Can decluttering help abate anxiety?

Clutter isn’t duck soup to deal with, especially if it is accompanied by feelings of anxiety. We speak to experts to find out whether decluttering can help you calm down 

With stress becoming an inevitable part of our lives, the feeling of being overwhelmed is second-nature to most of us. While seeking professional help in the form of therapy or medical support is critical, the exercise of decluttering might also lend succour. Neuropsychologically, “decluttering is about getting rid of things that no longer serve well, or worsen your mental health,” says Disha Manchekar, psychologist and founder, Innate Mind. The Established speaks with mental health experts to understand how the activity might help you centre yourself. 

The relationship between clutter and mental health

Every stimulus in your environment affects your mental health in some way or the other—good or bad. The human brain is perpetually active, even when you’re asleep. Thus, for your surroundings to be able to generate positivity and comfort becomes paramount, and clutter straitjackets exactly that.

“As humans, we assign meaning to everything in our lives. The same is true for clutter. We tend to link our material belongings with emotions, thereby perceiving them as an extension of ourselves,” says Manchekar. External clutter can translate into emotional clutter in no time. “Extreme forms of cluttered environments and holding onto things can also be a sign of ‘hoarding,’ which is a recognised mental illness,” highlights psychologist and content creator Divija Bhasin. 

According to psychologist and intimacy coach Pallavi Barnwal, clutter is not always about physical, tangible objects. “Different kinds of clutter have different emotional messages,” adds Manchekar. She makes her case stronger through a simple example, “If you continue to store things that remind you of bad memories, it means you have difficulty in ‘letting go’. It could also mean that you are stuck in the past.” She encapsulates that cluttering can only have a negative impact on one’s mental health by making them feel depressed, anxious, stressed or confused. Barnwal, through her experience, shares, “A lot of people store mental clutter, especially women who have a never-ending laundry list of chores and office work. Mental clutter can be as stressful, if not more, than physical clutter.”Decluttering, then, becomes an essential inside-out effort for better mental health and well-being. 

Does decluttering fizzle out anxiety? 

Think of your mind as a claustrophobic character and you might realise how choked up it can feel with multiple physical and emotional—both internal and external—stimuli. An indomitable wave of worry can transpire into anxiety or a potential trigger for depression in no time. The act of decluttering, then, can have an antithetical effect, dissolving the occlusive clots bit by bit. “Multiple studies state that our brains like order. Constant visual stimuli of disorganisation overload our mindspace,” says Barnwal. So while that pile of clothes and heaps of bills seem harmless, they are silently wreaking havoc with  your brain and its cognitive functions, indicating that you need to clean up. 

“Several studies have indicated that decluttering reduces anxiety. When struck with anxiety, it may feel as if the mind is immensely cluttered. Decluttering helps to make way for space not only physically but also mentally.It also enables you to feel more in control of things, making you feel calmer,” says Manchekar. Elaborating on the same, Bhasin adds, “Some people feel more organised and less overwhelmed when they declutter. It won’t make the anxiety go away as the patterns of anxiety are deeper than just your environment. However, it can provide a sense of productivity and accomplishment, boosting one’s mood too.” 

According to clinical psychologist Meenakshi Banerjee, decluttering is a mindful activity, commonly used as third-wave behaviour therapy, as it not just helps with self-esteem and convenience but also trains the brain to be organised. “As you avoid procrastination and indulge in decluttering regularly, it teaches you to live in the present, freeing you from the worries of the past and future,” she says. Decluttering can also be your coping mechanism in case you experience an ebb and flow of mild depression. Manchekar explains, “For instance, it will push you to let go of the things that trigger depressive thoughts or painful memories.”

The Marie Kondo effect

The Marie Kondo (or KonMari) method took the world by storm in the recent past, enabling people to maintain a clutter-free environment that plays a catalyst in improving health holistically. The KonMari website suggests:  “Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy.” Imagine not snapping at your family member every time you fail to find what you’re looking for, and instead, knowing exactly what’s kept where. Another noteworthy spin-off of the Marie Kondo method is categorisation. “Tidy up by category, not by location, beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items,” states the website.

Barnwal thinks that it is equally important to focus on “digital clutter”. “Since we spend most of our day consuming online experiences whether through email, WhatsApp or social media, this incessant digital clutter impacts our physiological, emotional and relational well-being,” she believes. She recommends opting for a digital detox or a digital declutter from notifications on our screens. “This constant loud, competitive clutter in our minds only drives us away from our conscious awareness and thus we become vulnerable to anxiety when it hits. It’s time to consider the impact of mental clutter seriously and devise plans to clean it out,” concludes Barnwal.

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