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elevaterecoveryhomes.com
article
https://elevaterecoveryhomes.com/cleaning-as-self-care
Your home reflects your mental state. When your space is cluttered, your mind feels the same way. Research shows that messy environments increase stress hormones, make it harder to focus, and contribute to anxiety and depression. But cleaning isn’t just about having a tidy house – it’s an act of self-care that directly impacts your emotional well-being. Understanding this connection can change how you think about household chores and give you a practical tool for managing your mental health. [...] A clean space supports a clear mind. And a clear mind supports recovery.
### The Bottom Line
The connection between a clean space and mental well-being is undeniable – by understanding the psychological impact of our surroundings, we can harness the therapeutic benefits of a tidy environment.
Cleaning isn’t just about having a nice-looking home. It’s about:
Managing stress and anxiety
Creating a sense of control
Building confidence
Providing a safe haven
Supporting your mental health [...] When life feels uncertain, cleaning is a tangible action you can manage – it can restore a sense of agency when everything else feels chaotic.
## The Mental Health Benefits of Cleaning
### Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Cluttered spaces can contribute to feelings of overwhelm and anxiety—when your environment is disorganized, your mind tends to feel the same way, and by systematically cleaning and organizing, you can create a sense of order and control, reducing stress levels.
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verywellmind.com
article
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-mental-health-and-cleaning-are-connected-509…
Research has shown that living in a cluttered environment increases stress. In the study, young women cared for an infant in either a normal or cluttered environment. While chaos didn't seem to affect mood or responsiveness, physical stress levels were still higher for women in the cluttered homes. Such findings suggest that parents should consider how cleanliness and clutter in the home may impact their stress levels. [...] Additionally, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America indicates that the physical activity of cleaning coupled with the end result of a cleaner home helps reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Cleaning can also reduce fatigue and improve concentration.
### Cleanliness and Focus [...] Saxbe DE, Repetti R. No place like home: home tours correlate with daily patterns of mood and cortisol. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2010 Jan;36(1):71-81. doi:10.1177/0146167209352864. PMID: 19934011.
Indiana University. Tidier homes, fitter bodies.
Lang M, Krátký J, Shaver JH, Jerotijević D, Xygalatas D. Effects of anxiety on spontaneous ritualized behavior. Curr Biol. 2015 Jul 20;25(14):1892-7. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.05.049. PMID: 26096971.
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mhanational.org
article
https://mhanational.org/resources/creating-a-healthy-home-environment
Keeping your living space clean is shown to promote calmness and a sense of control over your day-to-day life. Your home environment doesn’t need to be spotless, but clutter can be harmful to your mental state – contributing to depression, trouble focusing, confusion, and stress. Not only can clutter be distracting, but it has been shown to actually make it harder for your brain to think clearly. Neatness also provides predictability, which can cut down on brain fatigue and anxiety. Less time [...] reduce signs of anxiety and depression. [...] anxiety. Less time looking for lost items or getting distracted is always a good thing.
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oxfordcbt.co.uk
article
https://www.oxfordcbt.co.uk/stress-management-cleaning
Clutter and mess can be linked to negative emotions like confusion and tension. Whereas a clean and tidy home leads to positive emotions such as a sense of calm and well-being. By sorting and organising the clutter and mess around you, you can reduce any stress or anxiety you may be feeling and this will help you feel like you are taking control of your life. The physical activity of cleaning combined with the result of a cleaner home helps reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and depressive [...] responsibility for keeping your living space clean and tidy. Working together and finding compromises will be beneficial to your mental health, as well as others and will improve relationships with positive feelings. [...] yet to complete. Keeping clutter and mess at a minimum will have a positive effect on your focus, stress and mental health.
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sbtreatment.com
article
https://sbtreatment.com/blog/the-impact-a-clean-and-tidy-home-can-have-on-you…
If you are living with a mental health condition that makes it difficult for you to maintain a clean, organized home, or if you are experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression symptoms that persist despite your best efforts to manage them, you may benefit from reaching out to a mental health professional. Mission Harbor Behavioral Health provides outpatient services for teens and adults in the Southern California area. We have offices conveniently located in both Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, [...] The above study is not the only report linking clutter to reduced psychological wellbeing. In fact, it is part of a growing body of research showing that clutter can contribute to stress, increased cortisol levels, and depression. Among teens and adolescents who live in clutter, the disorganized home environment is associated with lower academic performance and behavioral problems. Based upon the available research, it’s pretty clear that when a home becomes too untidy, it can negatively affect [...] Given that clutter and chaotic home environments are linked to reductions in psychological wellbeing, it would make sense that maintaining a tidy home would have the opposite effect. Researchers have conducted studies to determine the benefits of having a clean and tidy home, and the results have been promising. A recent study that explored the impact of clutter found that having lower levels of subjective clutter in the home was linked to higher levels of positive emotion, improved
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nuvancehealth.org
news
https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/how-clutter-affects-your-b…
If a messy room has ever made you feel anxious or stressed out, you’re not alone — and there’s a biological reason for it. Clutter can trigger a stress response in the body. For example, a study found women who described their homes as “cluttered” had significantly higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day. Your brain releases cortisol when you’re under pressure; consistently elevated levels suggest the untidy environment genuinely taxed these women’s brains and bodies. [...] 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 [...] When you walk into a chaotic kitchen or trip over clutter on the floor, your brain registers that disarray as a source of stress. It might not be a saber-toothed tiger, but your ancient fight-or-flight mechanisms still kick in with a mild sense of alarm: Something’s not right here. Over time, living in a state of chronic low-grade stress can contribute to anxiety, heightened cortisol, inflammation in the body and even depression.
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youtube.com
video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVlbS04uQAc
Feeling anxious, stressed or unable to focus? Take a look around you. Clutter, mess or an untidy work area can make some people feel overwhelmed. In fact, research shows that cleaning (or a lack of cleaning) can have an impact on your mental health. Clinical psychologist, Dawn Potter, PsyD, discusses tips for decluttering, how mess can contribute to depression and tension and hoarding disorder.
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▶For more Health Essentials video podcasts: [...] yeah i definitely notice a difference just in my overall kind of like focus um and you know just like motivation if things around me are kind of like tidy and cleaned up a little bit you can definitely tell there's some sort of impact on your mental health absolutely yeah because otherwise you can be distracted like oh gosh i need to put those dishes away or i'm gonna have to do that later so if you start out with everything neat and tidy then you don't have those distractions and a lot of [...] and inspired to suddenly reorganize every closet or pantry in your house you're actually not alone and feeling this way research is telling us that a cleaning or a lack of cleaning can actually impact your mental health plus there's been no shortage of cleaning and decluttering gurus over the past several years preaching to us about the importance of keeping a clean and tidy home so with that being said dr potter what is it about a clean and well organized home that people tend to find so
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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. [...] 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.