The Benefits of Decluttering: Is Cleaning Good for Mental Health?
We all know how stressful it is to live in a cluttered house. Whether you’re navigating piles of moving boxes, or you just haven’t had the time to clean out, it can seriously affect your motivation and mood to be clambering around piles of junk in your living space. According to Neuroscience News, the presence of mess directly contributes to our production of stress hormones – but anyone living in a messy house knows that already! It’s fair to say that the benefits of decluttering far outweigh the positives of holding onto the hoard. Here are a few of the ways a quick clear-out could help you in the long run.
The Mental Health Benefits of Decluttering
There are plenty of psychological benefits of decluttering, from an increase in productivity to less stress and better sleep. Extensive research has been done on the connection between our mental health and our surroundings, ultimately concluding that people living in ‘stressful’ – or cluttered – homes produce spikes of cortisol, a stress-related hormone that keeps our minds awake, aware and usually unhappy.
Boosted Productivity
Mess draws attention, especially when you’re stressed about it. If you’re trying to do anything productive – be it working, cooking, cleaning or planning – you’ll struggle to focus if the clutter is drawing your gaze away. Without mess in the way, your brain will find it easier to focus on a single task in front of you, and you won’t feel like you’re being pulled in multiple directions while doing so.
Better Mood
When you produce high levels of cortisol, you become cranky, frustrated and harder to please. You may lash out at the people around you and act highly strung around your friends, even when you’re trying to relax. Once you’ve removed your stress trigger, you’ll find yourself taking life at an easier pace.
Higher Sleep Quality
Cortisol is a hormone intended to be triggered in survival situations, your body won’t want you to go to sleep while you’re producing it. Think ape: if you’re in danger and you fall asleep, you may not wake up again in the morning. It’s very reasonable in the jungle, but when you’re safe in your bed at home, you don’t want to be prevented from getting a good night’s sleep! By reducing the clutter and your body’s subsequent stress response, you’ll find yourself drifting off that much more easily – and having fewer nightmares, too.
More Time and Energy
Without the clutter crowding your mind, you’ll have more time and energy to focus on the things that really matter. You won’t have to spend every day worrying about tidying up anymore – once it’s done, you’ll have a chance to breathe. Whether you want to focus on hobbies, health or coping mechanisms, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to turn your attention to the things you want to do once your brain has stopped telling you about your messy surroundings.
The Physical Benefits of Decluttering
The health benefits of decluttering don’t stop at psychological boosts. Your physical health can also be helped by a little environmental TLC, whether you’re hoovering a long-neglected carpet corner or scrubbing down the tiles you haven’t seen in a few weeks. Here are a few of the bonuses your body will get when you finish decluttering and start to relax in your clean and tidy home.
Clean Air
Mildew and mould are less likely to build up when you have four well-ventilated walls. Without piles of boxes gathering dust, you can purge the gunk from your home and breathe clean air once again. If you have asthma, you may find that you need to use your inhaler less often than you did when your house was cluttered. You’re also less likely to catch lung infections like pneumonia when you’ve restored a good airflow to your home.
Better Immunity
Without stress focusing all your energy on the clutter, your body will be able to allocate more resources to its defences. If you’ve ever worked a week of late nights during a crunch or gone through a family emergency, you’ll know that the sicknesses gravitate to stress like moths to a flame – and it takes a long time to get better when you’re already worn down and burned out! When your home is clean, your body will feel less immediate pressure to keep you alive, and will use that energy to keep you from getting sick instead.
Is Decluttering Good for You?
In short: yes! There are plenty of benefits to decluttering, and not very many disadvantages. It’s important to remember that anyone can declutter, whether you’re able to purge to a minimalist degree or you simply need somewhere out of the way to store sentimental items. If you don’t have the time or the energy to start decluttering today, hiring a storage unit is a great way to get started without having to crunch-clean and stress yourself out.
Posted on 10th October 2022 by Shanaiqua Desa | Last updated on 16th April 2025
