Clutter and chaos are known to impact well-being, reduce productivity to an increased tendency toward unhealthy eating habits.
But is it truly the case? Ironically, many storage solutions seem focused on acquiring more items, often in the form of aesthetically pleasing containers. The question arises: is clutter genuinely harmful?
“Home is supposed to be our sanctuary. It’s where a sense of safety is found. Disorganization and clutter can lead to cognitive overload, making concentration and focus on tasks more difficult. Even now, while speaking, a pile of paperwork remains in sight, creating stress over unfinished tasks.”
Errolie Sermaine, a counsellor and psychotherapist registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Numerous studies support the idea that clutter may have negative effects, with research linking it to decreased productivity and even a compulsion to eat unhealthily in a disordered kitchen.
“What is tidy for one may be chaos for another. Some dedicate two hours a day to tidying, while others feel content after ten minutes. The key is that if a home doesn’t meet personal standards, relaxation may become elusive.”
Errolie Sermaine
“Tidying doesn’t come naturally to many. Negative messages from childhood, such as being told that mess is bad, have shaped perspectives on clutter.”
Kate Ibbotson, a psychotherapist and professional organizer
Having spent a decade as a probation officer assisting individuals with few possessions, Ibbotson reflects,
“Both sides have been seen—there’s privilege in having too much, and guilt often follows accumulation. News of those losing everything, and the environmental impact of overconsumption, adds layers of guilt and shame. But this shouldn’t prevent taking control of belongings.”
The challenge lies in the perceived monotony. This may explain why the designer-storage trend is appealing; it adds an element of glamour to an otherwise mundane task.
“Academic research and client experiences show that giving permission to focus on the home improves life. It’s not just about aesthetics—people experience relief, remarking, ‘Now guests can be invited for dinner,’ or ‘A new job was secured,’ or ‘Morning routines are easier now that everything can be found.’ Essentially, as organisers, permission is granted to care about something often considered dull.”
Caroline Rogers expertise in positive psychology and professional organizing
It’s easy to see why expert help is sought. Streamlining attempts don’t always go smoothly. The realization that bathroom drawers are too shallow and impractical often comes too late, causing frustration in finding items. Those prone to untidiness may also find storage solutions becoming cluttered themselves.
Vicky Silverthorn, a professional organizer with 14 years of experience, conceived her business while working as Lily Allen’s PA, after overhearing someone say, “You need a Vicky,” which later became her brand name. She notes, “People are obsessed with finding the right jars and containers, but that’s not the real issue. Instagram-worthy pictures inspire attempts to recreate them at home, which often leads to more stress and clutter.” Silverthorn’s team organizes up to 15 homes weekly, and frequently sends a large number of plastic storage boxes to charity.
Merely purchasing storage doesn’t magically lead to organization.
“The usual pattern is buying containers and then figuring out what can be placed in them for aesthetic purposes, in the hope that organisation will follow.”
Vicky Silverthorn
The scenario of disorganised spaces sounds all too familiar. Silverthorn elaborates.
“Take a cluttered kitchen, for instance. Pretty jars are purchased, labeled, and filled with pasta, flour, sugar—initially, everything looks great. A week later, frustration sets in when something is pushed to the back, and containers are moved for convenience. Six months later, chaos returns. Most people don’t measure their space before buying storage, leading to predictable results.”
Vicky Silverthorn,
Silverthorn’s own kitchen features food packets stored in containers, preserving cooking instructions and sell-by dates, with tins and boxes arranged in a single row, resembling a shop. When questioned about the potential for mess, she responds,
“The key to decluttering is buying less. Shops store the food, not cupboards. How often are tomatoes really needed, and how often is a shop passed by?”
Vicky Silverthorn,
That evening, an attempt to reorganize a kitchen reveals several expired tinned goods, including lentils, beans, and sardines. With three supermarkets nearby, overconsumption becomes evident as the primary issue.
Over-organizing presents another challenge.
“The upkeep of complex systems is time-consuming. Some prefer to micro-organise, such as categorising children’s toys into separate boxes—soft toys, noisy toys, small cars. Is it realistic to expect this system to be maintained daily, or would a simple toy chest be more practical?”
Vicky Silverthorn,
Is it truly necessary to store everything in boxes? This notion is beginning to be questioned.
“Whatever surrounds a person is affecting them constantly, 24 hours a day, even if it is no longer actively acknowledged.”
Marie Diamond – author of Your Home Is a Vision Board. As Steven Spielberg’s personal organiser and feng shui consultant
“It might be thought that items will not be noticed, but on an unconscious level, they still exert influence. When belongings are tidied away and hidden from view, energy and space are created for new experiences to enter one’s life,”
Marie Diamond
She recommends against displaying too many items from the past, such as old books and sentimental objects.
“Surrounding oneself with outdated energy can be limiting. The key lies in being more mindful and attentive to the environment.”
Marie Diamond
However, the idea that memories from the past can contribute positively to self-perception is understandable. Rogers concurs, stating,
“The contents of homes are closely linked to self-identity. Books act as talismans, inviting others to form assumptions about the type of person one is, future aspirations, and how personal image is projected.”
Marie Diamond
An overwhelming collection of books has created a sense of chaos, despite a genuine love for reading. Diamond offers a stern perspective:
“When visiting a hotel room on holiday, isn’t there a sense of enjoyment in everything being tidy and fresh? How would it feel if the management neglected to clean the room? Grumpiness would likely follow. Therefore, behaving like the hotel manager of a home is advisable.”
Marie Diamond
Diamond also provides insights on bedroom organisation:
“Every element in a bedroom should promote harmony, creating a space of wellbeing and love. It’s astonishing what can be found stored on nightstands—believe it or not, I’ve seen tax forms.”
Marie Diamond
Concerns about the potential for organizing to become obsessive are valid.
“For some, it can serve as a positive distraction, something healthy. However, if organizing becomes more important than spending quality time with family and friends, interferes with work, or leads to missed medical appointments, it may indicate an unhealthy obsession. Similarly, if the need to clean becomes a way to hyper-control an environment, problems can arise.” This could manifest in a reaction to a visitor disrupting a meticulously arranged space.
Errolie Sermaine
Ibbotson warns about the potential addiction to creating the ideal storage setup, which can become all-consuming, especially for those in rented or shared living situations where control over the environment is limited.
“The dramatic before-and-after makeovers can trigger a mini dopamine hit; they are exhilarating. However, fantasising about achieving such transformations can distract from taking practical steps to move forward in life. Chasing expensive fantasies might not be as beneficial as focusing on more realistic methods for finding contentment.”
Kate Ibbotson
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2711870
Abstract
How do cluttered, chaotic environments – such as messy kitchens – influence snacking behavior? How does one’s mindset help prevent unwanted snacking from occurring?
101 female undergraduate students participated under standard kitchen conditions or in a chaotic kitchen condition. Participants were also asked to recall and write about a time when they felt particularly in control or particularly out of control. Finally, participants were given cookies, crackers, and carrots to taste and rate.
Participants in the chaotic kitchen condition and the out-of-control mind-set condition consumed more cookies (103 kcal) than did participants who were in the in-control mind-set condition (38 kcal). The chaotic environment had no impact on consumption of crackers or carrots.
Although a chaotic environment can create a vulnerability to making unhealthy food choices, one’s mind-set in that environment can either trigger or buffer against that vulnerability.