After a long day of work, errands and responsibilities, your physical and mental energy is probably running low. You might just drop your jacket at the front door instead of hanging it up. You might leave your dirty clothes on the floor, promising yourself you’ll wash them tomorrow. These are totally understandable things to do that you don’t need to feel guilty about. However, if these instances become a pattern, they can lead to clutter.

Clutter can be anything from a disorganized desk to boxes of unwanted odds and ends. It often comes from having far too much unnecessary stuff. In fact, it’s estimated that Americans have approximately $7,000 of unused items in their home. In addition to being hard to manage, clutter can also be affecting your mental health in ways that you may not recognize.

Clutter and mental health challenges are often connected. By learning about how they’re intertwined, you can take active steps to address your clutter and improve your overall well-being.

Here are four ways that clutter can impact your mental health:

• Stress from not finding something

When you have clutter around your house or desk, it means that things aren’t where they should be. When you’re trying to find something, such as an important document or your only winter jacket, clutter gets in the way of a goal or task. This can lead to stress and anxiety, further affecting your brain’s ability to think logically about the item’s place.

• Negative environment

Not everyone loves a squeaky-clean home, and that’s OK. However, clutter can often bring negative emotions that impact your quality of life in your own house. On top of anxiety caused by disorganization, clutter can also reduce your comfort in the house. If you feel surrounded by clutter, you may feel frustrated and ashamed, making it hard to relax and enjoy a place that you’re meant to call home.

• Lack of productivity

Your ability to be productive plays a significant role in your mental health. Productivity shows yourself, and others, your capabilities and motivation to reach certain goals. But if clutter makes it hard to find the documents you need to complete a work project, or your overflowing closet prevents you from finding the craft supplies you’re looking for, it can reduce your productivity and affect your self-esteem.

• Embarrassment that impacts relationships

Your friends, family and significant others are meant to provide you with support during hard times and give you a sense of belonging. But if you feel embarrassed by the clutter in your home, you may not invite people over, preventing you from connecting with others and making memories that you can look back on. 

What to do when clutter impacts your mental health

The solution to clutter that’s impacting your mental health may seem straightforward: Clean it up. However, it can go deeper than that. 

Some people may not have the space to put everything they need in a nice-and-neat box. Clutter can also come from mental health conditions that impact your ability to be productive and clean, such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, depressive episodes. It can also be a sign of hoarding that associated with trauma.

Improving your organization with creative space solutions and routine cleaning routines are great steps. However, if it’s at the root of your mental health challenges, then you may benefit from professional help.

Talking to a mental health professional, such as a licensed therapist, can help you dive deeper into your clutter issue to pinpoint where it stems from (e.g., a fear of losing memories). They can help you gain perspective on your habits and how you can improve them for a better quality of life.

Lightfully can help you declutter your mind

Clutter in your life can often lead to a cluttered mind that’s overflowing with anxiety and self-doubt. At Lightfully, we can help you sort through your negative thoughts and feelings to move along your mental health journey.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of conditions like depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder that needs more intensive care than outpatient therapy, our personalized treatment plans can help to reduce their impact on your everyday life. Our four levels of care are:

• Residential Treatment
• Partial Hospitalization Program 
• Intensive Outpatient Program
• Virtual Services (vPHP/vIOP)

We take a unique approach to treatment called Precision Care Model (PCM), which uses the most effective aspects of evidence-based treatments to target the drivers behind mental health disorders and symptoms.

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of you.