the psychology of clutter

How clearing messes at home can help clear your mind

By Natalie Walston 

Professional organizer Birdie Brennan once had a client who couldn’t open her front door very far because of the clutter in her house.

With the help of Brennan, the woman, who was once described as somewhat of a recluse, cleaned up and organized her home and hosted three dinner parties in one month. The change in her home environment also changed her lifestyle: She’s now taking a college class at Ohio State University and is exercising by walking with a neighbor.

“Her therapist and I worked as a team to help change this woman’s life around,” Brennan said.
It took a year and a half to change the woman’s life, and her case would be described as extreme. But many people have a pile of junk mail, cluttered junk drawers, unfolded laundry and items kept in boxes because “you might need them someday.”

Sharon Bernard, owner of Home Organizational Services LLC, said that clutter at home might weigh on your mind even when you’re not there.

“Having a disordered life affects every part of your life because you feel bad about yourself, thinking you should have things in better order,” she said. Bernard studied psychology at Ohio State University and worked as a medical assistant before starting her business two years ago. “When those piles go away, you feel freer and more at peace with yourself.”

One step to cleaning out clutter is by changing your habits. Bernard recommends you look at your mail when you get it and weed out the junk mail right away; she recommends keeping a garbage can close to where you stack your bills so you can easily throw out the unwanted items.

Professionals also recommend that you keep things in their place to avoid an unnecessary, daunting pile. Brennan said you should have a home for everything so cleaning up is a snap. When organizing a kitchen, Brennan recommended keeping similar items together, such as cook ware.

“Keep the glass cook ware in one spot, and pots and pans in one spot,” she added. “The more you use something, the more accessible it should be.” Brennan recommended placing spatulas and other similar items in a counter top container close to the stove.

Both Brennan and Bernard caution against hanging on to unused items, even if they’re stored out of sight in boxes.

“It weighs on you, even if you can’t see it,” said Brennan, calling boxes of things “unanswered decisions” – you couldn’t decide whether or not to keep the items, so you just store them.

Bernard said people feel guilty when they throw things out or give things away, especially if a loved one gave them the item.

“I once held on to a little bell, even though I had no place for it. I held onto it in a junk drawer because it reminded me of a certain person. What you have to do is remember the love of that person, the object is not important,” she said.

As for having time to clean up your house, both organizers said you need to do the hard parts first: throw out items, put away the laundry and unload the dishwasher. Continue to put items in the proper places, including putting breakfast dishes in the dishwasher right after you eat so you don’t come home to more chores, which adds more stress after work.

“When you have an organized home, it doesn’t take long to put things away,” Brennan said. 

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