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S
sagetherapy.com
news
https://www.sagetherapy.com/post/clearing-the-chaos-how-clutter-affects-our-m…
## The Mental Health Clutter Cycle
Research shows a strong link between clutter and mental well-being. A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people who described their homes as cluttered or unfinished were more likely to experience higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. Clutter can overstimulate the brain, making it harder to focus and process information. It can also contribute to feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and even shame. [...] Be mindful about the purpose behind decluttering. Remind yourself that creating space in your physical environment can help reduce mental clutter, which in turn can ease stress and anxiety.
8. Take Breaks and Practice Self-Care
If you start to feel mentally or physically exhausted, take breaks. Go for a walk, hydrate, or simply rest. Decluttering isn’t a race, and it’s important to pace yourself and care for your mental health throughout the process.
9. Celebrate Small Wins [...] At the same time, mental health challenges can make clutter harder to manage. Depression can sap motivation and energy, anxiety can turn decision-making into a minefield, and conditions like ADHD can make sustained organization feel nearly impossible. This cycle can create a feedback loop — mental health impacts clutter, and clutter impacts mental health — that feels tough to break.
## Clutter vs. Style: Embracing What Feels Good
V
verywellmind.com
article
https://www.verywellmind.com/decluttering-our-house-to-cleanse-our-minds-5101511
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.
Accumulating a few extra possessions may not seem like a big deal, but clutter can negatively impact your mental health. It can increase stress levels, make it hard to focus, strain relationships, and more. [...] Verywell / Laura Porter
### Key Takeaways
Clutter can significantly impact mental health by increasing stress and making it difficult to relax. While some may find a cluttered environment creatively inspiring, for others, excess items contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed and unfocused. By recognizing these effects, it becomes possible to manage clutter and improve overall well-being.
## What Is the Impact of Clutter on Mental Health? [...] Ideally, home is a place where we can rest and relax. However, clutter can make it hard to do that. One study found that women who reported more clutter in their homes had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day compared to women who had less clutter.
Clutter can also contribute to household chaos, which is associated with worse parenting practices, negative emotions, and stress.
### Difficulty Focusing
N
nuvancehealth.org
news
https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/how-clutter-affects-your-b…
Studies have found people living in cluttered homes are more likely to experience insomnia and poor sleep quality. Stress and mental stimulation from clutter can keep the brain alert and uneasy, even at night. It’s hard for your mind to power down when it’s bombarded by signs of chaos or by racing thoughts about things you haven't done yet. [...] If your brain is overloaded or you’re chronically tired, it’s hard to stay ahead of clutter. That’s why tackling mental well-being and stress can sometimes help in creating a more organized space, and vice versa — improving your environment can positively impact your mental state. [...] The bottom line: Clutter isn’t just a visual nuisance — it affects your brain health. Research shows clutter can overwhelm your mind, drain your focus, heighten stress and disrupt sleep. But don’t let clutter clutter your thoughts: By clearing your space and calming your thoughts, you can boost your attention, lower anxiety and have better cognitive and emotional well-being.
### Work with us
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youtube.com
video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwsI-KTbUDQ
in addition cluttered environments have been shown to correlate with increased rates of insomnia which leads to poor hormone regulation which is another core factor in Mental Health Management a study called no place like home which was published in the Personality and Social Psychology bulletin found that the way people described their homes reflected whether their time at home felt restorative or stressful in this study women with higher stress hormone scores had increased depressed moods [...] your goals and intentions are can really make all the difference in achieving those goals and intentions or reaching your next level whatever that is you can see more about that in this video on aligning your home and finally clutter reeks havoc on your mental health and I could honestly create an entire video on just this section and I probably will at some point we already touched on how cluttered homes lead to isolation stress and low selfworth all directly linked to depression in addition [...] more enjoyable in theory than in reality our homes are vivid reflections of our minds but can our minds also be a reflection of our homes well that's what we're here to talk about today the psychological effects of clutter according to research the most obvious psychological effect of clutter is stress but it's not just you many research studies have proven that a physical stress response correlates with cluttered environments a study by UCLA is probably the most popular of the studies so far
I
ifstudies.org
article
https://ifstudies.org/blog/a-cluttered-home-causes-more-stress-for-women-than…
My childhood experience is not unusual, as many people find clutter in homes and workplaces to be unpleasant and even stressful. For example, a 2025 study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that people who considered their homes more cluttered had lower levels of well-being and life satisfaction, as well as higher levels of negative feelings. Clutter also reduces the psychological attachment people have to their homes. Office clutter similarly increases emotional exhaustion and [...] ## Sex Differences in the Effects of Clutter
Not surprisingly, there are sex differences in the effects of clutter on well-being. Women find a cluttered home more stressful than men do, on average, and this leads to detrimental daily patterns of the stress hormone cortisol. This was shown in a landmark 2010 study of 30 middle-class, dual-income families with at least one young child living in a large U.S. city. [...] 1. A 2025 study found that people who consider their homes more cluttered have lower levels of well-being and life satisfaction, as well as higher levels of negative feelings Post This
2. Women find a cluttered home more stressful than men do, on average, and this leads to detrimental daily patterns of the stress hormone cortisol. Post This
U
usu.edu
research
https://www.usu.edu/today/story/ask-an-expert--the-mental-health-benefits-of-…
According to a study by Princeton University, researchers discovered that the environment can positively or negatively impact your ability to complete tasks and your overall mental health.
If the physical space around you feels scattered, it’s likely your mental space will feel the same.
A study by the University of Connecticut found that by removing or controlling clutter, you can directly reduce the stress that stems from the mess. [...] Boosts your mood and helps improve your physical health. The ability to complete physical activity while organizing can enhance creativity by allowing the mind to wander. Letting the mind go when organizing clutter can help you relax mentally while your body is active. The combination of the two can boost your mood because you feel less stressed about what was once clutter and more accomplished as you see progress. [...] Relieves anxiety. When things are not organized or clean, it can bring on anxiety. You may feel constantly stressed, worried or afraid of accumulating more clutter. To allow your mind to find peace, decluttering can lift that anxiety and help you think more clearly and feel calmer.
Consider these tips to remove the clutter in your life.
A
apa.org
news
https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/clutter
years, psychologist research has begun to find that living and working in cluttered spaces causes stress and anxiety and can harm both our mental health and our productivity. [...] It’s tiring. It’s exhausting. As we said, it could be an emotional trigger, but we know that the more clutter leads to more depression, more mood disorders. As I said earlier, lower psychological wellbeing, life satisfaction, negative emotions about the self. People with lots of clutter do lots of self devaluing the data shows. We didn’t do this study, but a study had been done that found it’s related to over consumption of unhealthy foods. So people with lots of clutter tend to eat a lot maybe [...] and clutter. So the more clutter you have, the lower people report life satisfaction. Greater the stress. So here we are living in this consumer culture, but more and more, more. Buy, buy, buy. Well, you’re actually not living a good complete life because you’ll be less satisfied.
W
www1.racgp.org.au
news
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/what-does-clutter-do-to-your-brain-…
Clutter can make us feel stressed, anxious and depressed. Research from the United States in 2009, for instance, found the levels of the stress hormone cortisol were higher in mothers whose home environment was cluttered.
A chronically cluttered home environment can lead to a constant low-grade fight or flight response, taxing our resources designed for survival. [...] Charity groups such as St Vincent de Paul are reporting a 38% increase in donations, year on year, as we get rid of the clothes, books and household items that don’t ‘spark joy’ or have a place in our future.
And there is good reason to get on board, whether it’s via the KonMari method, or just having a good clear-out. Clutter can affect our anxiety levels, sleep, and ability to focus. [...] And surprisingly, it doesn’t go away when we finally get to bed. People who sleep in cluttered rooms are more likely to have sleep problems, including difficulty falling asleep and being disturbed during the night.
Clutter-hero.jpg
People have been found to produce more stress hormones when they are surrounded by clutter.
Could clutter really make us overweight?
Multiple studies have found a link between clutter and poor eating choices.