While it might be a frightening thought, one in five of us will experience a mental health issue at some point in our lives, and thankfully, a healthy mind is now considered to be as important as a healthy body. One important change we can all make in our lives to help combat a mental health issue and which requires no visit to a doctor or therapist – is to unclutter our homes and our workspaces.
How an uncluttered home can mean an uncluttered mind:
Studies conducted in recent years have consistently showed us that women with cluttered homes experience elevated levels of cortisol, the hormone most associated with stress. Untidy and cluttered living and workspaces often cause us to be over-stimulated mentally and to be plagued with worries about what we should be doing, but for whatever reason, are not doing. The clutter that we’re surrounded by leads us to be reminded about unfinished work or projects that we haven’t had the time or inclination to complete, and can unnecessarily occupy our mind spaces, leaving little room for other, more rational thoughts. If left untended to, excessive clutter can make the most basic of cleaning tasks become more difficult for us to even contemplate doing, let alone acting upon, and before we know it, our homes are dirty and cluttered.
Other ways in which clutter can affect your mental state and life in general:
Did you know that a cluttered and untidy home, can even cause arguments and tension among loved ones? With that constant visual reminder that there is work that needs to be done and precious little time to do it in, friction can quickly occur between partners and other members of the household, from full-on rows to snapping, chiding and nagging, the potential for conflict is lurking around every corner in a cluttered home. If you recognize that the state of your home is having negative consequences for your personal relationships, try adopting a minimalist approach and encouraging your other family members to do the same. Minimal clutter should help reduce the workload, but it’s still important to tackle the other cleaning tasks that will need to be done regularly in order to achieve a harmonious home, such as laundry, dishes, vacuuming and dusting. When dishes build up in the sink night after night, arguments are bound to occur, so finding the time to complete the smaller but equally important tasks is essential. Decluttering will certainly be a start, but for a truly uncluttered mind, the whole home should be as clean and tidy as is reasonably possible.
A good night’s sleep can help cleanse the mind, so bedrooms should be conducive to this:
It’s no myth that having a good quality period of sleep can help to relieve tension and enable us to think more clearly, so it’s important that the room we choose to rest in, is devoid of clutter and grime. Studies have repeatedly shown that those people who made their beds every morning, were more likely to achieve a good night’s sleep, and with an uncluttered room to wake up to, the mind is already off to a good start before the day has even begun.
If you’re living with a mental illness and are looking for ways to help keep your stress levels at a minimum, then tackling the clutter in your home is a fantastic way to start. If you need help with this, then simply call in the professionals who will have your home clean and clutter-free in next to no time.
