Will Clutter Improve Your Mental Health?
In this blog we will talk about the top 5 reasons why reducing clutter improves mental health. It is proven that clutter can affect our anxiety levels, sleep, and ability to focus. Having clutter and piles of mess can make us less productive. Additionally, it might hinder our productivity by inducing coping and avoidance mechanisms that increase our tendency to nibble on unhealthy foods and watch TV shows.
What is clutter
The dictionary states clutter is “a collection of things lying about in an untidy state”. It simply refers to anything untidy and messy
in your surroundings. However, clutter is more thought of; as a pile of mess that needs sorting out and that’s got out of control.
To break it down more, HMB Training believes clutter is items:
- which makes your space disordered or messy;
- that are not useful, necessary or bringing you happiness in your life; and
- over which you have deferred making decisions.
Clutter is more often a symptom than a cause. It is a sign that you are not making decisions—or the wrong decisions—about the things in your environment. There are several justifications for deferring these choices. For instance, it can be that you are too busy or that you are unable to force yourself to make a decision because it feels too emotional.
Definition of decluttering
The process of decluttering is determining if the items in your environment are genuinely clutter. If not, it is determining where the items belong and taking the appropriate action. It is understanding why you have clutter in the first place will help you create a lasting change via the process.
Hoarding Disorders UK has a helpful measure of clutter on their website. Their image scale can help people pick which picture in the sequence comes closest to the situation in rooms in their house e.g. their living room, kitchen and bedroom. Hoarding Disorders UK say, in general, having stuff surrounding you that reaches the level of picture # 4 or higher impinges enough on people’s lives to the extent that it would encourage them to get help for a hoarding problem.
The most important thing to remember is that clutter affects how you feel in your area. Everyone defines a messy home differently depending on their personal preferences. When there is a chair in a room full of clothes, for some people, that is a sign of a cluttered home. Others may experience it when they realise they must make ways through their belongings.
What is mental health
It is estimated that 1 in 6 people in a week experience a common mental health problem. With 17.4% of children aged 6-16 having a probable mental health disorder last year.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. However, everyone has mental health.
The term mental illness covers a very broad range of mental health problems which can involve changes to our thoughts, emotions, behaviours and relationships with others. Mental illnesses are associated with distress and problems functioning in our day-to-day lives… Mental illness is not always curable but is treatable.
Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behaviour could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:
- Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
- Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
- Family history of mental health problems
Mental health problems are common but help is available. People with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely.
Early Warning Signs
Not sure whether you or a loved one is dealing with mental health issues? An early indicator of a problem could be one or more of the following feelings or behaviour:
- Eating or sleeping too much or too little
- Pulling away from people and usual activities
- Having low or no energy
- Feeling numb or like nothing matters
- Having unexplained aches and pains
- Feeling helpless or hopeless
- Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
- Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
- Yelling or fighting with family and friends
- Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
- Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head
- Hearing voices or believing things that are not true
- Thinking of harming yourself or others
- Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school
How does declutter impact on mental health
Even though acquiring a few extra items might not seem like a huge problem, clutter can actually be bad for your mental health. Clutter can harm relationships, make it difficult to concentrate, raise stress levels, and more.
Although it is apparent how clutter affects your physical space, some people are unaware of the detrimental consequences clutter can have on their mental health.
Of course, not everyone is adversely affected by clutter. For instance, perfectionist personalities are more prone to experience stress from clutter. But you’ll be better equipped to determine if there’s a chance for you to change your physical environment and enhance your mental health by becoming aware of how much clutter you have and whether you experience any stress as a result.
- 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.
- Clutter can actually be distracting. Our brains can only focus on a limited amount of stimuli at a time. So if you’re surrounded by clutter when you’re trying to work from home, for example, the clutter can actually make it harder for you to think clearly.
- Research shows that people with cluttered homes tend to procrastinate on important tasks. You might have to dig through stacks of papers to pay the bills, or maybe you have so many piles of dirty clothes that it feels overwhelming to start the laundry.
- It’s not uncommon for spouses, partners, or even roommates to argue over whether one person’s things are taking up too much space. There might be added strain in a relationship if your clutter is an annoyance to the person you’re living with. In addition, if you’re not inviting friends over because your home is cluttered, you might feel a sense of social isolation or even shame.
- One study found that a cluttered environment combined with an “out-of-control mind-set” triggered participants to engage in unhealthy eating behaviours. In other words, the research suggests that it can be more difficult to control your impulses when your mental health and your environment are stressful or “chaotic.”
- Clutter can easily lead to a nearly constant feeling of frustration as you struggle to complete daily tasks. The time you spend looking for objects you need or attempting to organise your items could be time spent with loved ones, doing some self-care, or even just relaxing.
- One study found that clutter, particularly among older adults, decreased overall life satisfaction.
Read on to find out our 5 Top Reasons Why Reducing Clutter Improves Mental Health.
Why Reducing Clutter Improves Mental Health
We know having an untidy environments often increase stress for most people. In one study, women who described their homes with positive language had a lower level of the stress hormone cortisol than women who described their homes as cluttered or unfinished.
5 Top Reasons Why Reducing Clutter Improves Mental Health
For most people, decluttering can promote productivity and improvements in mental and physical health. Benefits of decluttering include:
- Better focus. Clutter makes it difficult to find what you need. It may also distract you. Getting rid of visual clutter can help you focus better on any task at hand.
- Higher self-esteem. When you have trouble staying organized, you may feel out of control. Improving your living space can restore feelings of competency and pride.
- Better relationships. Conflict with family or roommates often occurs when one person can’t control clutter. Also, you may be more comfortable inviting friends into your home when it’s tidy.
- Lower risk of asthma and allergies. You may think your house is messy but not dirty. But it’s hard to clean around piles of belongings. Decluttering can prevent pests and reduce dust, mould, and mildew, which may trigger asthma and allergies.
- Improved lifestyle and well-being. It’s easier to prepare healthy meals in an orderly kitchen. And most people sleep better in a neat room with a tidy bed.
An Expert to help
We know at HMB Training Services that declutter can be overwhelming. Having a specialist in to help you can reduce on the stress and
anxiety on where to start. Stephanie Jane Declutter Expert can help and give advice on where to start, how to declutter, understand the meaning behind your clutter and much more.
Stephanie will help you:
- Start small. If you pick one drawer or cabinet to organise, you’ll be less likely to get discouraged. The pleasure of seeing and using a well-organised space will serve as positive feedback, prompting you to do more.
- Build in structure. If you invite friends over for dinner, you’ll be motivated to declutter your kitchen. If you schedule someone to take your unneeded items, you’ll have a target date for completing your decluttering. Make sure you allow some extra time, as decluttering can take longer than you expect.
- Don’t strive for perfection. There’s no need to hide items that you use a lot. Also, try not to judge your spaces against those of other people.
You can Contact Stephanie Here for more information on decluttering, and help you with the 5 Top Reasons Why Reducing Clutter Improves Mental Health.
HMB Training – Mental Health First Aid Courses
Our mental health first aid courses are ran by a team of trainers; Heather and Mathew where they include stories of others and their own experiences. Bringing real life scenarios to the classroom not only enhances learning but understand what people may go through in their day-to-day lives. HMB Training Services are passionate in saving lives and spreading the awareness of Mental Health within our mental health first aid courses. In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem (such as anxiety and depression) in any given week.
What is included in out Mental Health Courses
Our courses are structured into modules, discussions and videos. Our three levelled courses (level1 , level 2 and level 3) start with introduction into mental health first aid including the relevance into first aid elements. Understanding the impact of mental health problems from; day-to-day, physical health, work and education. You will understand the effects of stigma associated with mental illness and know how to cope. Knowing mental health on a continuum with being diagnosed and un-diagnosed. Understanding the risk factors, just like our cake analogy, and when early warning signs of mental health is becoming a problem. On our level one course you will understand how to start a difficult conversation. On our level two and three course you will have the opportunity to make these conversations through our role play activity. Know when and how to make a call especially if you believe the person is in a state of crisis.
All of our levelled courses include: Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Psychosis, Eating Disorders, Self-harm and Suicide.
Level two course includes Drugs and Alcohol, Self-medicating, additional signposting, and first aid plan – role play activity, Mental Health in the Workplace and the Five Steps to Mental Well-Being.
Level three course includes all of level two as above and: Personality Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and more in depth in each condition on how to sign post and get further help.
Why become trained in Mental Health First Aid?
Attending a mental health course will help you to realise just how widespread the problem can be for individuals who are affected by poor mental health, as well as create a new perspective on all of the ways it can affect their lives. Knowing more about poor mental will not only reduce stigma but get people talking without judgement. Talking more reduces the signs and symptoms but reduces the chances of mental health becoming a diagnosable mental health illness.
We have courses online delivered via zoom, or in our classroom at Brownhills. If you have a group of staff need training to become Mental Health First Aiders we can come to your classroom on site.
To view our open courses please click here; Mental Health First Aid
Contact us
Call us on 01543 453338 or email at info@hmbtrainingservices.co.uk
