maintaining organization in one’s home is key to protecting memory, supporting mental clarity, boosting mood and reducing stress. Libby Sander, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Bond University, explains the harmful effects of clutter on one’s emotional and psychological health in her article “What Does Clutter Do to Your Brain and Body?” for News GP, a publication of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Sander writes that “clutter can make us feel stressed, anxious and depressed,” referencing a study conducted in the U.S. in 2009. This study found that “the levels of the stress hormone cortisol were higher in mothers whose home environment was cluttered.” This may be due to the fact that a “chronically cluttered home environment can lead to a constant low-grade fight or flight response, taxing our resources designed for survival.”
This constant state of battle between fight and flight places extreme stress on the brain, particularly the hippocampus. The Harvard Health article “Understanding the Stress Response” notes that a consistent state of fight-or-flight results in “chronic low-level stress, [keeping] the HPA axis activated much like a motor that is idling too high for too long.” The body eventually begins to suffer from this constant state of stress, resulting in health problems like poor memory, weight gain, “increasing blood pressure and raising risk of heart attacks or strokes.” Not only can clutter contribute to health problems in the long run, it can also prevent people from being productive throughout the day, compounding stress and leading to emotional instability. Experts recommend developing an easy system at home, complemented by elements that make the process more enjoyable —like attractive organizers. Those addressing the clutter in their homes should also remind themselves that organization is absolutely an act of self-care!
