Mental health issues are prevalent worldwide, with the United Kingdom being no exception. With 45.8 million people having experienced some symptoms, it is cause for concern. Aside from the several causes of mental health disorders, a specific one that seems to elude people is clutter. Studies reveal that people living in cluttered homes have an increased risk of experiencing depression. As unbelievable as that sounds, research has proven that there is a link between your mental health state and a cluttered home. That explains why people who declutter report feeling happy and less pressured. This article sheds light on some mental health benefits of decluttering and how you can start.
- Stress reduction
Living in a cluttered environment bombards your brain with excessive stimuli, triggering excess cortisol production. This fact is backed by a report that sought to find a link between a cluttered home and some mental health disorders. Psychologists say heightened stress levels happen because you see clutter in every area of your home, and the mere thought of cleaning that load makes your body react negatively. You are more likely to experience persistent headaches, irritability, and bouts of anger when a situation may not have triggered such extreme emotion.
The best way to deal with this is to take the bull by the horns and start decluttering your living space. You can avoid triggering stress by breaking up the tasks into smaller and manageable parts over a period. Having a timeline makes you work toward a goal and indirectly becomes a motivating tool to finish it up. Sort through your belongings and discard or give away items you do not need. Doing this provides a sense of control, accomplishment, and stress reduction. By the time you finish decluttering your home, you will have felt a major burden taken off your shoulders.
- Enhanced productivity
A cluttered mind has little room for productivity, which is something you want to avoid at all costs. People find it challenging to understand that a cluttered space limits mental productivity, but experts say that is due to something called visual noise of disarray. Although this is a metaphorical expression, it describes the mentally distracting nature of a chaotic environment. Many things come together to create visual noise, and some include disorganised spaces, a littered environment, and persistent indoor clutter. For example, suppose you have a small room filled with miscellaneous items that leave almost no space for anything else. In that case, it may not be ideal to use it as a study, as you can barely thrive or engage in productive activities in an environment like that. The mental disturbance alone fills your brain, constantly making you feel edgy and unable to give off your best in other tasks. What you want is a purposeful space, and that can be achieved when you work on that clutter waiting to be sorted out. Try it, and you will notice improved concentration on other tasks and be motivated to be productive in all relevant activities.
- Improved mood
The impact of a cluttered space goes beyond the lack of a visual appeal. It also affects your mood and emotions. However, as you begin to simplify your cluttered space, you will experience a sense of accomplishment, which improves your mood almost immediately. Mental health experts say this emotional response is crucial to help you cultivate a positive outlook on life and everything else that concerns you. Letting go of items you do not need helps you deal with the unconscious emotional baggage you’ve carried for years. A report on household clutter revealed that many people fail to let go of items, causing clutter because of the sentimental value attached to these belongings. Therefore, the act of decluttering and discarding or letting go of those items contributes to a lighter and more positive mood. The psychological response to a decluttered space proves countless research that establish a link between clutter and some mental health disorders. Improve your mood by clearing that clutter in your living space. While at it, enjoy every moment of progress as you lighten your burden, literally.
- Increased creativity and problem-solving
Research reveals that the human brain responds positively to organisation and simplicity. However, when the brain feels overwhelmed in cluttered spaces, it can stifle creativity. That is because the brain is wired to think clearly when it’s less burdened with visual noise. During the decluttering process, your brain devises new ways to get rid of the excess items in your living space, engaging itself in a creative problem-solving mode. This comes in handy as, at some point, you’ll need to search for reliable storage solutions to keep belongings you need but do not want to store in your home. Comparing storage facilities takes some creativity to arrive at the best solutions for your situation. During the comparison stage, you can consider local facilities such as Pink Storage for your storage solutions. After the entire decluttering process, you’d have certainly boosted your creativity and problem-solving skills.
- Enhanced sleep quality
Cortisol reduction, elimination of visual noise, and an improved mood contribute to enhanced sleep at night. That is what decluttering your space offers you. The established connection between sleep quality and clutter-free home is profound and verifiable on several mental health online platforms. A crowded room makes you sleep with your mind full of pending decluttering tasks you must complete. The roll-on effect is chronic fatigue, disrupted circadian rhythm, and countless restless nights.
On the contrary, a decluttered space helps calm your brain to activate the internal processes that regulate quality sleep. The likelihood of disrupted sleep patterns is less after decluttering your dwelling and knowing that the huge task has been completed. A tidy room promotes a restful atmosphere, which is why many blogs on quality sleep advocate a decluttered space as part of the measures for a good nighty snooze.
- Increased self-worth
Diminished self-worth is a problem among people with mental health disorders. With cluttered spaces, however, this is often reflective of internal struggles unseen by the outside world. Decluttering shows your commitment to self-care and self-improvement. Another message it sends to you and others who know about your cluttered space is that you prioritise a clean and harmonious environment.
Because diminished self-worth affects your self-esteem, it makes you second-guess everything you do. However, with decluttering, you will have a renewed sense of self and a positive feedback loop that reinforces your ability to do something worthwhile. Mental health experts say you have an opportunity to engage in introspection and self-discovery when you declutter your home. These two elements enable you to liberate yourself from the weight of unnecessary attachments that a cluttered home often presents. You have a chance to create and sustain a positive image that boosts your sense of self-worth.
- It enhances healthy habits
Research has shown that some unhealthy habits often cause avoidable mental problems. A classic example is hoarding, which makes people feel constantly on edge and pressured to acquire more things they don’t need. Hoarding is a mental health disorder, but it can be overcome with the right help. It starts with adopting healthy habits like consciously keeping your space clutter-free at all times. Additionally, it helps to deliberately avoid purchasing more unneeded items. Aside from hoarding and its preventive measures, you can set healthy weekly and monthly targets for yourself. When your home is decluttered, your renewed sense of self-worth motivates you to live healthier and sustain the measures. You can start by working out more, sticking to a healthier diet, and becoming increasingly aware of what it takes to maintain an overall well-being.
Maintaining optimum mental health takes conscious actions you can commit to for the long term. Regularly decluttering is one step toward achieving that, helping you to enjoy benefits you never imagined, including those listed above.