Do you dig through piles of clothes to find the shirt you want to wear for the day? When you leave the house, do you struggle to find your keys and your wallet among all the items on your kitchen table? Maybe you can’t open the garage door all the way because there are so many boxes of miscellaneous stuff in the way.
In general, clutter is a collection of items that people accumulate in their homes and don’t necessarily use, but hold on to anyway. Clutter can even be digital—maybe you never get around to clearing out your email inbox or organizing the documents on your laptop.
It is important to know that not everyone is affected by clutter in the same way. Below are a few ways it connects to mental health.
Increased Stress Levels
Ideally, home is a place where we can rest and relax; however, clutter can make it hard to do that. One study found that women who reported more clutter in their homes had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol throughout the day compared to women who had less clutter.
Difficulty Focusing
Clutter can actually be distracting. Our brains can only focus on a limited amount of stimuli at a time.
Procrastination
It has been proven that individuals with cluttered homes tend to procrastinate on important tasks.
Social Consequences
It’s not uncommon for spouses, partners, or even roommates to argue over whether one person’s things are taking up too much space or not to want to invite others to visit.
Quality of Life
Clutter can easily lead to a nearly constant feeling of frustration as you struggle to complete daily tasks. It can become overwhelming and paralyzing to the point of impacting daily life.
Reaching out for support can be difficult but very necessary to help an individual to move forward, find processes that work for them individually, and get unstuck!
Just call and say hello for compassionate, caring assistance.
Click here to read more about Hello Darlene’s Decluttering Services.
