Clutter – why is it so bad for us?

Clutter is a strange concept. It’s not something any of us wish for, yet so many of us live with it as an ever present background to our lives, unable to divest ourselves of it. If we do eventually manage to clear out our clutter, most of us see it return within a very short time. And here’s the thing – clutter is seriously not good for us. It impacts our mental and physical health, and our relationships, in ways you may not realise. That’s why we’re going to take a close-up look at this social nuisance, and see what we can do to clear it out of our lives. In this first of our ‘Clutter’ series, we’ll take a look at the impact clutter has on daily life.

Clutter-the-stressor

Stress is no fun, and it can be linked to a number of health issues including high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, skin problems and arthritis. One of the most regular causes of stress is time pressure, and it hits hardest when we find ourselves taking more time than is actually required to do simple, everyday tasks. Whether it’s hunting for your glasses, car keys, or the dog’s lead, something that should take seconds, can take minutes (or even hours!) It’s the same with the computer search – if you didn’t file a document or photo when you downloaded or created it, you can actually end up spending days searching for it. All the time, you’re resentful of the time it’s taking.

Clutter is a major contributor to not having easy access to the items we require on a regular basis, and it can send the stress hormone cortisol raging through your body.

Home alone – with your clutter!

We all know what it’s like – you want to invite friends over for coffee, or to organise a dinner party. Cooking (if you can find the ingredients in the clutter of your pantry) is the least of the work involved. It’s the time it takes to clear the sofa, coffee table, bench, entrance way, and guest bathroom, that’s the killer. Which is why those with cluttered homes often eschew company – it’s just too hard to make space for friends to call. Clutter can even be the reason why family and friends would rather stay away – even if you do get around to inviting them over. Your home simply ceases to be welcoming. Unfortunately, social contact, especially as we age, is so important for keeping minds sharp. If you surround yourself with clutter, you’re setting up the perfect context for becoming socially isolated.

Workplace danger

No doubt, you would be up in arms if your place of employment was cluttered to the point you were tripping over items or stumbling as you moved around them. Yet your own home is where you ‘work’ each day. Whether you’re using your floors as storage space, or items are falling from over-cluttered surfaces onto passageways, you run the risk of injuring yourself as you carry out daily tasks.

Relationships

Clutter is seriously inconvenient (if it wasn’t, more people would be able to park their car in their garages!). While you may be able to tolerate clutter, your significant other may not. Clutter impacts on relationships in many unattractive ways. It can take the romance out of the bedroom (if you can manage to find the bed), cancel the relaxation from a long hot shower together (yes, clutterers can and do use the shower as a storage area), prevent dining together (where did the table go, honey?), and stop you heading out as a couple for some enjoyable exercise (have you seen the bicycle pump/tennis rackets/day packs …). If you want your relationship to thrive, clutter is not the way to go.

These examples of clutter impacting on health and relationships are just the tip of the iceberg. Next up we’ll be looking at why some find it so difficult to declutter.