Now more than ever people are downsizing, decluttering, and tidying up. After minimalism rose as a trend, Marie Kondo shared the “Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” and a pandemic relegated millions of people to life indoors, it’s no wonder that people are paring down their belongings to the essentials. Is there any clinical evidence to support the effects of a tidy environment on your mental health?
Clinical research has demonstrated a clear link between your immediate environment and your mental health. For many people, being surrounded by clutter and untidiness is a contributor to stress, anxiety and even burnout at work.
Basically, your psychological perceptions of the space around you matter. According to a study by Sander et al. even proposed a framework to gauge people’s cognitive and emotional reactions to their workspaces, known as the Reactions to the Physical Work Environment Scale (RPWES). The framework is justified by the body of research documenting stressful or chaotic workspaces as a contributor to stress.
Another study examined the impact of a chaotic kitchen on one’s unhealthy food choices. The study, run by Cornell University, assessed female undergraduate’s with both in-control and out-of-control mindsets in a chaotic kitchen environment to see who would consume more unhealthy snack choices. While mindset going into a chaotic situation plays a huge role in avoiding adverse effects, it’s also clear that chaotic and cluttered environments can leave you particularly vulnerable to overconsumption.
From a cognitive perspective, visual clutter can actually increase cognitive overload and reduce our working memory, essentially due to distraction. Neuroscience research has found that clearing clutter and tidying a workspace promotes better focus and productivity by reducing the stress of visual distractions.
Finally, living in a home that is constantly cluttered or overcrowded with belongings can leave your body in a constant low-grade fight or flight mode. This takes a huge toll on your mental and physical health, and can worsen stress, anxiety, and depression.
It seems that while tidying up may not change your life drastically, it can certainly improve your mood, your focus, your mental health and sleep, and even the way you view your home and life itself.
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