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Sep 4, 2023 · Many people report a messy house can trigger feelings of stress and anxiety. So why do clutter and chaos make some of us feel so overwhelmed? Here’s what the research says – and what...
Sep 4, 2023 · Many people report a messy house can trigger feelings of stress and anxiety. So why do clutter and chaos make some of us feel so overwhelmed? Here’s what the research says – and what you can do about it.
If you're experiencing symptoms of anxiety over a long period of time, you may have an anxiety disorder. For more information about symptoms, read anxiety, fear and panic.
- Overview
- What Is Clutter?
- Impact of Clutter on Mental Health
- Why Do People Have Clutter?
- What Is Hoarding?
- How to Remove Clutter From Your Life
- A Word From Verywell
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Clutter and mental health are connected. While clutter is sometimes associated with increased creativity, it can also leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed if it gets to be too much or interferes with your ability to function effectively in your daily life.
Do you dig through piles of clothes to find the shirt you want to wear for the day? When you leave the house, do you struggle to find your keys and wallet among all the items on your kitchen table? Maybe you can't open the garage door because there are so many boxes of knick-knacks.
You might tell yourself, I'll declutter eventually. But time keeps passing, and your home, office, or car is still filled to the brim with stuff. If any of this resonates with you, you're not alone. But many people don't realize the connection between clutter and mental health.
What Is the Impact of Clutter on Mental Health?
While accumulating a few extra possessions may not seem like a big deal, clutter can actually have a negative impact on your mental health. Clutter can increase stress levels, make it difficult to focus, take a toll on relationships, and more.
How to Identify Clutter
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, chances are you have some degree of clutter in your home: Do you own anything that you never use or no longer need, like clothes that don't fit anymore or old electronic devices? Do you have a "junk drawer" of things you think you'll need but don't ever use? Do you buy new items to replace ones you've lost in your house? Do you lack access to certain spaces in your home (i.e., you can't open the door to your basement or park in your garage)? Are you afraid to have houseguests over because of the messy state of your home? Clutter can even be digital—maybe you never get around to clearing out your email inbox or organizing the documents on your laptop. Just looking at the amount of files you have on your computer might overwhelm you.
Clutter impacts your physical space in an obvious way; but some people don't realize that clutter can have negative mental health effects, too.
Of course, not everyone is affected by clutter in the same way. For instance, someone with perfectionist tendencies is likely to be more stressed out by clutter.
While some chalk it up to laziness, there's actually underlying psychology of clutter and disorganization that keeps people from tidying up.
Potential reasons people hold onto clutter include:
•They feel overwhelmed: It's often a huge job to get rid of things, which can be physically and mentally exhausting. In the short term, it feels easier to keep things the same.
•Objects remind them of important things: People keep clothes that don't fit anymore because they hope to lose weight. They hang on to old brochures for cruises because they want to travel. However, keeping objects that remind you of your goals doesn't make you closer to achieving what you want.
•Objects have sentimental value: People keep objects from childhood that they associate with fond memories. If a loved one passed away, throwing away their possessions is often hard.
•They're afraid to let things go: People are often afraid of feeling guilty about throwing things away (especially, as mentioned, if the object has sentimental value). Also, being unable to get something back once they get rid of it can be scary. What if they need it later on?
Having clutter in your home and having hoarding disorder are two different things; however, it's important to recognize the signs of hoarding in yourself and your loved ones.
Hoarding disorder is a psychiatric condition characterized by a person's inability to get rid of possessions. Those with hoarding disorder also find it difficult to organize their possessions.
Someone who hoards usually shows some or all of the following signs of the disorder:
•They have cramped and cluttered living spaces. Entire rooms or sections of the house may be piled with belongings that they don't use.
•Their homes may not be fully functional (i.e., they can't access their bed because their belongings are in the way).
•They may not see the problem with their clutter.
The following tips can help you address the clutter in your home. But it's just as important to pay attention to your emotional experience as you address clutter. As you may know, it's not always as easy as simply throwing things away.
You might have difficult feelings come up, like anxiety, stress, and even depression. Be sure to talk to a doctor or mental health professional if this is the case.
There are many reasons that people hold onto things they don't need, use, or want. While you might judge yourself or others for accumulating clutter, remember that we develop emotional attachments to objects that often make it harder to get rid of things.
Try paying attention to how you feel in your home; if it's not a space that's relaxing, you may want to consider donating things you no longer need. You may choose to speak with a mental health professional as well, such as a therapist, to uncover any underlying thoughts or feelings that are preventing you from having the space and the life you truly want.
17 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1.McMains S, Kastner S. Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex. Journal of Neuroscience. 2011;31(2):587-597. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.3766-10.2011
2.Saxbe DE, Repetti R. No place like home: Home tours correlate with daily patterns of mood and cortisol. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2009;36(1):71-81. doi:10.1177/0146167209352864
Sep 5, 2023 · Many people report a messy house can trigger feelings of stress and anxiety. So why do clutter and chaos make some of us feel so overwhelmed? Here’s what the research says – and what you can do about it.
Jun 18, 2024 · If you’re unable to perform necessary daily tasks — like opening your closet to get dressed and make it to work on time — then it’s natural to feel stressed or anxious about the mess, and cleaning can help. For others, a messy home can cause anxiety because it’s so visual.
You are not alone; many people experience feelings of stress and anxiety when confronted with a cluttered home. So, why does clutter and disorder have such a profound impact on our well-being? Let’s try to understand this better and explore some strategies to tackle it.
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