Organizing and Your Mental Space
Do you know how much your home space can affect your mental health and to what extent? Having a cluttered, messy, and dirty home can lead to anxiety, fatigue, depression, self isolation and so much more.
A study by UCLA found that women who live in cluttered homes were found to have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone in their bodies. Too much cortisol causes rapid weight gain, a flushed and round face, high blood pressure, skin changes, and mood swings just to name a few.
Having an organized home can relieve stress and give you more mental clarity. So how can you get started on organizing your home for mental health?
So what is disorganization?
According to Dictionary.com the definition of disorganization is “lack of proper planning and control.” This explains why our minds feel so chaotic when our homes and lives are disorganized. Organizing your home for mental health is key to reducing that feeling. Proper scheduling and finding homes for all our items will help you feel in control again. You’ll feel better and stop forgetting those important tasks or events. No one likes that feeling when their boss calls and asks why they missed their morning meeting or when Johnny comes home from school sad saying he missed his best friend's birthday because you hadn’t marked it on your calendar. By keeping disorganization at bay, you’ll feel much better and give yourself the mental space needed to relax.
Clutter and your mental mindset
Not only does clutter affect your mindset but in one study, women who had messy kitchens consumed twice as many calories from cookies as women who kept neat and tidy kitchens. Unhealthy eating like this can lead to weight gain, health issues, a decrease in energy, and depression. Studies have shown that organizing your home for mental health leads to decluttering your life, weight loss, healthier relationships, better sleep, and all over a happier and healthier YOU! Organizing can improve your quality of life.
Organization can impact your mental health
The effects of disorganization and mental health can be a vicious cycle. Depression and anxiety can cause you to become disorganized, which can lead to depression and anxiety. Chances are, if you're feeling anxious you probably don’t have to look far. Something in your life is probably in need of some serious organization. Whether it’s that messy kitchen or a simple schedule fix, it’s important to take action and organize your home for mental health. When we have several appointments or errands to remember each day, just writing them out can help ease a lot of anxiety. Other times it’s a home purge we need to complete, or an office organization project needs to take place to ease our mental weight. There are so many simple ways to start getting your life under control today.
So where do you start?
First, pick a time that works for you. Do whatever it takes to clear your schedule for a specific time each day and try to keep all distractions away. Second, pick a space, any space and just start. All you need to start with is 1 drawer, one cupboard or even one spot on the floor. If that’s all you can do today that’s fine, but the point is to just start.
Progress over perfection
After you clear that spot how do you feel? Some of us like to use different methods to organize our home for mental health. There’s the Kon Mari method where you go by category and choose items that spark joy. Or there’s the Swedish Death purge method where you declutter everything as though you are saving your relatives from sorting your personal belongings after you pass. Whichever method you choose, the goal is simply to get started. Remember, progress is better than perfection. You will feel so much lighter after each session.
Use your phone to stay organized
Lastly, we are all blessed with smartphones today that have a scheduling app in them. Start adding appointments, lessons, classes, and everything you must remember on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis onto your phone! Spend half an hour today listing everything out and scheduling them in. Ensure you put reminders and repeats for those ongoing tasks so you never forget your appointments or to-do lists again. Just make sure you keep your digital tools organized so those don’t start to become overwhelming too.
Although it's not always easy to get out of the slump, it's always doable. Sometimes we might need a bit of added professional help and that’s ok, but if you don’t put in the work to tidy your life along with the professional help, you’ll just keep putting a band-aid on an open wound. Organizing your space for mental health brings happiness, joy, serenity to your day. And who couldn’t use more of that? If you need help getting started, reach out to us for a complimentary consultation! We can give you the support to go from stressed to organized.
We Can Help You Get Organized
Melanie McConnell is a Professional Organizer and the owner of Mello Spaces. She helps busy professionals and parents get the organized home of their dreams. Check out her website www.mellospaces.com and follow her on Instagram: @mellospaces
Florena Davies is a Professional Organizer and Owner of Organize by Flo. She uses her experience as a wife and mother of 2 to create real life organizational systems and changes for work and home that allow our 2 worlds to co-exist and 'Flo" together. Check out her website at https://www.organizebyflo.com/ and on instagram @organizebyflo.
Marybeth Welty helps women create calm and healthy homes and lives. With over 12 years of experience in organizing, interior design, sustainable building, and mindful living, Marybeth is passionate about improving your mental health, your work, your relationships, and supporting the life of your dreams by starting with where you live, your home. You can book a free meeting with her at https://sustainablelifestylesolutions.com/20-min-free and connect with her on Instagram at @this_sustainable_lifestyle.