Spring Clean Your Mind

by Women’s Brain Health Initiative:

DECLUTTER TO DE-STRESS

Are your bookshelves overflowing or closets bursting? While minimalism may be trendy on social media or in books popularizing the topic, surveys suggest that only 10% of individuals consider themselves to be minimalists (though nearly 25% more aspire to be).

WHAT IS FAR MORE COMMON IS HAVING TOO MANY POSSESSIONS, WITH DIFFERENT SURVEYS FINDING THAT BETWEEN 25% AND 54% OF INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFY CLUTTER AS A PROBLEM IN THEIR HOMES.

At the basic level, clutter is “the overabundance of things people possess,” according to Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a Professor of Psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, and an expert in procrastination and clutter. Clutter can be further defined as “surplus stuff that gets in the way and stops you from being who you want to be or doing what you want to do,” said Juliet Landau-Pope, a productivity coach and one of the U.K.’s leading organizers, as well as the author of the books Being More Productive and Clearing Your Clutter.

Landau-Pope points out, though, that clutter is subjective. What may be (or feel like) clutter for one person might be perfectly acceptable for someone else. “There are no rules – it depends entirely on your space, your budget, your temperament, and who you share your home with.” In other words, we each have different levels of tolerance to the various items in our space.

If ‘stuff’ is getting in your way, impeding your thoughts, and bringing you down, then clutter is a problem for you.

Research shows that differences in clutter tolerance can be a major source of tension in shared living spaces. Accordingly, if you are happy with bursting bookshelves but your partner or roommate is not, then you still may very well have a clutter problem.

If you believe that you have a cluttered home and you are concerned that it might be causing you stress, you are probably correct. While the academic research on the psychological consequences of clutter is limited, a recent study conducted by Dr. Ferrari and his colleague Dr. Catherine A. Roster found that as clutter increases, individuals report less life satisfaction and a lower quality of life, as well as more indecision.

It also appears that the relationship between clutter and stress is circular. As Landau-Pope observes,

CLUTTER CAN BE BOTH A SYMPTOM AND A CAUSE OF STRESS.

When there is a change in life circumstances (such as a bereavement, a marriage breakdown, and/or a loss of employment), individuals often lose their motivation to take care of themselves, as well as their environment. Happy circumstances (such as welcoming a child or getting a job promotion) can put a wrinkle in our normal habits as well. Life getting out of hand or becoming unmanageable in some way or another can contribute to clutter.

One of the main reasons why we accumulate so many items in the first place is that we live in a consumer society – i.e., one in which a large part of people’s sense of identity and meaning is achieved through the purchase and use of consumer goods and services. We buy goods for a variety of reasons, and much of the time it is not out of pure need. “We live in a culture that tells us more, more, more,” observed Dr. Ferrari. “Sometimes we shop when we are tired or anxious, or when we are vulnerable to advertising,” added Landau-Pope.

She also noted that many of us purchase presents for birthdays and holidays instead of planning outings with friends and families, and we also tend to return from our travels with souvenirs or bring gifts when visiting someone’s home. Additionally, the ability to shop online from the comfort of our homes has made impulse buying that much more common. Now more than ever, it is all too easy to accumulate countless items in your home.

WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO LET THINGS GO?

One of the reasons is that the items we own often become an “extension of who we are,” explained Dr. Ferrari. Consumer psychologists have found that when people pick up items while shopping, they are more likely to purchase them. Once these items are brought home, they frequently form part of the collection of the things that makes us who we are.

WE OFTEN CLING TO OUR POSSESSIONS AND THEY BECOME A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO (AND A REFLECTION OF) OUR IDENTITIES.

It is also common to ascribe meaning to certain items in our possession, which then become a connection to our past. “It could be that something links you to your family history or to a particular relationship, occasion, or experience,” said Landau-Pope. Our possessions can also be linked to our possible future – something that is aspirational.

For example, you may have art or craft supplies or a mountain of books because these items individually or collectively “represent the person you want to be.” In these circumstances, it is important to be realistic about what you do (or do not) use or need, Landau-Pope noted. This may involve donating some items, while keeping others. Sometimes knowing that someone else can make better use of the things that you are donating can be very motivating for decluttering.

Sentimental items may require a different approach. For example, a broken teacup that you inherited from your grandmother may be able to be used in a different way – perhaps in the garden as a small planter. However, if repurposing the item is not an option, and you ultimately elect to discard or donate it, then Landau-Pope recommends that you describe your decision as “letting the item go” instead of “getting rid of it.” In this circumstance, try to reflect on the memories that you have with your loved one, as opposed to focusing on the possessions you have inherited.

FRAMING YOUR GOALS POSITIVELY

“Instead of thinking about what you’re removing, think about what kind of space you'd like to create and try to visualize it,” Landau-Pope explained. If you had less clutter around you, would you invite friends over or make a play space for your children? Thinking about how you want your home or life to feel helps you work towards your goal and creates a more enjoyable experience.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON ONE ITEM OR ROOM AT A TIME IN ORDER TO AVOID FEELING OVERWHELMED.

“Just take the first step. It might be picking up one item of clothing or shredding one piece of paper.” When feeling overwhelmed about where to begin, consider choosing a category (e.g., books or clothing) and concentrating on that particular category, instead of tackling the entire bedroom or kitchen, noted Landau-Pope.

If you continue to feel overwhelmed by the “stuff” in your home, then you can take comfort in knowing that there is professional help available. While in-person assistance is common, online support has accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Professional organizers and productivity consultants are trained and sympathetic individuals, and offer a variety of services based on your unique needs.

Although Dr. Ferrari agrees that getting professional help can be useful, not everyone will be able to afford to pay for services. He therefore recommends seeking help from a loved one or friend who can help you determine what you might be “holding on to” instead of “letting go.”

He also noted that the popular notion of “touching items to see if they spark joy” may impede the process, in part due to possessions becoming an extension of our selves, as noted earlier. In his opinion, getting someone else to hold up items for review can facilitate the decluttering process. “You are more likely to dispose of something if someone else is touching it,” said Dr. Ferrari.

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN “CLUTTER” AND “DIRTY”

Having clutter can not only make it challenging to clean your home, but may also become “a health and safety hazard, especially for elderly people or those with restricted mobility,” said Landau-Pope. However, “a cluttered house can still be a clean house.”

There is also an important difference between “clutter” and “hoarding.” As Landau-Pope underscores, the latter is “a distinct mental health condition that requires specialist training, usually from multidisciplinary teams.”

An organized space can benefit your mental health by making you feel calmer, happier, and more in control. So, if you are looking for an easy way to help reduce stress, decluttering your environment may be a great place to start. 

Clutter has a profound effect on our mood and self-esteem, according to researchers at UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives of Families (CELF). Anthropologists, social scientists, and archaeologists at the CELF found:

·       A link between high cortisol (stress hormone) levels in female homeowners and a high density of household objects. The more items, the more stress women feel. Men, on the other hand, do not seem bothered by mess, which often accounts for tensions between spouses.

·       Women associate a tidy home with a happy and successful family. The more dishes that accumulate in the sink, the more anxious women feel.

·       Even families that want to reduce clutter often are emotionally paralyzed when it comes to sorting and pitching objects. They either cannot break sentimental attachments to their possessions or they believe that their things have hidden monetary value.

·       Although consumers in the United States bear only 3% of the world’s children, they purchase approximately 40% of the world’s toys, and these toys occupy every room.*Live AQI city and country rankings can be found on iqair.com.