Is a Cluttered Home Harming Your Family’s Health?

January 19, 2020

Realtors know the powerful impact that a messy home has on potential buyers. That is why they encourage homeowners to put half their stuff away in storage and have the house staged to attract buyers. A neat, organized home with plenty of breathing space sells for more than a messy one with piles of papers and junk lying around.

But having a clutter-free home impacts a family who lives in the home daily, too.

Most people do not enjoy living in clutter. We get on our kids and spouses about trying to keep things neat and organized. But it is a constant struggle to keep things looking tidy, especially with our frantic schedules and the sheer volume of stuff most of us have.

Unfortunately, clutter and messiness aren’t just embarrassing, there is a mounting body of evidence to show that clutter has significant negative impacts on our physical, mental, and spiritual health.

The health effects of clutter

Many people feel uncomfortable and uneasy around clutter. But it may be a lot worse for us than that.

10 health problems too much clutter can cause

Higher cortisol levels throughout the day, according to one study. (Cortisol is a stress hormone that has a host of negative long term impacts on human health like insomnia, stomach ulcers, irritability, and lowered immune system function.)
Difficulty focusing on tasks and relationships. (This is especially true for people who have ADHD.)
Relationship stress in the home.
Increased anxiety.
Increased problems with allergies like dust, pet dander, cockroach feces, and mold that you can’t reach to clean and may not even be able to see behind the piles of stuff.
Decreased social interactions and emotional support because people are too ashamed to have friends visit.
Increased risk of injury due to tripping and falling on items on the floor.
Increased memory issues.
Increased fire hazard.
Increased depression.

Keeping our homes organized and neat is a challenge. Most of us are so rushed and pressed for time, cleaning and organizing often goes on the back burner.

What is clutter costing you?

It may be wise to think about how our messy homes could be costing us in important ways long term:

Physical health
Mental health
Marriage and family relationships
Friendships
Spiritual health
Time

Aside from the mental, spiritual, and physical health problems too much clutter can cause, it also causes us to waste our valuable time. If you find yourself constantly running late because family members can’t find keys, shoes, purses, and other important things, a little organization and decluttering may be just the ticket to a more peaceful life.

There is no escaping the fact that we all have to go through our stuff and purge out things we don’t need from time to time. And we need to be mindful of how many purchases we make and what we bring into the home. But if you can’t get rid of most of your possessions, having the right storage solutions in your home and enough space can help you achieve your goal of living in a decluttered, beautiful, healthy living space.

Clutter-busting options

If you are concerned about how a messy home affects your health and that of your family, there are options!

First, it may be wise to examine the reasons behind why your home tends to be cluttered. The answer to that important question will help you determine what course of action is best for you.

Dreaming of an organized living space? Here are some options to consider.

6 ways to declutter your life

You can agree together as a family to do a major purge of your stuff and get rid of the things that don’t fit neatly in your current home.
You can study decluttering ideas and even look into the practice of minimalism, if that looks interesting.
You can add storage solutions to your existing home.
You can invest in a storage shed.
You can buy a bigger house if you don’t want to get rid of many things or if you don’t have enough space for all the people living with you.
You can design a custom home with extra storage designed exactly for your family’s needs.

Imagine the benefits of decluttering and how much better life could be if you were able to finally tackle this issue? Maybe you and your family members could feel a lot more free and able to breathe a lot easier.

Could a custom home help your clutter problem?

Clutter can cause health problems but there are things you can do to cut back the mess. In our next few posts, we will talk about the benefits of an uncluttered home and how a custom home can help you solve some of your storage problems and bring you a lot more peace and health in many important ways.