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What happens to your mind when you declutter

The hidden benefits. - by Olivia Hart
  • 25 Aug 2020

Clutter is distracting. Rather than paying attention to your zoom meeting or dinner prep, it’s easy to get caught up trying to tidy. 

WATCH: Ways to make your home a clutter-free space

Sometimes you get half-way through the mess only to find that it’s growing as you go.

When clutter takes over and you start to feel like it's controlling you, rather than the other way around, your messy space can oftentimes create a messy mind.  

Psychotherapist Dana Dorfman, told Domino that, “Our brains can process information more clearly and efficiently in an organized space.”

Keeping on top of mess can feel like a lifelong chore, but the results show that those who keep their spaces tidy have clearer minds and feel they have more time to get other things done.

In comparison, those who don’t keep things tidy, tend to lean on comfort behaviour like bad eating patterns, and are less productive at work.

According to Dr. Eva Selhub, M.D., and author, “When you're organized at work, you're more productive and efficient, which means you're able to finish at a reasonable time and go home. This leaves you with the time you need to exercise, prepare a healthy meal, relax, and get more sleep."

A very messy bedroom
Getty

The quickest way to a crystal-clear mind is to do a deep cleansing purge of your own home. We know it sounds scary but the less you own, the fewer things you have to clutter up your eyeline.

“A cluttered or disorganized accumulation of possessions may make it difficult to ‘move on’ from the past or live in the present,” says Dorfman.

Making cut-throat decisions about personal items is rough, but if it’s for the sake of being more present then it’s likely worth it. Besides, everyone always has that one piece of clothing they think they’re going to wear again or an exercise machine they promised themselves to use in summer.

Once you start controlling the clutter, it’s likely to become a habit and those who commit long-term to keep their spaces clutter-free wind up with a happier brain.   

Very messy kitchen
Getty

For anyone who has sworn off trying to clean and surrendered to simply being a messy person, you might want to keep reading and reconsider.  

“Studies show that people experience a significant decrease in the stress hormone cortisol when items are removed,” says Dorfman.

Those will less cluttered spaces, are often less stressed, and this can improve a multitude of areas in your life. These lucky few who’ve mastered the art of tidying up tend to eat better, have stronger relationships, perform well at work, and sleep soundly.

Now, doesn’t that all sound dreamy?

You may also like:

10 storage and organisation ideas for kids' rooms

The wardrobe hack to declutter and change your life

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