How Clutter Can Trigger Anxiety, Stress & Depression

Feeling stressed or anxious? It might be your house that's the trigger.

If you've ever noticed how calm you feel in a clean room, it's not just in your head.

There's science to back up the claim that messy, cluttered spaces lead to a messy, cluttered mind -- in the form of anxiety, stress and depression.

According to Curious Mind Magazine, psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter says: “Clutter can play a significant role in how we feel about our homes, our workplaces, and ourselves. Messy homes and workspaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Yet, rarely is clutter recognized as a significant source of stress in our lives.”

It seems so simple -- clean your space to clear your head. But there's real reasons a cluttered space triggers anxiety issues.

According to Dr. Carter, there are eight reasons why clutter messes us up, psychologically:

1. Clutter makes us feel overwhelmed since it exposes us to a lot of unimportant stimuli, thereby causing our senses to work overtime.

2.  It takes our attention away from things we should focus on.

3. It makes it more difficult for us to relax mentally and physically.

4. It signals to our brains that our work is never finished.

5.  It makes us think about how we’re going to tidy up all the mess.

6. It makes us feel guilty for not being more organized and embarrassed, especially when someone pays us an unexpected visit.

7.  It hinders our productivity and creativity.

8.  It frustrates us by making it more difficult for us to find what we need.

The upside is that clutter (once recognized) is relatively easy to fix. If you need a better reason to clean up other than before company comes over -- do it for your mental health.