Cleaning and decluttering have a direct impact on mental health, including reducing stress and anxiety and improving focus and sleep quality.
If you've ever felt stressed, frustrated, or overwhelmed by a messy house, you likely understand the link between cleanliness and mental health. Cleaning up and decluttering can feel satisfying and even therapeutic. When some people feel overwhelmed or stressed out, they might try yoga, mindfulness, or even a massage. For others, giving the shelves a quick dust, wiping down the kitchen, or even organizing the closet is just as beneficial for their mental health as using a mindfulness app. [...] In fact, for some people, the simple sight of a clean and organized home can help them unwind and de-stress even after an overwhelming day. Evidence suggests that having a messy, cluttered environment can create stress and interfere with your ability to concentrate, at least for some people. The actual act of cleaning and decluttering can boost your mood, help you move your body more, improve focus, and help you feel more in control of your surroundings. [...] Clutter and mess can create more stress and anxiety, but by cleaning, organizing, and reducing the clutter, people are able to take control of their environment and create a more relaxing environment that helps them focus better on the more pressing issues in their lives. ## Benefits of Cleanliness and Decluttering
Relieve anxiety. When things are not organized or clean, it can often bring vast amounts of anxiety. You may feel constantly stressed, worried, or afraid of more clutter accumulating. To allow our minds to find some peace, decluttering can lift that weight and help us to think clearer and feel calmer. [...] 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: [...] Energize you into productivity mode. When you are decluttering you are problem solving, and therefore getting things done. You gain energy from the visual accomplishments of de-cluttering. Your gained energy can also help tackle other items on your to-do list!
Better relationships. Conflict with family or roommates often occurs when one person can't control clutter. Also, you may be more comfortable inviting friends into your home when it's tidy. Lower risk of asthma and allergies. You may think your house is messy but not dirty. But it's hard to clean around piles of belongings. Decluttering can prevent pests and reduce dust, mold, and mildew, which may trigger asthma and allergies. [...] Still, the case for decluttering isn't clear-cut. Another study found that, while orderly environments are more linked to healthy choices, disorderly environments promote creativity and fresh ideas. If you value creativity, you may want to allow yourself to be a little messy in certain areas of your life. For most people, decluttering can promote productivity and improvements in mental and physical health. Benefits of decluttering include: [...] Better focus. Clutter makes it difficult to find what you need. It may also distract you. Getting rid of visual clutter can help you focus better on any task at hand. Higher self-esteem. When you have trouble staying organized, you may feel out of control. Improving your living space can restore feelings of competency and pride.
Decluttering increases self-worth, creates healthy habits, and boosts productivity. A clean and tidy home can also improve sleep, boost mood, and promote relaxation. ## More Energy and More Space [...] Excessive clutter often leads to feelings of shame, hopelessness, and guilt. The feelings can spiral, making it difficult to find the motivation to address the clutter. If someone is already suffering from depression, a cluttered home can worsen that depression. It is often a cycle. The more depressed you get, the harder it is to clean and organize. [...] we don't know what to do with them. The answer is simple: donate. Decluttering not only improves your life, it improves the lives of others in need.
Decluttering can help reduce visual distractions and benefit mental health, attention, and working memory. If getting started is hard, focusing on a small area at a time or trying a popular method can help. Decluttering usually involves getting rid of things you don’t use to make more space for yourself and the things you do use. It can also include removing and relocating items to a more suitable place. Decluttering has benefits for mood, stress reduction, and focus. [...] ## Benefits of decluttering for mental health Decluttering not only frees up physical space but also mental space. Research from 2016 found that clutter has a strong negative impact on a person’s psychological sense of home and their perceived well-being. A 2021 study in older people suggests that having a perception of your living environment as not clean and comfortable may be associated with increased feelings of depression. [...] If you (or a loved one) may have a hoarding disorder, professional help is available to manage these impulses. »FIND CARE:Find a psychologist in your area ## The bottom line Decluttering can benefit your mood, improve your sleep quality, and support your mental health. It can also potentially reduce falls and injuries. To get started, consider starting in a single room or area of a room and removing items that do not belong there first.
Spring cleaning is a time for new beginnings. Staying organized can save us time, money and actually decrease our stress levels.Read more
Did you know that reducing clutter can actually lower stress levels and promote a sense of well-being? Numerous studies have shown the positive ...Read more