The Unhealthy Effects of Clutter
A guide
Over the past decade, much academic and clinical research has been devoted to mental health and its many subcategories. Anxiety is one of these subcategories and has been the subject of a great deal of literature and data gathering. There are many different causes of anxiety, one of which has roots in one’s home and/or personal environment. The healthcare and wellness industry has written extensively on the culpability of pollutants in the air, and in our food and water, but only recently has some effort been turned toward the effect of clutter on anxiety. While many might intuitively find a connection, it has taken some time to find clinical support, or at the very least a correlation.
Affecting everything from quality of sleep to a better diet, de-cluttering supports many aspects of healthful living. Indeed, even the process of de-cluttering has been shown to spike endorphin levels in people, giving them a better sense of well-being, which in turn helps them to complete the circle of adopting other healthy habits.
For example, a longitudinal study of several years by NiCole Keith of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis concluded that those in urban areas with tidier homes tend to be healthier than those whose homes are messy. In addition, in evaluating the subjects of the study, the process of tidying was shown to be healthier than walking outdoors. A 2011 study conducted by Princeton University Neuroscience Institute (Stephanie McMains, et al), showed that people tend to be more productive in clutter-free environments, in addition to being less irritable and distracted.
Another interesting study from 2013 in Psychological Science showed how clean and clutter -free environments stimulate positive behaviors such as donating to charity and choosing healthy snacks over unhealthy ones.
Much of this has to do with a particular hormone called cortisol. This hormone, produced by the adrenal cortex, is often referred to as the stress hormone (relieves stress). Its job is to help us feel more at ease in difficult circumstances, and to aid in bringing us back to a normal state of being. One way in which it does this is by stimulating the release of glucose into the bloodstream, therefore providing an extra energy source for cells, and offering a respite from that which ails us. The downside to this is if the stress is chronic (i.e. ongoing), the extra glucose continuously produced will lead to weight gain, and the cascading effects of that on our overall health.
Therefore, our goal is to avoid chronic stress, such as that which results from our homes being consistently disorganized. Once we take a methodical approach to de-cluttering and then maintaining, we can enjoy the sanctuary which our homes provide and the multitude of benefits to our bodies and psyches.
