Is Clutter Bad for Your Mental Health?

A survey of 2,000 homeowners with garages looked at how they deal with clutter and found that about a third of respondents struggle to keep their homes organized. Nearly half of respondents said that a tidy home affects their mental health, and 80% said they feel more motivated when their home is less cluttered. Similarly, 73% said that a cluttered home makes them feel overwhelmed.

Many are trying to overcome this feeling, with 35% of people surveyed saying they “very much” enjoy organizing, while a quarter feel the exact opposite.

Too many things

One in seven homeowners admit that their home is currently disorganized. On average, homeowners have 25 items in their home that are currently out of place, many of which are in the bathroom. Half of these respondents put off finding a proper home for those items, sometimes indefinitely.

According to respondents, the most difficult storage areas in the home to keep organized are the garage, closets and drawers.

Throwing away items can be hard, especially if they’re mementos: The items taking up the most space in Americans’ storage spaces right now are home and holiday decorations, old documents, clothes and shoes.

Their homes are so overflowing with “junk” that 46% of respondents would be embarrassed if guests were to see the current state of these areas. The most common place to store “junk,” such as old kitchen appliances that need cleaning, is the garage, followed closely by 52% who say they keep things in drawers at 34% and in closets at 32%.

35% of respondents said it has been at least a few months since they organized the “junk” area of ​​their home, with a further 23% claiming they have attempted to organize their garage for at least a year now.

“For many homeowners, the garage, like other typical ‘storage spaces,’ tends to be an afterthought,” says Gretchen Gunk, executive vice president of strategy and analytics at The Container Store.

“These spaces have limitless potential, and you’ll be amazed at how useful they are. Ideally, you’ll declutter your home’s storage spaces before they become even more disorganized, but sometimes you have to tackle spaces in your home that are already messy.”

The garage needs some maintenance

From car storage to indoor golf simulators, garages are incredibly useful places in our homes. But there’s something about garages, perhaps their open space, that makes them the perfect place to toss all your unused stuff. Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents from The Container Store said their current garage is a nightmare. What’s more, 21% of homeowners admit they avoid going into their garage altogether to avoid the clutter.

Even among those who are halfway organized, 60% claim to use their garage as a storage space for essential items, 58% admit their garage is packed with a variety of items, and 43% say their garage storage system doesn’t meet all of their needs.

“Garages aren’t ‘one size fits all,’ which is why we offer custom spaces and complementary organization solutions to meet your specific needs,” Ganc explains. “To determine what organization system will work best for you, we recommend outlining your goals for the space: what do you need to store, what do you want to do with the freed up space, and how can you make the most of your working space.”

Storage solutions can make a huge difference in your garage or your home in general. Tidying up your room has huge benefits for your mental health. Studies show that in an organized home, you’re less irritable, less distracted, and more productive. A big, important room like your garage can make room for other, more important items, reducing mental strain.

This article was produced by Media Decision and distributed by Wealth of Geeks.