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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. [...] 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 [...] Life can be messy — and so can our spaces. But when clutter starts accumulating, it can feel like it’s slowly overtaking your life. You know, like that one drawer that you keep shoving things into, hoping it’ll eventually organize itself (spoiler alert: it won't). The truth is, clutter doesn’t just take up physical space; it can weigh heavily on your mind too. Let’s break down the messy relationship between mental health and clutter, how to tell the difference between "personal style" and "this
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verywellmind.com
article
https://www.verywellmind.com/decluttering-our-house-to-cleanse-our-minds-5101511
One study found that clutter, particularly among older adults, decreased overall life satisfaction. Other research has found that helping older adults find ways to tidy up and declutter could help them feel more accomplished and in control.
### Decreased Well-Being [...] In other words, the research suggests that it can be more difficult to control your impulses when your mental health and your environment are stressful or "chaotic."
### Lower Quality of Life
Clutter can easily lead to a nearly constant feeling of frustration as you struggle to complete daily tasks. The time you spend looking for objects you need or attempting to organize your items could be time spent with loved ones, doing some self-care, or even just relaxing. [...] Research shows that people with cluttered homes tend to procrastinate on important tasks. You might have to dig through stacks of papers to pay the bills, or maybe you have so many piles of dirty clothes that it feels overwhelming to start the laundry.
### Difficulty With Relationships
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reachlink.com
article
https://www.reachlink.com/advice/anxiety/clutter-and-anxiety
The relationship between clutter and mental health rarely moves in just one direction. Research on clutter and mental health outcomes reveals a bidirectional pattern: clutter can worsen symptoms of existing conditions, and those same conditions can make clutter harder to manage. Understanding these clinical connections helps explain why decluttering advice often misses the mark for people navigating specific mental health challenges.
Curious about something here? [...] When examining clutter and mental health statistics across multiple studies, a consistent pattern emerges. Research published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and related investigations suggest that cluttered environments correlate with cortisol elevations ranging from 18 to 25 percent compared to organized spaces. This aggregated data represents findings across diverse populations and measurement methods. [...] The research is clear: clutter affects your brain through measurable neurological pathways, triggering stress responses that compound over time. But understanding these mechanisms also reveals intervention points. Whether your clutter sensitivity stems from sensory processing differences, executive function challenges, or emotional patterns, targeted approaches matched to your specific profile will always outperform generic advice.
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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. [...] Research confirms people think more clearly, and even become less irritable and more productive, in an organized setting than in a cluttered one. By decluttering, you free up mental bandwidth. Decisions — even simple ones like what to have for dinner or which task to do first — come a bit easier when your brain isn’t constantly managing the excess stimuli and mental load that clutter creates.
Related content: How to achieve physical, mental and emotional wellness for better overall health [...] 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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webmd.com
article
https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-clutter-affects-health
If you're a bit scatterbrained because your space is scattered, don't wait to neaten up. Research has shown that adults in their 50s who have too many piles of stuff are more likely than younger folks to put off making decisions about what to get rid of. The study also found that those piles can make you less satisfied with your life.
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## Your Mind Wanders [...] When everything is in order, you know exactly where you put your glasses and keys so you can grab them and go on with your day. That saves time and a whole lot of hassle. In one study, women who saw their homes as cluttered had high levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day, while those who described their abode as a well-organized, restful space had lower levels.
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## It Doesn’t Get Easier [...] It's hard to focus on important tasks when several things compete for your attention. Researchers have found that being around disorganization makes it harder for your brain to focus. It can be especially tough for people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). If you have ADHD, a professional organizer or coach may be the best way to restore some order to your space.
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## Pass the Tissues
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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
official
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9137741
Most previous clutter research has utilized life satisfaction as the objective definition for subjective well-being when testing clutter’s relationship to subjective well-being [1,2,5,6]. In addition to subjective well-being, the research on clutter found that excessive items impact on many other aspects of individual’s lives; including employee burnout/tension and satisfaction with one’s job [20,21], indecision (decisional procrastination) and behavioral procrastination , need for cognition , [...] ## . These results highlight that clutter negatively impacts psychological home for younger adults more than older adults, despite both groups experiencing a negative impact on the psychological home as a result of clutter. The significant interaction does not necessarily mean that older adults have more or less clutter items than younger adults, but simply that older adults’ clutter impacts their sense of home differently compared to younger adults. This may be because as we age, our items [...] However, to date, no previous research has compared older adults’ (≥65 years old) and younger adults’ (≤64 years old) experiences with clutter, sense of psychological home, and subjective well-being. Taken together, these previous research findings provide a basis for questioning whether the established relationship between clutter, psychological home, and subjective well-being may be experienced differently based on age, specifically in the later part of life (e.g., older adults, 65+).
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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. [...] My guest today is Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology and distinguished professor at DePaul University in Chicago. Dr. Ferrari studies the psychology of clutter, including why we accumulate it, how it affects our mental health, and the link between clutter and procrastination. He’s also well known for his research on the causes and consequences of procrastination, and is the author of several books on that subject for researchers, clinicians, and the general public. He has published [...] 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
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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. [...] Bursting cupboards and piles of paper stacked around the house may seem harmless enough. But research shows disorganisation and clutter have a cumulative effect on our brains.
Our brains like order, and constant visual reminders of disorganisation drain our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus.
The visual distraction of clutter increases cognitive overload and can reduce our working memory. [...] This response can trigger physical and psychological changes that affect how we fight bugs and digest food, as well as leaving us at greater risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Clutter might also have implications for our relationships with those around us. A 2016 US study, for instance, found background clutter resulted in participants being less able to correctly interpret the emotional expressions on the faces of characters in a movie.