When Stuff Weighs You Down: How Clutter Affects Your Mental Health
Are you hanging on to things “just in case?”
Do you have unfinished projects lying around, making you feel guilty?
Are you unwilling to part with objects because sentimental memories are attached?
The items you have been clinging to for years may be doing more harm than good. Below, we will examine the ways having too much “stuff” can impact your health and provide tips for managing the clutter.
Does Clutter Affect Your Mental Health?
You may think clutter is just clutter, but what does clutter do to you mentally? It can be silently affecting your mental health in a pretty big way. We will go into more detail below, but here is a preview of clutter’s impact:
Increased stress
Increased anxiety
Feeling overwhelmed
Decreased focus
Decreased productivity
Poor memory
Impaired sleep
Lower self-esteem
Isolation
Embarrassment
If you’re ready to take charge of your clutter, Tidy Up Portland! is here to assist! Let us help you take control of your stuff and get your home neat and tidy.
How Does Clutter Affect Your Mental Health? 6 Ways You Might Be Struggling
#1: Increased Stress and Anxiety
Clutter isn’t just visually unappealing; it triggers a physical response. Clutter increases the stress hormone, cortisol, which is associated with the body’s fight or flight response. This indicates that the mind sees clutter as a threat or a continuously uncompleted task.
A cluttered home also adds to cognitive overload and mental fatigue. When your mind sees a mess, it is constantly trying to process visual stimuli, making your mind exhausted and making it difficult to make decisions. This also contributes to feeling overwhelmed and anxious about where to even begin dealing with the clutter.
#2: Difficulty Focusing
Even if you aren’t fully aware of it, clutter serves as a constant visual distraction that can overload your brain’s processing abilities. Your brain is consistently having to sort through unnecessary stimuli, making it very difficult to focus on tasks.
Not only does clutter affect your focus in the moment, but it also affects your working memory because your brain is constantly being overloaded with information.
Due to the mess and your brain’s struggle to sift through what is important, the inability to focus can lead to fatigue, feeling overwhelmed, and procrastination.
#3: Negative Emotions
Clutter manifests negative emotions because your brain views clutter as unfinished tasks, which can increase cortisol and lower self-esteem. It also results in feelings of shame, anxiety, and guilt.
The brain is under constant mental strain because of the unfinished tasks. The constant overwhelm of clutter and the negative feelings that arise may make you start to feel hopeless. Not knowing where to start and the amount of energy and motivation required for dealing with clutter can be mentally and emotionally draining.
If you are living with clutter and need help getting started, Tidy Up Portland! is your solution. Let us help you start the decluttering process and help you maintain a neat home while improving your mental health.
#4: Impaired Relationships and Isolation
If your home is often in a state of disarray and you find yourself feeling strain in your relationships, it may very well be a result of clutter. Clutter can negatively impact relationships in several ways, including: Arguments about the distribution of housework or differing ideas on cleanlinessDifficulty relaxing and connecting with your significant other Manifesting feelings of disrespect or lack of care Creating the perception of constantly being nagged Avoiding inviting family and friends over due to the condition of the home Feelings of frustration and mental overload for the partner who cleans upFinancial burden when replacing lost items or purchasing unnecessary storage
#5: Poor Sleep Quality
Clutter, especially in your bedroom, can impact how well you sleep. Because visual clutter stimulates the production of cortisol, it can keep your body feeling wired. Extra distractions caused by clutter also contribute to mental overload, which makes it challenging to quiet your mind and transition into rest. If your bedroom is always in a state of clutter, your brain may begin to associate it with stress rather than with relaxation. When your bedroom is clean and organized, it signals to your body and mind that it is time to be calm and relaxed, resulting in more rest and better quality of sleep.
#6: Poor Health
Clutter has a large impact on mental health, but it can also have negative consequences for your physical health, especially if the clutter gets out of control. Poor sleep quality as a result of a cluttered bedroom can create a host of issues long-term, including: Obesity Diabetes Cardiovascular diseaseReduced quality of life Clutter can also cause dust and allergens to accumulate on surfaces, triggering respiratory issues and allergies as indoor air quality is reduced. Additionally, clutter can be a safety hazard because piles of objects can increase the risk of trips and falls. Finally, chronic stress resulting from clutter can lead to unhealthy habits like poor dietary choices and being less physically active.
5 Tips for Managing Clutter To Help Improve Your Mental Health
#1: Set Small, Realistic Goals
It is great to have a vision of what you want your home to look like after decluttering, but don’t attempt to tackle the entire house in one day. It is best to create a schedule to help you stay on track and make the work feel less overwhelming. Start with one area of one room and build momentum from there.
For example, if you want to start decluttering in your kitchen, start with just clearing the countertops. Find a location for the things you intend to keep, and put everything else in a box to donate or get rid of. Do not let it sit around; take care of donating within a few days. Next, you could tackle that junk drawer, then the cabinets, until eventually you have decluttered the entire room.
#2: Implement Simple Rules
Simple rules like the “one-in, one-out rule” (every time you purchase or receive something, get rid of something else) can help you keep from accumulating more clutter.
When you are in the process of decluttering, follow the “only handle it once” rule to avoid shuffling clutter from one place to another. As soon as you pick it up, decide what to do with it then and there, and then do it.
It is also beneficial to follow the “one-minute rule.” If something takes less than a minute to do, do it right then to prevent messes from piling up. This is essential once you have completed the decluttering process so that your home doesn’t get into the same state again.
#3: Practice Mindful Consumption
Before purchasing anything, ask yourself if you truly need it or simply want it. Impulse buys will go against the decluttering you have already done.
Mindful consumption also means buying fewer high-quality items rather than many low-quality ones. It looks like repairing things instead of simply trashing and replacing them. It can also mean choosing minimal packaging when you do have to purchase an item.
#4: Create Organization Systems and Habits
It is important to declutter before you create an organization system. Otherwise, you will just be organizing clutter.
After decluttering, here are some organization tips:
Create specific areas for specific activities (mail, cleaning, etc.).
Label bins, shelves, and folders to make organizing easy for everyone.
Spend at least 5 minutes putting items back in their designated spots daily.
Keep it simple and functional for your household.
Store frequently used items in easily accessible places and less-used items higher up.
#5: Ask for Help
When you are feeling overwhelmed by decluttering and organizing your home, it is okay to ask for help! Sometimes an outside perspective can be the trigger you need to get started.
Tidy Up Portland! offers a variety of cleaning services, including a maintenance cleaning package that can help you keep your clutter away.
Let Tidy Up Portland! Bring Your Space From Chaos to Calm
Our professional cleaning team at Tidy Up Portland! has a great deal of expertise to bring to your home. Whether you need a deep cleaning, a maintenance cleaning, or a special cleaning, we can get your home sparkling clean.
Let us take charge of your clutter and see how your home can be the calm, relaxing space you need it to be. Whether you want a cleaning weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, we can handle the job.
Reach out today to schedule a virtual walkthrough of your space and discuss cleaning package options.
