How Clutter Impacts Mental Health

Clutter can have a big impact on your mental health. While you may think that owning a few extra things doesn’t make that big an impact on your mental health, it can and often does. There have been many studies that show that clutter increases your stress level, making it hard to focus, causing anxiety, and even worsening ADHD symptoms.

Clutter refers to things that are disorganized throughout your home.

You may not necessarily use the items you have, but you keep them anyway. In previous blogs, we discussed the “Someday Syndrome” and letting go of things you may use “someday.” Clutter is also impacted by fear of the “what if’s” which, as a previous blog discussed, lowers your self-esteem, and reduces your self-confidence. Feeling that you may not be able to work through a situation if you discard something that you might need “someday,” or worry about “what if,” can take a toll on your mental health.

Clutter impacts mental health.

When you become aware of the impact that clutter has on your mental health, such as increasing your stress level, causing you to have difficulty focusing and affecting your relationships, and overall lowering your quality of life, you see that clutter isn’t just clutter. It’s something that can cause you to engage in other unhealthy behaviors, one of which is impulse control. One study indicated that it is difficult to control impulses when your mental health and living environment are stressful or “chaotic.”

One question I often ask myself when dealing with clients is: what motivates them to collect things and be unable to let go of clutter? To one client, in particular, I tried to apply the KonMari Method® while helping her declutter her closet. Each time I asked her if the item “sparked joy,” she said, “yes, keep it.” This approach got us limited results, and the pile of discards was small. Then, I decided to come at the situation from a different direction. I asked her if she felt overwhelmed by the number of things she had, or if the items had sentimental value. I also asked, “are you afraid to let go of things?” It was this question that really had the most value.

Are you afraid to let go of things?

This client, a woman in her eighties, grew up in the depression-era. She was fearful that, despite her improved financial situation, she would never have enough. She did not have a “hoarding mentality” exactly, but more of a “fear mentality.” I think this may be a common reaction for people from the depression era. She also had the feeling that once she let go of something, she could never get it back.

This client is a widow and has lost two husbands. I think some things she wanted to keep had sentimental value, but her primary stumbling block was due to her fear and feelings of loss. I think her items also brought her a sense of security, since she had worn many things during both her marriages. Having sixteen of the same tank-top, and the fear of letting even one go, showed me that I was dealing with an emotional issue. This was not an issue, for her, of what “sparked joy.” Instead of adhering to the Marie Kondo method, I just worked slowly with her, asking gentle questions. Eventually, she saw what I was asking, and she was able to let go of a little more than she thought she could. She realized, too, that there was a lot of emotion tied up in her personal belongings.

Let’s be clear about hoarding.

Hoarding is considered a psychiatric condition characterized by a person’s inability to get rid of possessions. Those who live with a hoarding disorder find that it’s difficult to organize what they own. If you’ve watched the television series Hoarders, you will see that there is a big difference between owning too much, and having an issue with hoarding. Hoarding is a disorder that requires the help of a professional who works exclusively with hoarders, since this may likely be due to other psychiatric conditions like OCD and ADHD. There are organizers who work exclusively with hoarders and are experts in their field. If you or someone you love is a hoarder, know that there are mental health professionals who can help.

You can learn to let go of clutter.

There are many reasons why people keep things they don’t need, use, or want. Be kind to yourself as you go through the decluttering process, knowing that emotional attachments to objects may make it hard to discard your personal belongings.

As we discussed in a much earlier blog, try to envision your ideal lifestyle, and the ideal feeling you’d like your home to reflect. If you keep this in mind during the decluttering and organizing process, it may make things easier for you. If you require additional help, please feel free to contact us at The Uncluttered Life. We can help you work through clutter, as we have many others. Know that, if you believe your fear of letting go is due to a mental health issue, you may also work with a therapist to uncover underlying thoughts or feelings that prevent you from having and enjoying a clutter-free life - one that truly feels good to you.

Mental health is affected by clutter, so it is a good idea to get help if you can’t seem to let go of things, or clutter is holding you back from moving forward in life. Having clutter impacts mental health and can be a result of mental health issues in some circumstances.