The Hidden Stress of a Messy Home

Have you ever been in a situation where you fell behind on your house chores and your life started to mirror the chaos of your home? It is hard to leave a mess at home and lead a peaceful life outside of home. It is almost as though the clutter follows you around everywhere!

Neuroscientists have found that there is a correlation for this! The research is interesting and I want to share some facts with you now.

The Reason

The reason that your cluttered home follows you to work and everywhere you go actually makes a lot of sense. The human brain has a limited processing capacity. When you have a mess at home, whether that be a hoarding issue or a hygienic issue, it becomes too much for your brain to take in. All of the items or all of the chores left undone begin to compete for your brains attention. You can only absorb so much at once, and continuously overloading your brain in this way will lead to mental fatigue.

The disorder is draining your mental capacity, and it is the cause for your inability to focus at work. It is the cause of your short fuse with your boss. Even if you are not consciously aware that your brain is trying to take it all in at once, it is still happening behind the scenes. The lack of order is overstimulating your visual capacity. You can think about it in the same way as trying to listen to someone while the kids are yelling, the dog is barking, and the neighbors music is blaring. There is an apparent lack of focus ability because there is simply too much going on. Visual overload is less obvious than auditory, but it is the same to your brain.

The Science

This sensory overload has been linked to an increased level of the stress hormone cortisol. Over time, this will contribute to increased anxiety, inflammation in the body, and increased depression. A lack of order a cleanliness is taking a toll on you biologically, and that is exactly why you feel overwhelmed.

If you’re one of those people that is always telling yourself you will get to it later, you are not alone. I have been gusty of this same mindset so often. It can be difficult to manage everything, especially when you are somebody that has a lot of responsibilities. This can make it easy to put the cleaning on the back burner and think it is not as important as everything else you have going on. While that may be try, it is imperative to recognize that your lack of time does not make it any less important to keep up with your home. If you have too many things to do, try to find a way to set aside at least 20 minutes a day to tidy up. If this is not something that you can muster up, I would recommend outsourcing, and not just because I am a cleaning service provider either! 😉

The Solution

The best way to remedy a disorganized home is with systems. The first system to implement is an organization system. Sometimes this means downsizing and sometimes it just means that you find a place for your things. Perhaps you should invest in some cubicles or labeled totes. Once everything has its place, the clutter will be reduced tremendously and a huge weight will be lifted already.

The next system is a cleaning system. When your space has been cleared up, you will now have access to the areas that need some TLC. You can scrub the baseboards and the countertops that were once buried. Refer to my previous post on eco-friendly cleaning if you need help with learning a proper cleaning system. There is a good amount of insight and advice on how to clean your home properly.

Finally, you need a consumption management system. The last thing you need when you are organized and reset is to bring in a whole bunch of new things! Slowly you will start to head directly back to where you started. A good consumption management system will ensure that you have a good rule of thumb for when you get new things, you commit to getting rid of some of your old things. Practice having an impermanent mentality: out with the old, in with the new.

If you stick to these three basic systems and you incorporate them into your life as habits, you will begin to see the positive effects in your life. The anger outbursts are going to be more contained. The spacey, mental fog that is holding you back at work will begin to dissipate. A clean home truly is a clean mind.

And remember, you do not have to do it alone! There are plenty of experts in these fields ready and willing to help you. While they may not be the cheapest industries to outsource, the benefits they bring are invaluable. If you are located within 50 miles of Omaha, Nebraska feel free to give me a call! I would love to help you find your way out of the chaos in your home.

References

https://www.nuvancehealth.org/health-tips-and-news/how-clutter-affects-your-brain-health