We all have to deal with it. Clutter just seems to grow like kudzu on the side of a South Carolina interstate. Most of us don’t enjoy living in clutter. But it can feel overwhelming to keep it under control.
But did you know that living in a messy, cluttered house isn’t just annoying? It can cause significant problems for your health—and the health of your loved ones.
Ways clutter harms your mental health
Living in an environment overflowing with lots of stuff has an impact on everyone in the family.
- Make it harder to focus, especially for those with ADD/ADHD.
- Negatively impact your memory to some degree.
- Increase anxiety and stress.
- Increase relationship tension.
- Decrease social interaction.
- Increase depression.
- Make you feel overwhelmed and unmotivated.
- Increase dissatisfaction with life.
Ways clutter harms your physical health
Not only does having a disorganized home impact our mental health, but it can also even create problems for your family’s physical health, as well.
- Cause respiratory distress, asthma, and allergy problems for sensitive people (due to cockroach droppings, dust, hidden mold, and pests).
- Be a fall-hazard.
- Be a fire-hazard.
- Increase stress hormone levels (particularly in women) which can cause insomnia, stomach aches, and a lowered immune response.
What can you do to get your home and family back on track?
There is hope if you are overwhelmed with clutter!
There is no way around the fact that you will have to eventually go through your things and get rid of trash and donate things you don’t need. But the good news is there are ways to help keep clutter under control so your family can have a better life!
Ways to tame the clutter
- Try a method to begin decluttering like the top tips on decluttering from Marie Kondo or The Fly Lady.
- Try not to bring things into your home unless you really need it.
- Go through closets, drawers, and cabinets and donate things you know you won’t need again.
- Get rid of anything that is trash.
- Encourage people to give gifts of experiences rather than things in your family, if possible.
- Only keep a few pieces of artwork and schoolwork each year for each child instead of every piece of paper he brings home from school.
- Shred old bills and financial documents after they are no longer needed.
- Add storage solutions to help keep things organized.
- Shelves, cubbies, plastic boxes with labels, wall-mounted cabinets, medicine cabinets, built-in storage, etc…
- Consider only keeping a few trinkets you really treasure on flat surfaces and allow for a lot of open space.
- Take pictures of special things that you want to remember but don’t have space for.
A handyman can help with clutter solutions
A handyman near you can help you install amazing built-in storage ideas that will help keep clutter under control in your home. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for everyone in the family to put things where they belong right away.
A reputable handyman company can provide the time, skill, and muscle to turn your favorite storage ideas into reality!
Home improvement clutter help ideas
- Install more shelves or wall-mounted cabinets.
- Install hooks for coats, scarves, and purses.
- Install closet organization systems to maximize space.
- Install a rack over the kitchen counter to hang cooking utensils and baskets.
- Put together a set of pre-manufactured cubbies for the mudroom.
- Install racks on the garage walls for bikes.
- Install a hanging rack in the garage for luggage, and other light-weight, bulky items to get them off the floor.
- Install between-the-studs shelving.
- Install behind-the-door hooks and storage racks.
- Install extra shelving systems, and pullout shelves, in kitchen cabinets.
- Install pullout shelves in the pantry.
- Build or install wooden shelves in your basement, garage, or shed.
- Murphy bed installation in a guest bedroom.
- Install folding tables or desks.
- Build a loft bed with room for a desk below.
- Install a pegboard on the wall for storage hooks.
- Install a corkboard wall cover or tiles to use for pictures.
Why do all the hard work yourself when we could do it for you? Then you can enjoy more free time to do what’s important to you!
RESOURCES
Ways Clutter Negatively Affects Your Health—by Web MD
6 Benefits of an Uncluttered Space—by Psychology Today
7 Ways to Make Your House Feel Less Cluttered—by Life Storage Blog
Can a Messy House Affect Your Health?—by AlmaVia Counseling Services
What Is the KonMari Method?—by Good Housekeeping
