It can seem like you see clutter everywhere you look. That basket of laundry you’ve been meaning to fold is sitting out on your dining room table. The dress you need to return to the store is draped over your stair rail. And you don’t even want to think about the pile of mail you’ve been meaning to sort through since you got back from vacation.
All that clutter — the stuff that collects in the space where you live or work — can create a sense of visual and mental chaos that makes you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
“Clutter can have a negative impact on your mental health. It represents things in your life that you have not been able to complete, and this can be stressful,” said Jerimya Fox, a licensed professional counselor and doctor of behavioral health with Banner Health. “It can also cause a physiological response to stress, increasing your levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.”
When you’re surrounded by clutter, you may:
- Have trouble focusing
- Struggle to relax
- Feel anxious
- Have problems sleeping
- Have difficulty finding things you need and creating a sense of order
- Feel guilty, ashamed or frustrated
- Have issues in your relationships
- Have low self-esteem if you feel like you can’t control your clutter
- Have cognitive overload, since your brain has to work harder to process information and make decisions with so many stimuli
- Feel mentally fatigued or like your brain is overtaxed
“Clutter can make you less productive and then you avoid the clutter, which may increase your stress,” Dr. Fox said. “You might find yourself snacking or mindlessly browsing the internet to avoid clutter. But avoiding it instead of working through it just brings on more anxiety and stress.”
Here’s how to get started with decluttering
Of course, if it was easy to clear out clutter, everyone would do it. Clutter can feel overwhelming, and it can be tempting to put it off for another time. But knowing that tackling clutter can help improve your emotional well-being can motivate you to get started.
Here are some steps you can take:
- Start small: You’re not going to declutter your home in an afternoon. Break it into manageable steps — room by room or even one drawer, shelf or countertop at a time. “You have time to get rid of the clutter,” Dr. Fox said.
- Create a plan: Block off time in your calendar when you’re going to declutter and note what part of your plan you’re going to tackle. “That makes the project feel less daunting and more achievable,” Dr. Fox said.
- Think about what clutter means to you: You don’t have to live in a stark, minimalist environment to get the gains from a clutter-free life. You can keep the things you use and love, organized in a system that works for you and your family.
- Sort your things into categories: When you put similar things together, you can see which ones you need or like and which don’t bring value to your life.
- Sell, donate and discard: If you have a lot of valuable items, you may want to host a yard sale or sell them online. You can donate other useful items. In many areas, charitable organizations will pick up your donations. Throw away or recycle anything that’s no longer useful.
- Get organized: Once you get control over your clutter, you don’t want it creeping back in. Having designated places for your things and implementing storage solutions can help you maintain your decluttered environment.
- Be mindful going forward: When you purchase items, think about whether you truly need them and what value they’ll give you in the long term. Consider how they fit into the system you used for decluttering. Adding possessions mindfully can help keep clutter from creeping back in.
Once you have a clutter-free space, you’ll likely notice a sense of calm, better focus and improved productivity. “A clutter-free environment promotes good mental health and gives you a sense of well-being,” Dr. Fox said. Without visual distractions, you’ll be better able to relax and have a more peaceful and harmonious life.
The bottom line
Clutter isn’t just messy. Living or working in a disorganized environment can make you feel stressed and anxious and can negatively affect your well-being. It can feel overwhelming to get rid of clutter, but if you take small steps and block off regular organizing time, you can eliminate it. You’ll feel better living in a serene, stress-free environment.
If you feel as though you can’t cope well with the negative effects of clutter, a behavioral health professional can help. Reach out to Banner Health to connect with an expert near you.
