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The Cognitive Clutter – How a Messy Home Can Impact Health

We all generally get a bit of a wake-up call when we have to move house and realise just how much stuff we have. The thing is, most of us know we don’t actually need all that stuff but we hang onto things or pile them up in case we need them later, or even just out of laziness. But having a messy, cluttered home could be having some serious effects on your well-being.

Signs of Stress

Clutter causes stress. Coming home after a long day of work to a messy, cluttered house will heighten your stress levels. What you want to come home to is a calming environment that you feel comfortable in, you can take pride in, and that soothes you. Keeping a clean, tidy house will lift your overall mood and improve your quality of life. So take the time to keep it clean, organise your stuff with filing cabinets, plastic containers, and maximise your wardrobe space. If you don’t use it within a 6 month period, get rid of it.

Clutter Triggers Respiratory Issues and Allergies

Dust, mould and animal dander that collect in cluttered spaces are bad for your health and can cause respiratory issues. With more things piled up, there is more dust generated which creates an ideal living environment for dust mites and other pests. Having a cluttered house will also create more spaces for cockroaches and rodents to live in without you even knowing.

Clutter Supports Overeating

Studies have shown that people who live in a cluttered environment are more likely to overeat and lead unhealthy lifestyles. This is mainly linked to the note about clutter raising stress levels. If you are stressed you are more likely to reach for that comfort food that you know isn’t good for you, but will make you feel momentarily better.

This cycle also promotes laziness as you sit on the couch eating potato chips instead of actually doing something about the problem like cleaning up your mess. This can lead to lower self-esteem and feelings of depression.

A Cluttered Space Creates a Cluttered Mind

Try working at a desk that is piled with stuff, as opposed to one that is clean, neat and tidy. You will find yourself that much more productive as a result of cleaning your workspace. A cluttered space reflects a cluttered mind and is also likely to make you feel overwhelmed when you are constantly looking at the amount of work you have (literally) piled up in front of you. This feeling will drain you, stress you out and make you feel like you are out of control.

Don’t Clutter Your Relationships

A cluttered space also leads to poorer communication which will obviously affect your relationships. A cluttered space leads to mental clutter and a state of less-efficient thinking. Combine that with higher levels of stress and you can be setting your relationships up for failure.

When a space is cluttered people are likely to get distracted by all the random stimuli that is in the background, reducing their attention span and ability to communicate properly. A clear space will lead to a clear mind that is more capable of making good decisions.

Cutting through the clutter will benefit your physical and mental capabilities and lift your outlook on life. So get out the trash bag and start removing everything from your home and life that you don’t need. Donate as much as you can to charities, and also spend the time to declutter your mind and allow yourself to think clearly and focus on what’s really important in your life.