Obsessive Compulsive Spartanism, also known as Obsessive Decluttering, is usually seen as a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
People that have compulsive decluttering disorder think that any items around them are cluttering or disrupting their everyday lives. Throwing these items away gives them satisfaction, and gives them the idea that they are in control of their lives.
Mental health problems associated with hoarding include: severe depression. psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
The Psychology Behind Clutter
The chaos of an unorganized environment can mirror the chaos in our minds, making it difficult to relax or concentrate. Experts in the field of psychology and organization have observed that decluttering can significantly improve one's mood and mental health.
Evidence suggests that having a messy, cluttered environment can create stress and interfere with your ability to concentrate, at least for some people. The actual act of cleaning and decluttering can boost your mood, help you move your body more, improve focus, and help you feel more in control of your surroundings.
Certain ways of dealing with stress can be dangerous. If you start smoking or smoke more, you put your health in danger. Gambling, over-spending money, self-harming, restricting or binging and purging food, and feeling driven to have an "adrenalin rush" with dangerous activities can all become dangerous as well.
Compulsive decluttering is a term for obsessive decluttering and stems from the inability to handle mess. Compulsive decluttering is also known as obsessive-compulsive spartanism and involves decluttering to the point of living with almost nothing in the house.
It has devised five main personality types when it comes to clearing out the house, and and thought up hacks to make decluttering easier for each of them. Among the five types are the sentimentalist; the materialist; the high achiever; the evader; and the habit keeper.
We may unearth feelings of nostalgia, regret, longing and loss, as well as confront unresolved issues and emotional 'baggage' that have accumulated over time. In this process, decluttering becomes a form of emotional catharsis—a release of blocked emotions and a step towards healing.
Some researchers believe hoarding can relate to childhood experiences of losing things, not owning things, or people not caring for you. This might include experiences like: Money worries or living in poverty in childhood. Having your belongings taken or thrown away by someone.
Hoarding has been associated with a wide variety of personality disorders as well. The most frequent finding has been that hoarding is associated with obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), and in some cases even when the hoarding criterion is excluded (5, 16, 18, 19, 23).
Obsessive Compulsive Spartanism, also known as Obsessive Decluttering, is usually seen as a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Unlike hoarding, obsessive decluttering does not have its own entry in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM).
A devotion to the habits and qualities of the ancient Spartans, especially to an indomitable spirit, undaunted hardihood, and stark simplicity.
Extreme decluttering is when people get rid of huge amounts of things in the decluttering process. This isn't when people end up with a bag or two of things. When people extreme declutter they are getting rid of a high volume of things. These people went for it and have very dramatic before and afters.
The act of decluttering does more than clear physical space. It sends a powerful message to your brain: you are in control, you can make positive change, and you deserve a peaceful environment. Decluttering lets us reduce overwhelming feelings, practice decision-making, and rediscover a sense of calm in our homes.
When it comes to feeling overwhelmed by many little things needing to be done, the most significant divide by far was between the Turbulent (83%) and Assertive (50%) personality traits – a difference of 33%. Due to their Turbulent Identity, Constant Improvers and Social Engagers are more sensitive to stress in general.
That act of regularly organizing and cleaning your space leaves you feeling accomplished because you're seeing the task through to completion. “It activates the reward process in the brain and releases feel-good hormones such as dopamine,” explains Miller.
What is the first thing you should do when decluttering? Not all clutter is trash, but starting with the clutter that is might be a sensible place to start. Clear counters of old mail, shipping boxes, and other items that can be tossed. Doing this room-by-room will give you a clean slate to start actually organizing.
'The key to being ruthless when decluttering is to remember that your items are not serving anyone by sitting in a storage room, or a musty basement or attic,' she adds. 'If the item is no longer serving you, let it go so that it can benefit someone else. '
It's possible that you use cleaning rituals to cope with other conditions, like anxiety. Or maybe you just thrive in a clean environment. But obsessive cleaning can become a threat to your well-being when the need for cleanliness and order becomes unmanageable.
The biggest challenge of decluttering is our mindset, the way we think about the things we own and no longer use or love. Changing the way we think and embracing healthier attitudes to our lives and our possessions frees us to make wise choices and change our lives for the better.
It is entirely possible to declutter too much. Decluttering incessantly will result in you not being able to complete daily tasks easily – not because you can't get around your house but because you don't have what you need. You can also suffer from declutter regret, missing items you once let go of.