Beyond looking unsightly, having a cluttered home can affect your well-being. Sure, it’s embarrassing to have company over when your house is a mess, but clutter may also be affecting your mental health. Today, the team at Closet POSSIBLE has some information for you regarding the relationship between clutter and mental health, as well as organizational strategies to overcome your situation.
Types of Clutter
The two major types of clutter are physical and visual. Physical clutter includes items that inhibit your movement or prevent you from utilizing your spaces to their full potential. This could include a spare room that is overcrowded with boxes and old clothing, or a countertop piled high with junk mail that prevents you from preparing meals. Of course, a home that is organized may still suffer from visual clutter. When multiple sizes, types, and colors or items are left out in the open, your mind interprets it as clutter, leading to the same negative effects of physical clutter.
Increased Stress Levels from Clutter
A cluttered home can be difficult to relax in. Medical professionals state that clutter can increase the stress hormone cortisol, directly linking clutter and stress. You may feel stressed because you are aware of the clutter but can’t manage to clean it up. You may have anxiety because you need to find a specific item but can’t locate it. No matter how used to the clutter you are, your brain will interpret it as chaos, causing a stress reaction in your body.
Problems with Focus
The human brain can easily become overwhelmed in situations where it has to process too many stimuli simultaneously. Physical and visual clutter are both types of stimuli. In a cluttered environment, you may be subconsciously processing the clutter, making it difficult to concentrate on other tasks.
Excessive Procrastination
Feeling overwhelmed can lead to procrastination. For example, if you need to do the laundry, the process might be delayed because you have to go all around the house digging for dirty clothes. If your bills are under a mountain of junk mail, you may procrastinate on paying them. Similarly, if there is clutter piled on your treadmill, you may avoid working out altogether.
Relationship Issues
If you’re in an “odd couple” relationship, clutter could also be affecting the way you relate to your partner. When one partner prefers organization but the other is messy, it can lead to fights and other disagreements that cause problems at home.
Get Organized for Your Mental Health
If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and unfocused, straightening out your home can be an important step in gaining a sense of control over your life. To get started, reach out to us for organizational help and custom closet design in NJ. Closet organization systems and hidden hampers can clear up those piles of clothes. Storage systems for small items can eliminate visual clutter. Having dedicated storage in your workout area means you will be able to use it any time you find the motivation. Our team has hundreds of ideas like this that can help you clear up clutter, potentially reducing your stress level.
Call us today at (267) 566-3222 to schedule a free, in-home consultation with our closet designers in Pennington, NJ, and nearby communities.
