6 harmful effects of living in a cluttered house

If your health is failing, de-clutter your house.

By: Sandhya Raghavan | | Published: December 8, 2017 6:43 am

Does your house look like a hurricane passed through it? Are you having trouble locating your stuff? Can’t remember the last time you cleaned out your house? That’s bad news. Some people get used to living with clutter, oblivious to damage it could do to their health. Science says that a dirty, disorganised house could be draining you in more ways than you can imagine. If you are feeling stressed, irritated, tired and unhappy, it’s time you did some spring cleaning. Here are some of the ways a dirty, cluttered house can affect you.

1 Clutter promotes confusion

Your surroundings can influence your mental state. A cluttered space reflects a cluttered mind and vice versa. So if you want to gain any semblance of control and discipline, clean out your house. Stack your books, fold your sheets and wash those dishes in the sink.

2 Clutter causes stress

What happens when you are confused? You get stressed out. Coming back to a clean house and a well-made bed to lie on is what everyone dreams of. Instead, when you are welcomed by the dirty clothes on the sofa, littered newspaper on the floor and spilled coffee on the table, you get super stressed. Read how clutter causes stress.

3 Clutter can cause accidents

It’s not rocket science, but a cluttered house increases your chances of tripping and falling over littered things. Imagine finding your lost glasses when you actually sat on them.

4 Clutter makes you eat more

A 2017 study jointly conducted by US and Australia showed that people tend to overeat or binge eat when they live in a cluttered surrounding. According to the research, subjects ended up eating more cookies when they were offered the treats in a cluttered kitchen than when they were given them in an organised one.

5 Clutter ruins your mental health

Living or working in cluttered, disorganised surroundings makes you feel drained and unhappy. A 2017 study on workplaces revealed that chaotic surroundings affect your mental hygiene.

6 Clutter makes communication difficult

A Cornell University study of 2016 showed that people who live among clutter find it difficult to reach each other’s feelings. When the background is highly cluttered, people get distracted by the random stimuli from the surroundings and struggle with interpreting the expressions and emotions of people around them.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published : December 8, 2017 6:43 am

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