It’s no wonder we’re over-stimulated and anxious! Which is one of the reasons my yearly decluttering challenge is not too hard to complete! Generally, we don’t realize just how quickly things add up and just how much of an abundance we have. We simply have too much surrounding us.Īn average room has over 2,000 visible objects, particularly the office, or computer area that we tend to spend the most time in: emailing, browsing online, children doing homework, etc. Feelings of guilt (and also knowing deep down that material goods are a poor substitute for time together) add to depression and anxiety. Parents purchase more for their children because they work more to maintain their quality of life and therefore feel guilty about not spending time with their children. In the United States, they found we have “child-centered homes”, with the children’s belongings spilling out into living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and even parents’ bedrooms. consumers purchase more than 40% of the toys consumed globally. As they measured cortisol levels over a number of days and in cluttered or messy homes, there was a higher rate of depressed mood toward the evening. The book stated that men aren’t as affected by the mess. Definitely affects the woman’s long-term well-being. In Life at Home in The Twenty -First Century, anthropologists, social scientists, and archaeologists found:Ī definite link between an over-abundance of household objects (what they called “stressful” home environments) and the homeowner’s health. The clutter in our homes not only makes our homes look bad, but it also makes us feel bad. Frustrates us by making it hard to find anything we need- keys, bills, checkbook, etc.Creates feelings of guilt and embarrassment, particularly when someone drops by unexpectedly.Causes anxiety because the idea of sorting piles is overwhelming.Constantly reminds our brains that we still have a huge to-do list.Makes it more difficult to relax, both physically and mentally.Draws our attention away from what our focus should be on.Overstimulates our system (visual, olfactory, tactile), causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t necessary or important.It’s a vicious cycle: anxiety or depression can lead to a cluttery home and a cluttery home can lead to depression and more anxiety, and we tend to do less about the house, which makes it even worse yet. ![]() I shared my personal journey from clutter and depression and I was blown away by the number of people who are in the same place or came from that same place of clutter and emotional turmoil.
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