Clutter and Mental Health: How Decluttering Reduces Anxiety
On this page I will speak about some heavy topics; clutter and mental health. I’ll talk a little about my own mental health journey, how clutter has been proven to cause anxiety, and we will finish with the idea that if you “clean the clutter you will find happiness”.
My journey
I started my journey into decluttering as a way to gain control of a messy house, depression, and an unpleasant relationship. My undergraduate degree is in Psychology (which does not make me a psychologist). It, however, primes me to look at the link between our feelings, the way we think, and the amount of clutter we have in our lives.
Have a think about your own mental health journey, cleaning and decluttering. Do you feel better when things are clean and in their place? Do you find it easier to clean and declutter on a sunny spring day than on a cold winter night? All of this is the link between clutter and mental health in action.
The official acknowledgment of clutter and mental health
Even if none of these things relates to you. It isn’t hard to see the link between clutter and mental health. In recent years, more and more research has been done in this field. Hoarding has been officially classified as a mental health disorder in the DSM-5 (the official psychological “illness” according to Psychologists worldwide).
I want to talk about some current research on clutter and mental health on this page. How can clutter cause anxiety, and what can you do to clean the clutter and become happier?
Doing a basic search on clutter and mental health brings up a variety of interesting sources.
This article states that there appears to be a link between clutter and mental health, based on cortisol levels (a stress hormone in the body). It is even argued that clutter can cause both physical and emotional pain. And that it impacts many other areas of our lives. We all know that we feel physically better when we have a simple schedule and a clean house than when we are overworked, and our house is a mess. If I work too hard for too long, I get this back pain caused by too much stress.
Other impacts of clutter can be our healthy eating, visual processing, overall mental health and how physically safe we feel in our homes. Lastly, this final article goes a bit deeper into why we have clutter, the different types of clutter, mental and physical. It discusses hoarding as an illness and ways to overcome it through decluttering.
Please do note that hoarding is a specific mental health disease that will require more than decluttering and organising.
Reading and doing - actions for mental health
Although reading the above and other useful articles on clutter and mental health is a great first step. In order to change lives around you need to do something. Reading about clutter and mental health is a good start. But change happens through doing — small actions, repeated over time.
If clutter affects your mental and physical well-being a lot, I strongly recommend reaching out to others and getting a counsellor. Most pages on this website are meant to inspire and light a fire you can then act on. You can learn about decluttering and organising, share your progress and ask questions.
How clutter causes mental health issues like anxiety
While writing this article, I roamed around my university campus. Which, for all practical purposes, was still closed (early Jan – there is not much happening). I roam when I work after staying in this lovely, somewhat shady place. It was time to walk and find another space (preferably with coffee, but no luck).
I wanted to sit in the shade and found a spot. It was a bit damp, darker, and messy from all the tree gunk that had fallen over the last few weeks.
I sat for over an hour in my previous spot, happy, productive, and comfortable. At this new spot, I sat for 10 minutes. Even though it looked “alright” when I sat down, it was dirty, it was damp, and then the mosquitoes came out.
Key take away from this story
This is a little analogy of how the place we work and live can make a big impact in our comfort levels as well as our ability to function, work, and our health. Within 3 minutes of sitting in the new spot I was looking for bugs. I was making sure, that I didn’t place my laptop in dirt or water. All little things that cluttered my mind which goes to show how clutter causes anxiety and how quickly this can happen.
How does clutter causes anxiety in your home?
Let’s bring this story back to you. What is it in your house that feels uncomfortable? Is it dust or sand on the floor, are there some creepy crawlies (no judgment I live in Australia – the buggers are everywhere).
What is it you can do for your Mental Health to reduce clutter and anxiety?
Can you air windows, vacuum, and mop
Ask a friend for help
Look at the bare bones of your home.
Will there always be issues with insects, mould or dust?
How can you minimise this?
Mind over matter?
To fully claim “mind over matter” in these situations is wishful thinking. We are influenced by our environment, and vice versa. Our environment is influenced by our actions. You want the odds to be stacked in your favour. To make your home a comfortable place in which you can relax. If this means moving, consider it a real option.
What about the location of your home?
Ask yourself:
Is there a lack of sunlight?
Is it damp because you have an old brick house reclaimed by the forest?
Is this home the best location for reducing clutter and improving your mental health?
Moving house is easier said than done, I know. However, for me personally, I can get depressed in a matter of hours if I need to stay in a gloomy, damp, unclean place for a while.
“Find a sunny, bright clean space to call yours, your mental health and outlook on live will improve.”
Clean the clutter, Improve your mental Health and find happiness
Saying that if you clean the clutter you find happiness is a bit of a catchy title. I am a realist and can’t promise this is all there is to it, but it will help. I can say that a clean and uncluttered home and life can provide more opportunities for happiness and better mental health. You will feel lighter, and you’ll move through life easier. It will give you more options for what you want to do with your life and what challenges you want to take on next.
“A lot will happen externally and internally when you go through the decluttering process. It won’t be easy and won’t make you happy immediately. It can make you happier over time. ”
Creating a cocoon - the basis for good mental health
Our homes can provide shelter from the elements and a cocoon from the outside world. Make it a cocoon that works for you, that nourishes you. A place that is clear from clutter and helps you on your way to find more happiness. Finishing a decluttering or organising session can make you feel happy. Even if this is your first one and you still have 60 sessions to go. I refer to the journey of organised living. The arrival to a “perfect organised home” or “happiness” is elusive. You might find small flitters of it during your days whilst you do your routines.
How cleaning the clutter can help your mental health and maybe help you find happiness.
True happiness is shining your light on the world and bringing your contribution to the forefront. Clearly, cleaning, decluttering and organising can help you on this journey, but they won’t be the destination.
How to get moving if clutter and mental health go together in your life
If you read this page and want to start. Do little things yourself, declutter and organise the easiest thing you can think of in your home.
Go at your own pace
Ask for help
Need help with your mental health?
A friend or counselor can be great sounding boards.
Support for clutter-related anxiety is becoming more available. A counsellor or psychologist can help if the feelings run deep — and there is no shame in asking.
In Summary
On this page, I spoke about some really heavy topics.
Clutter and mental health
How clutter causes anxiety
And we discussed the idea that if you “clean the clutter, you’ll find happiness”
Reach out to counselling services if you need it. A cluttered life or home happened one day and one purchase at a time. This means you can also get out of a cluttered life one day at a time.
Please reach out with how you are going and what is happening and celebrate every small win along the way!
“Organised living is a lifestyle not a destination.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clutter cause anxiety?
Yes — research shows that clutter raises cortisol levels, the body's main stress hormone. A cluttered environment creates constant low-level visual noise that keeps the brain in a mild state of alert. Over time this contributes to anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and a general feeling of being overwhelmed.
How does decluttering help mental health?
Removing clutter reduces the number of visual decisions your brain has to process. It creates a calmer environment and gives you a sense of control over your space. Finishing even one small decluttering session often produces an immediate lift in mood and motivation.
When should I get professional help for clutter and anxiety?
If clutter feels impossible to tackle and is causing significant distress, a counsellor or psychologist can help. Hoarding is a recognised mental health condition and requires professional support — decluttering alone is not enough. For most people, starting small and getting practical help from a professional organiser is a good first step.
Does this resonate?
If it does, Organising Unpacked walks you through the thinking behind a calmer, simpler home — not just the tips, but the mindset underneath them.
References:
Fuller, K. (2021), How Clutter Affects Our Mental Health, https://www.verywellmind.com/decluttering-our-house-to-cleanse-our-minds-5101511 (accessed 8/1/2021)
Gleason, A., Perkes, D & Wand, A. (2021), Managing hoarding and squalor, NPS medicinewise, 44:79-84, 1 June 2021, DOI: 10.18773/austprescr.2021.020, https://www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/managing-hoarding-and-squalor#r8 (accessed 8/1/2021)
Krauss Whitbourne, S. (2017), 5 Reasons Why Clutter Disrupts Mental Health: New research shows why it’s better to live a cleaner and less cluttered life, https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201705/5-reasons-why-clutter-disrupts-mental-health (accessed 8/1/2021)
Sander, L. (2019), What does clutter do to your brain and body? https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/what-does-clutter-do-to-your-brain-and-body (accessed 8/1/2021)
Steel, C. (2020), The Link Between Clutter & Your Mental Health, https://anzmh.asn.au/blog/mental-health/link-between-clutter-and-mental-health (accessed 8/1/2021)
