7 Ways Clutter Impacts Your Health and Well-Being

Discover how clutter impacts your health and learn simple tips to recover.

Clutter is something we all encounter in our daily lives. From overflowing closets to disorganized desks, clutter seems to creep in unnoticed. But beyond being a nuisance and an eye sore, could clutter actually be making you sick? The short answer is yes.

Understanding How Clutter Impacts Your Health

What is clutter? Clutter can be defined in various forms.

Types of Clutter

• Physical Clutter
• This includes the piles of papers, unworn clothes, and everyday items that clutter our living spaces.
• Emotional Clutter
• This often involves unresolved conflicts and thoughts that we tend to push aside, constant to-do lists, unfinished tasks, and wishes we constantly ignore or think we will ‘do later’.
• Digital Clutter
• Think of the countless unread emails, old files, and unnecessary apps on your devices.

I consider clutter to be anything that stands between me and my goals.

The Psychology of Clutter

Clutter isn’t just about physical mess. It has a deep psychological impact. Living in a cluttered environment can lead to stress and anxiety. It’s like being stuck in a traffic jam all day, every day. The mess around you is like a constant neon light blinking on your to-do list!

How Clutter Impacts Your Health

The repercussions of clutter extend beyond an untidy home. Clutter can have serious health impacts, both physically and mentally. We need to stop minimizing the mental health effects of clutter as being secondary.

There is nothing secondary about poor mental health. Sound mental health is the basis of everything!

Mental Health Implications

Studies have shown a connection between clutter and mental health problems like depression and anxiety. A cluttered environment can act like a constant reminder of unfinished tasks. We know how good it feels to be productive.

Feeling unproductive has the opposite effects and leads to feelings of inadequacy and stressed out. It’s like carrying a heavy backpack full of things you don’t need, weighing down your mental well-being.

Physical Health Risks

Clutter can be a hidden health hazard. Accumulated dust and allergens in cluttered spaces can trigger allergies. Piles of stuff can also lead to accidents or injuries, especially if they’re blocking pathways.

Mold, Pests

Not to mention, cluttered spaces often harbor mold and pests, posing additional health risks.

Signs Clutter is Affecting Your Health

How can you tell if clutter is harming you? Here are some indicators to watch out for.

Emotional Responses to Clutter

When you walk into your home do you feel stressed out or at peace? If the answer is stressed this can be a sign that clutter is affecting your mental health. You might notice a dip in your mood or motivation, especially when confronted by a mess you can’t seem to tackle.

Loneliness, Isolation

It makes me sad that some folks feel shame and won’t invite friends into their homes due to too much clutter. The isolation of feeling lonely can continue a downward spiral and cause more stress, unhappiness, and clutter to build.

Physical Symptoms Linked to Clutter

Physical symptoms can also point to the impact of clutter. Frequent headaches, fatigue, or respiratory issues might be linked to a cluttered environment. Think of your body reacting to the chaos around you, trying to alert you to the problem.

Cortisol is the stress hormone that surges and causes all the symptoms we associate with “fight or flight”. Stress is real and can cause physical symptoms. Stress wreaks havoc on our immune systems and cortisol hormone levels can increase. This seems to be more prevalent in women.

Clutter can Prevent Growth

If you spend your time holding onto the past you will not allow for the freedom to grow, I noticed the correlation between having a sudden urge to declutter and the onset of a fun new growth period.

It seemed so odd to me that out of the blue, I could be walking past a closet and without any forethought open the closet door and start throwing things away in the trash. Within a very short period of time, I would notice new things coming into my life. Not physical stuff, opportunities for personal growth!

This sold me on the idea that ‘when one door closes another door and a window or two opens’.

Just in Case

Do you hang onto things ‘just in case’ you may need them someday? This is due to a scarcity mentality. Maybe you felt you never had enough as a child. Perhaps you have faced financial troubles. Since our thoughts become things stop thinking this way.

This means we seldom if ever use 80% of our possessions. Chances are the things we may need in the future more often than not end up never being used and cause a lot of clutter to build.

Practical Steps to Declutter and Improve Health

Ready to tackle the clutter and improve your health? Here are some practical strategies.

Decluttering Techniques

• Intentional Living
  How do you want to live? It’s about making conscious choices about what you own.
• One-In-One-Out Rule
  For every new item brought in, remove an old one. This can help maintain balance and prevent accumulation.
• Scheduled Decluttering
  Dedicate specific times weekly to clean up. This creates a routine and prevents clutter from becoming overwhelming.

Maintaining a Clutter-Free Space

Decluttering is just the start. Maintaining a clean space is crucial.

• Regular Tidying
• Small daily tidies can prevent big messes.
• Mindful Purchasing
• Before buying something new, consider if you really need it and where you will store it.
• Organizational Systems
• Invest in storage solutions that fit your lifestyle, ensuring everything has a place AFTER you declutter. Do not organize clutter.

By integrating these habits into your life, you’ll keep clutter at bay, promoting a healthier environment.

Support

If you don’t know where to start there are online communities like our Declutterbuzz Facebook group. The connection between clutter and health is undeniable and you owe it to yourself to start decluttering your life today.

Do you remember during the pandemic many of us complained about the mandated isolation to protect ourselves from the Covid virus? We have the freedom to move and grow today, stop squandering this precious commodity!

Make one tiny change today, awake tomorrow, and make another small change. Rinse and repeat. This is all that is required to grow! If you discard one item a day you will be 365 items lighter in one year’s time!