We’ve all experienced the stress of not being able to find our keys or searching the couch for the remote or looking everywhere for our wallet. More often than not, this stress and this situation are caused by clutter, a mess, and disorganization.
You don’t have to be extremely messy or be a hoarder to be experiencing the negative impact of having excess clutter in your home.
Something as simple as a pile of dirty clothes, a jam-picked dresser drawer, or a desk covered in papers and mail- can all cause an increase in anxiety and stress. But there is a solution- and it’s called “de-cluttering”.
According to psychologist Dr Bhavna Barmi, when interviewed on the subject for Health Shots digital magazine, “A cluttered space can feel overwhelming. It overloads your brain with too much sensory information. This results in irritability, increase in stress levels, and disturbed focus.”
She goes on to say, “Decluttering your space can help create a sense of confidence and self-efficacy. It will give you the power of decision-making and problem-solving. Whether to keep or discard an item is in your hands and you can do as you like.”
That all sounds wonderful. But where do we begin?
Getting started can feel a little overwhelming, so the key is to start small. Tackle one area at a time. If your desk is covered with documents, junk mail, and other miscellaneous items- start there, and keep it simple.
Your first step could be to go through the items and discard anything that can be thrown out. Expired Coupons, credit card offers, and so on. Rip it up or shred it, and get rid of it.
Next, look around and see what else really stands out to you as clutter. Are there dirty clothes on a chair or in a pile somewhere? If so, collect them, and put them into a laundry basket. You don’t have to do the laundry right away, but just by putting it in the right place, you’ll be creating more space in your home and in your mind.
In the same interview Dr. Barmi explains that “When things feel out of order, it makes us feel scattered and anxious. Humans actually prefer order and symmetry. Hence, creating order reduces your anxiety.” Makes sense.
Decluttering and cleaning your environment opens up space in your home and your mind. It’s also a great way to relieve stress through the exercise and focus it gives you. Again, the key is to start small- a drawer, a bookshelf, or even a single corner of a room.
Believe it or not, cleaning up doesn’t have to feel like a chore, and can actually be kinda fun. Just put on some music, or a podcast, or even a movie you’ve seen a million times, that you’d enjoy hearing in the background. Then feel the uplift of the activity at hand and the good feelings that come from taking care of yourself and your surroundings.
The bottom line is, that how we live has a profound effect on how we feel. So instead of waiting to feel better to clean up, try cleaning up to feel better. It works, it really does.
For more information on the benefits of de-cluttering as well as useful tips, check out the following site: https://www.
