Perhaps the most crucial reason to be organized or to declutter is for your health. Living in clutter can cause stress, depression, anxiety, problems with interpersonal relationships, and more. When you declutter, you are alleviating the disorganization in your room and in your mind. Keeping trash around, failing to clean regularly, or simply leaving your home or office in a disarray can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Staying organized can also help to ease the anxiety that many of us who aren’t as organized may have. Other traits such as lateness, unresponsiveness to texts or emails, and messiness are all stigmatized, which can create a fear of peer judgement for many individuals
However, staying organized can be simple. Small tasks, such as keeping a clean room, planning out meals, or making the bed in the morning, have far-reaching benefits. Organization is crucial for keeping track of one’s responsibilities, even contributing to healthier eating, reduced stress, and improved relationships by creating more time to live a balanced life. Organization reduces a person’s stress- Clutter can take a toll on your health by increasing your stress levels, even if an individual doesn’t recognize it. Organization helps a person sleep better- When we prioritize organization, we give ourselves time to focus on what really matters, like your much-needed sleep. Organizing our daily schedule and tasks allows us to concentrate on what needs to get done that day instead of being distracted by things around ourselves. Organization promotes a healthier diet- Being organized allows us to plan healthy dishes and meal prep for the week. When we prepare our meals and snacks ahead of time, we are less likely to make poor dietary choices Organization can improve your relationships- It’s hard to focus on your relationships when we are fixated on a lack of cleanliness and organization. This goes for both physical and lifestyle organization and refers to relationships in and outside of work.
References
Why Being Organized Matters | Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ wild-connections/201908/why-being-organized-matters.
Gordon, Sherri. “Mental Health Benefits of Cleaning and Decluttering.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 23 Feb. 2021, https://www.verywellmind.com/how-mental-health-and-cleaning-are-connected-5097496.
Person, et al. “Can Organizing Impact Your Mental Health?” Intermountainhealthcare.org, 5 Apr. 2018, https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/live-well/2018/04/can-organizing-impact-your-mental-health/.
Author: Dana Papania, Counseling Practicum Student