Pause – Are there dishes in the sink right now? Is the closet in disarray? And what about those clothes littering the room? You will get to them later, right? Let’s not even talk about the bits and pieces of food all around. Do you look around and see some of these? Here’s the news: your home is cluttered.
Do not blame yourself yet. More often than not, the general materialistic conception that owning more makes us happy has been the driving force for cluttered homes. Compulsive buying, sentimental keepsakes, attaching memories to objects, and the fear of getting rid of things no longer being used are other contributing factors. As dear as they may be, you need to get rid of these things and tidy up the rest.
Brain overload
It has been known that clutter and disorganisation have cumulative adverse effects on the brain. The brain likes orderliness, and when it is constantly presented with a visual distraction of disorderliness and clutter, it gets overloaded. This overload impacts our mental health, can cause migraines, and can reduce our working memory.
Researchers have found using functional magnetic resonance imaging, that decluttering increases our ability to process information and focus, leading to increased productivity.
Stress
Getting stuff done is quite difficult amidst clutter. Every time you need something, you have to search through a pile or re-throw things around before finding it. When living in clutter, we can become stressed and frantic due to always looking for something. These two factors contribute to the build-up of negative energy.
Pests
Another cause of stress in a cluttered environment is pest infestations. The food you left in the dustbin and the sink will attract pests. A dead pest you left unremoved would not only pollute your home but will also attract dangerous scavenging animals. The stress of having to remove these pests, get rid of their droppings, or find the dead ones can be an even bigger problem. Especially when it comes to diseases these pests can spread. For example, mice and other rodents living and breeding in your home can cause immense troubles. They can bite you, or their body fluids can come in contact with your food, thus giving rise to the threat of mouse-borne diseases.
What to do about clutter
When you have clutter in your home, the time you spend looking through piles for each and everything can also impact your social life and self-care routine. You may have difficulties hosting guests, creating space for exercise or yoga, or crafting. How then can we solve the problem of clutter?
- Wildlife removal. Wildlife removal can get rid of all pests living and breeding on your property, as well as safeguard you from diseases. Ensure to employ the services of a professional wildlife removal company to properly get rid of these pests. Learn more about wildlife removal at easttnwildlifemanagement.com.
- Decluttering. You can begin decluttering your home by giving away the things that are no longer useful. Tie your memories to moments and let the memorabilia go. Stop buying what you don’t really need. Try and give everything a place and ensure it stays there. If you are not up to it, you can employ someone to help.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg.
