Why Clutter Is Bad for the Mental Health and 5 Strategies to Avoid It

patient and therapist

Do you find yourself putting things off because there is so much clutter in your home? It’s not just about being lazy. The more clutter that builds up, the easier it is to get stressed out and slip into bad habits.

Stress can have a big effect on your health, but don’t worry! We will teach you how to quickly get your home organized and eliminate the stress that clutter can cause. Just stick with us for a few more minutes, and we’ll share how to take control of your life again.

But first, let’s talk about why you should rein in clutter as soon as possible.

Effects Of Clutter On Mental Health

Clutter can affect your mental health in a big way. There are several ways that it might be causing you to feel more stress than necessary, including:

  • Physical Disorder: This means that there are piles of papers scattered everywhere, boxes stacked up on the floor, and everything is just jumbled together. The feeling of being overwhelmed can cause so much stress because you can’t see an end in sight. This leads to that feeling of not knowing where to start, and it seems like your entire home needs an overhaul before you even know where to begin. Mental stress can eventually manifest later into physical symptoms, such as insomnia, dizziness, and even weight gain.
  • Chaos Culpability: When there is clutter everywhere, you might feel guilty for not having it together. You get frustrated when people come over because there is so much stuff to hide, and your home seems like it’s in shambles. It can cause you to feel like you’re not doing your part as the ultimate homemaker.
  • Anxiety: You might get overwhelmed when you try to clean, and that leads to a panic attack. You become extremely anxious over everything and start to feel stressed out before the cleaning even begins.
  • Tension: When you walk in your door after work, do you immediately feel tension and anxiety? This is because of the stress that clutter causes. The feelings of not being able to relax are caused by the overflow of paper piles, dirty clothing everywhere, and dust bunnies growing in every corner.

5 Strategies to Reduce Clutter

To get rid of the stress that clutter has on your mental state, you need to get it under control. This can be done by following our tips below:

1. Throw Away Or Donate Unnecessary Items

a patient and a therapist

The best way to start tackling your home is by clearing away all the unnecessary items that are clogging up your space. You’ll get so much more room, and it will feel like a breath of fresh air.

If you still aren’t sure where to put everything or whether to donate them, then consider renting some storage space. This will give your room more breathing room, and you can always come back for items that are truly important to you once they have a proper home.

2. Don’t Postpone Organizing

It’s easy to put off organizing your home, but the longer you wait, the worse it will get. Once you start building up clutter again and don’t know where to begin because everything is all over the place, it can be a major source of stress.

Don’t let this happen. Start now and make sure that once your project is done, it’s all that you dreamed of.

There are several ways to go about cleaning up your space, but we recommend starting with the easiest rooms to tackle first! Clean out one room at a time and place things where they belong after you’re finished.

3. Create a Cleaning Schedule

With so much to do, it can be hard to find time for cleaning on your own. The best way to get your home back on track is by creating a cleaning schedule that fits into your day-to-day life.

Maybe you can clean your floors every third day, dust the entire house every week, and deep clean your bathrooms once a month. Whatever it is that you choose to do, make sure that it’s spread out in a way that doesn’t add unnecessary stress to your life.

4. Get Rid Of Clutter Attractors

Clutter attractors are items that you use so rarely, but they still take up way too much space in your home. Make a list of the things you don’t use anymore and decide whether it’s time to give them away or toss them out for good.

For instance, if you have a curling iron that you haven’t touched in years because of your new hair routine, then sell it on eBay or donate it to charity. You might be surprised by how much more space is available when these items are gone.

5. Drawers, Drawers, and More Drawers

When it comes to getting your home in order, drawers are your best friend. You can use them for everything – clothes, hair stuff, makeup, and even food items that you don’t want visible all the time (such as canned goods).

The more space you eliminate by using drawers, the less clutter you’ll have to deal with. So whether it’s old clothes or snacks, get them out of sight and make your room feel like a home again.

Clutter can be very stressful on your mental health, but the good news is that you don’t have to live with this problem. Get rid of clutter once and for all by following our tips above.

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