Do you ever look around your home and want to toss everything out?
Does the sight of all the physical stuff become so overwhelming that you dream of renting a big dumpster and chucking it all out your front door?
I understand if you do! And there’s a reason you might be feeling this way, especially if you’re finding it hard to start or stay consistent with healthy habits. Even if you are super consistent with your habits, you might have an opportunity to make it easier to keep them up or find more time to spend on yourself by reducing the clutter in your home.
In today’s post, I’ll dive into how living in a cluttered home might be the silent culprit behind your struggle to establish and maintain healthy habits. We’ll discuss how clutter goes far beyond the surface and can impact stress, anxiety, sleep, productivity, physical activity, and overall nutrition.
Clutter’s Impact on Stress & Anxiety
Visual clutter becomes a challenge because it’s a source of constant stimulation that then becomes a distraction. The more stuff you have around, the more your visual cortex bombards you with excessive stimuli, which makes it harder to focus and process information. This constant visual noise overwhelms your senses and leads to increased stress levels. The more clutter you have around, the more distracting it becomes, keeping you from more important tasks. This constant disruption can make it challenging to complete tasks efficiently and lead to frustration and anxiety. Ever find yourself just staring at the pile of laundry, dishes in the sink, mail on the counter, and feel frozen to take any action? Too much clutter can do this for sure!
There are two other lesser-discussed aspects of clutter that I’ve seen seriously impact people and might be uncomfortable to discuss openly. First, clutter can make you feel an immense amount of guilt or shame about the state of your home. These negative emotions can erode your self-esteem and increase stress and anxiety. These feelings can become so intense that it becomes difficult to even want to have guests in your home. Second, clutter can also strain relationships, as household members may argue about the mess. This tension can create a stressful home environment. I don’t know any couples who haven’t argued over the stuff in their home, do you??
Personally, the area where I’ve experienced the most significant impact on my stress and anxiety when it comes to clutter is feeling a lack of control. Clutter creates a sense of chaos and disorder, making it hard to relax and unwind. When your environment feels out of control, it can make you feel out of control, increasing anxiety. Any time my home became excessively cluttered I immediately started to feel like I had no control over my environment. There are many things that are out of my control and having less stuff is one thing I have chosen to prioritize and fully own!
Clutter’s Impact On Sleep
A critical time to unwind is at bedtime. A cluttered bedroom can disrupt your sleep hygiene, leading to poor sleep quality. Poor sleep is linked to weight gain, increased stress, and a lack of energy, which can hinder your ability to maintain healthy habits. I’ve spoken about this in great lengths in other posts, but the bottom line is that poor sleep makes it a lot harder to show up for yourself each day and maintain your health habits. Creating a calm, organized bedroom environment can significantly improve sleep, setting the stage for better overall health.
Clutter’s Impact on Productivity
Studies have shown that cluttered environments can reduce your ability to focus and process information, decreasing productivity. A cluttered environment can make it challenging to start new projects or complete existing ones. The sheer amount of stuff can feel overwhelming, leading to procrastination and increased stress about unfinished tasks.
Clutter also contributes to decision fatigue by overwhelming us with too many choices. This mental exhaustion can lead to poor decision-making, including choices related to diet and exercise. Simplifying your environment reduces the number of decisions to make, freeing up mental energy for more important tasks. When your living spaces are filled with unnecessary items, it becomes challenging to be calm and focused.
And this might seem silly, but when your space is cluttered, it’s harder to find what you need. This can lead to wasted time and increased frustration, as you spend extra time searching for items instead of completing tasks. How often have you found yourself yelling at a loved one who can’t find an item as you rush out the door in the morning?? Trust me, as a co-parent with kids living in two homes, having less stuff and knowing where my kids’ stuff is when it’s in my home saves me hours each week!
Clutter’s Impact on Physical Activity
Physically, clutter can limit your space for activities such as cooking healthy meals or exercising. A disorganized kitchen can make meal planning and preparation seem impossible, leading you to rely on less nutritious food options. Similarly, a cluttered living room or bedroom can impede your ability to engage in home workouts, making it harder to stick to a fitness routine. I’ve worked with clients stuck for months to establish a consistent workout routine because their home gym was filled with junk, making them less encouraged to get moving each day. As soon as I had them prioritize cleaning out their home gym area, they could show up consistently for their workouts each week! Finding the motivation to exercise in a cluttered environment can be tough. When our homes are filled with obstacles, we lose the space needed for workouts. Decluttering can create a designated area for exercise, making incorporating physical activity into our daily routines easier.
Clutter’s Impact on Nutrition
A cluttered kitchen makes finding ingredients and cooking tools challenging, making meal prep a frustrating experience. When faced with this chaos, we are more likely to opt for takeout or processed foods, which are often less nutritious and higher in calories. On the other hand, an organized kitchen can inspire healthier cooking habits by making it easier to prepare nutritious meals.
Stress caused by a cluttered home can also trigger emotional eating. When we feel overwhelmed, we might turn to food for comfort, leading to unhealthy eating habits. By decluttering, we can reduce stress and create a more peaceful environment, helping to curb emotional eating.
Where to start?
Addressing the clutter in your home can help you develop better habits and a healthier lifestyle. Like any new habit, it’s best to start small with one action. Motivation is not what will do it, so take one step to get going and use support and accountability to help you keep at it!
If you need help figuring out where to start or how to do this, join my group program, Unclutter Your Life.
I’ll show you how to make room physically and mentally to live the life you want. Sign up today and start your journey towards a healthier, more organized life.
Let’s embark on this journey together and make lasting changes that will benefit your mind, body, and home.
