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verywellmind.com
article
https://www.verywellmind.com/decluttering-our-house-to-cleanse-our-minds-5101511
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? [...] 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. [...] The clutter in your environment can even cause you to develop negative feelings about your home. In a 2016 study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, researchers suggest that this is because 'home' is more than just where we live.
Instead, they suggest that home is a constellation of situations, experiences, and meanings. The individual shapes these experiences, but they are also shaped by them.
For this reason, excessive clutter was found to harm subjective well-being.
S
sciencedirect.com
article
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494425001550
by F Quinn · 2025 · Cited by 2 — The main findings were that clutter significantly predicted more undesirable affect, mental well-being and life satisfaction.
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youtube.com
video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwsI-KTbUDQ
called The Dark Side of Home released by the Journal of environmental psychology due to the link between our self-perception and our homes clutter had a negative impact on the psychological home and subjective well-being of their participants notice it says subjective well-being in other words how the participants felt about their well-being self-perception is key to overall life satisfaction confidence confidence and coping capabilities when we feel less capable and less in control of our own [...] 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 [...] in short clutter is distracting one of the major psychological effects of clutter is that it can be mentally debilitating for children and adults with ADHD and add so what about behavioral effects frustration irritation avoidance apathy cluttered and chaotic environments can bring on a garden variety of unpleasant emotions that Domino into unpleasant behaviors clutter has been linked to two of the top five reasons for divorce excessive arguments and Financial problems a study published in the
N
nuvancehealth.org
news
https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/how-clutter-affects-your-b…
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 [...] 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. [...] 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.
E
extension.usu.edu
research
https://extension.usu.edu/mentalhealth/articles/the-mental-benefits-of-declut…
There is something to be said about having a clean and organized work or living space. According to a study by Princeton University, researchers discovered that our environment can positively or negatively impact our ability to complete tasks as well as our overall mental health. If the physical space around us feels scattered, it’s likely our mental space will feel the same. A study by the University of Connecticut found that by removing or controlling clutter, we can directly reduce the [...] Boost your mood and help improve your physical health. The ability to complete physical activity while organizing can enhance creativity by allowing the mind to wander. Letting our mind go a little as we organize our clutter can help us relax mentally while our body is staying active. The combination of the two can boost our mood because we feel less stressed about what once was clutter, and we feel accomplished after seeing the progress! [...] directly reduce the stress that stems from the mess which can help us to feel happier, less anxious, and more confident in ourselves. Decluttering can also lead to the following mental health benefits:
S
stilwellmemorial.com
article
https://stilwellmemorial.com/healthy-living/the-impact-of-clutter-on-physical…
Our emotions and mental health can be impacted by clutter in various ways, including: [...] Increased cortisol levels, especially in women. Cortisol is a hormone associated with chronic stress.
Feeling less satisfaction with life overall.
Inability to focus, which is especially significant if you have ADHD.
Being embarrassed by the clutter, causing you to feel an increased sense of isolation and fear, especially of inviting anyone over. This is one way hoarding contributes to depression and anxiety.
Sensory overload, triggered by a messy space, which may result in memory issues. [...] Fall risks, if items or piles of papers or books are lying about.
Allergies may be exacerbated due to a buildup of dust minutes, dander, mold, etc.
Furniture or objects are more likely to fall if overloaded with items. This can cause damage to property as well as to your person.
Paper, books, and magazines in excess can increase the risk of fire both by providing fuel for flames as well as by blocking exit pathways.
## How Clutter Affects Our Emotional Health
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apa.org
news
https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/clutter
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 [...] 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
W
webmd.com
article
https://www.webmd.com/balance/ss/slideshow-clutter-affects-health
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 [...] ## Memory Issues
Some people who live in cluttered homes have a poorer "working memory," according to research. Your brain is wired to be able to keep track of only a few details at once for a short period, so it can get overloaded when there’s too much going on.
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## Safety First [...] A neat, tidy house feels inviting, both for the people who live there as well as guests. A cluttered home may feel the opposite. But shutting people out can take a toll on relationships and make you feel sad and lonely. That could be one reason a hoarding disorder tends to overlap with depression and anxiety disorders.
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## Slips and Falls