Having a messy room might be the result of a lot of factors. It might mean you are busy and have little time to clean and organize. It might be a sign that you have too much stuff. Or it might be the result of having young kids in the house who are usually not motivated to clean up after themselves.
Is a messy house a sign of mental illness, you might ask. Psychology says that messiness can indeed be a sign that a person is having trouble. Just like someone who is suffering from OCD and has to control everything, being a messy person might show that they are dealing with depression or some other mental illness.
Another common source of too much clutter comes from overbuying or buying things you didn't use or need. Sometimes overbuying happens when you see a good deal and want to stock up. But the problem arises when you overbuy often and end up with more than you will realistically use or need.
But research shows disorganisation and clutter have a cumulative effect on our brains. Our brains like order, and constant visual reminders of disorganisation drain our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus. The visual distraction of clutter increases cognitive overload and can reduce our working memory.
Behavioral/psychological: Clutter caused by depression, attention deficit disorder, low self-esteem or lack of personal boundaries. Time/life management: Clutter caused by the need for better planning. Of these, the behavioral/psychological-driven clutter is the hardest to solve.
One-quarter of Americans cop to having a “clutter problem.” Hardly surprising then, that the average home contains 300,000 items. And there's an emotional cost to that.
Distinguishing between hoarding and clutter
On the face of it they can seem quite similar, but there is a big difference between hoarding and clutter. While clutter is the result of general mess or untidiness, hoarding is more serious. Hoarding is what happens when somebody is suffering from a hoarding disorder.
1. Your house always has a stench. No matter how much cleaning you pretend to do, the rooms in your home always have a slightly odorous stench. While scented candles, air fresheners, and scented sprays can mask the smell for a short period of time, the room always goes back to stinking.
Just about every home has some clutter—even if it's contained behind closed closet doors or tucked away in a garage, basement, or attic. You know where your clutter lurks, and even if it's not visible, it could be causing you stress.
Clutter might be making you sick physically and/or mentally. Motherly's Article, It's Science: Clutter Can Actually Give You Anxiety explains the science of cortisol: “No matter the ways, reasons and means by which the creep of stuff exceeds our ability to mentally and physically manage it—all of it amounts to stress.
While cluttering is not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, it is widely recognized as a condition that affects both men and women in all socioeconomic classes and is commonly dealt with in psychotherapy and community support groups as are mental health disorders that also involve ...
Another reason why it is so hard to declutter is because people find security in owning stuff. If you're someone who grew up without, this is particularly challenging. You begin to view the things you own as a security blanket. You create what-if scenarios in your mind and they become the reason it's tough to detach.
So many people are living in physical clutter which can lead to unhappiness, stress and even depression.
One of the primary ways that clutter affects your mental health is that cluttered spaces make you feel more stressed. Studies show that people who describe their house as cluttered tend to have higher levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol.
Why does mess lead to so much stress? Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli (visual, olfactory, tactile), causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren't necessary or important. Clutter distracts us by drawing our attention away from what our focus should be on.
Lack of focus can lead to slow learning in little ones. Third, clutter makes it hard for them to relax. Most kids find it easier to relax in a well-organized setting. Fourth, clutter causes their brain to think their work is never finished when in reality they might've had a productive day.
For homes in areas with a high amount of pollen each spring or excess dust, it's best to clean the walls every six months. Schedule your first wall cleaning after the spring's pollen season has ended and plan the second cleaning six months later on your calendar.