parenting: Using The Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne, M.Ed. It describes how excessive toys can cause behavioral problems, but, they do resolve when the space is radically simplified. In fact, many experts have noted that when learning environments are streamlined, both attention disorders and children’s general behavior markedly improves. Something to think about.
Time for your self-assessment
Now, take a minute to evaluate how you feel when you enter a particular room. Do you feel anxious, stressed, or frustrated? Are you unable to stay focused?
Once the de clutter is complete, take another self-assessment. Are you in a better mood? Do you have more energy? Are you able to think more clearly? Are there fewer household arguments? Happier children?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop me a comment below and let me know how you get on.
I hope this has inspired you to take a look inwards and contemplate how much your mental state relates to the environment that you live or work in.
Happy de cluttering!
