Let me preference this with a story. My cat reminded me the other day of why I needed to do a spring clean of my office. To celebrate international wildlife day she presented me, and my office, with her first capture of spring, a live mouse.

This isn’t unusually for anyone who has cats. Come spring each year I’m presented, by anyone of our four cats, with a live or semi-live offering. This can range from mice, shrews to birds. It is nothing to joke about when you have to waste half, and sometimes most of the day, trying to catch said offering.

Unfortunately because of Covid I’d let my normally more organized office become a little unorganised. Trust me trying to catch a live, and very active, mouse when the room is dishevelled is no mean feat. I still haven’t caught the mouse. I’m hoping or at least I’m telling myself that the poor thing wandered back out through the open doors I left for it to make its escape.

Why am I telling you this? Well as I said it reminded me of how much my office needed a good spring clean. But it also reminded me of how much I had neglected it now that all my work had gone online. More importantly it reminded me of why I needed to keep that office clear and clean. Not just for catching mice more easily but also how much my mental health benefited from it being more organized.

How Clutter Impacts Your Mental And Physical Health.

Research shows us that clutter can have a big impact on our mental and physical health. Some of the following reasons might give you the motivation to begin.

1 Clutter may impact your self-confidence.

When we declutter it can help us feel more self-confident and self-efficient. On the other hand when we let things pile up we can have this nagging sense that because we cannot keep things organized and tidy we are somehow failing.

We feel less like an adult as a result. This can trigger old memories of being incompetent, incapable, and almost juvenile again in some way. We wait for someone to tell us off and to clean our room. This can all go on subconsciously for us. But it may knock out self-confidence enough to affect us in other parts of our lives as well.

2 Your anxiety and depression increases.

Research shows us that with clutter our stress increases. This releases more stress hormones into our body putting us at a great chance of developing anxiety and depression.

Although when we are already stressed and tired it can seem a bit much to ask us to put away and keep things tidy. But if you want help your mood, stress, anxiety and depression then a little tidy up or clean out will help a lot.

3 Health and safety issues arise.

Having piles of clutter around the office and home can be a health and safety nightmare. Not just because of the physical dangers it can cause. How many of you have stood on a piece of Lego? Any parent will tell you the pain is excruciating! Clutter increases the likelihood of trips, falls and accidents in the home.

It also affects our immune systems. How can you keep your home clean when you have piles of clutter lying around? Dust and dirt builds up and can cause so many problems for our immune system. Plus if you have a pre-existing condition it could exacerbate it.

4 Clutter increases our stress levels also.

Stress is a natural response. But some things can trigger it to become worse. As I’ve said research indicates that clutter is one of them. When we cannot find things in our home and office, when we have to waste precious time also, then the clutter is only adding to the pressure we feel. Its making us more stressed than we already are and perpetuates an already negative cycle.

Setting some time aside to declutter and put together a proper organization system will help reduce some of that pressure. Not having to look at a cluttered room, or come home to a cluttered home, will noticeable reduce our stress. When we start to live clutter free we also lift our mood.

5 It’s a time killer.

We can spend a huge amount of wasted time trying to find things in our offices and homes. Time better spent elsewhere, on things we enjoy and positive people in our lives. When we can get a simple system of organization in place it can save us time and money. We won’t use up value time and raise our stress levels in the process battling the clutter just to get the basics done.

6 Impacts your sleep.

A cluttered bedroom will have a negative impact on us psychologically. Poor sleep has huge implications for our mental and physical health. Our brain cannot relax and shut off as effectively if we are faced with a cluttered room. We have that constant nagging in our mind that reminds us we need to tackle the mess.

Decluttering even one room in our home could help improve our mental and physical health. If you need to tackle an entire home then I’d suggest you start with your bedroom as this room will have the biggest impact on your life.

7 It affects your relationships.

If you have every lived with someone you know how much tension can arise from clutter. Arguments go up and you find yourself snapping at your partner and kids. You spend way too much time having to find something as simple as your keys. Being even a little organized and having a place for key items will reduce those family tensions.

Kids can learn from an early age how to clean up after themselves. Having somewhere to put things will reduce the clutter. Having a regular clean out will get rid of things we no longer need. Remember reducing and recycling doesn’t just benefit our environment but also our mental health and relationships. So give it ago, even just for the sake of your relationships.

As you can see our ancestors might have been on to something with spring cleaning.   Perhaps having that spring clean might not only help your home look cleaner but it will also help improve your life.

Have You Thought About Doing An Emotional And Mental Declutter Also?

There has been a lot of talk about how minimising or decluttering your home can help with your mental and physical health. But equally important is to declutter you emotions and your mind.

These are often overlooked, but can and do help improve your mental and physical health much quicker than just a physical declutter alone. You can find out how to do this in my blog here.

Reach Out For Support.

Remember you are allowed to ask for support. No one is an island. In fact I would strongly advice you make sure you create a positive support system before you start to make any changes in your life. One part of that positive support system is working a therapist. Please reach out to a local therapist if you need to.

My Workbooks.

I offer a variety of tips and discuss a range of topics in my workbooks The Building Blocks Of Self-Care, Moving Towards Self-forgiveness, The Little Book Of Reflection And Gratitude and Building Acceptance Into Your Life. You can purchase them on Amazon or here.