Hygge Home Tips: 7 Reasons to Clear the Clutter from Your Closets
My absolute favorite thing about a hygge life is the organization of it all. A hygge home is a clean home. Living in the moment is so much easier if I know my house is in order. Inspired by my deep and passionate love of organization, I decided to begin a brand new blog series, Hygge Home Tips. Please enjoy the first of it’s series, Hygge Home Tips: 7 Reasons to Clear the Clutter from Your Closets.
1. Clutter Affects Your Ability to Focus
Research shows when your brain constantly sees disorganization it can drain your energy and make it harder for you to focus. A study done at Princeton University Neuroscience Institute showed “multiple stimuli present in the visual field at the same time compete for neural representation.” In other words, clutter competes for your attention. Clearing the clutter from your closets can improve focus and process information.
2. Clutter May Cause Obesity
More mess means more stress. Clutter increases your stress hormone, which can cause weight gain. However, the presence of clutter represents a larger issue. In his book “Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?” Pete Walsh links an overconsumption of stuff to an overconsumption of food. Weight issues typically reflect a lifestyle issue. A hygge life is about enjoying what you have, not stockpiling more.
3. Clutter Can Cause Depression
If more mess really does cause more stress, than it seems logical that living in a constant state of clutter can lead to depression. Researchers at the UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives and Families found that clutter can have a profound affect on our mood and self-esteem. They also found that increased levels of cortisol caused by clutter often led to higher tension between spouses. All of these factors can contribute to feelings of anxiety and depression over time.
4. Clutter Costs Time
Did you know that Americans collectively waste 9 million hours per day searching for lost items? 9 million hours, and that’s according to the National Association of Professional Organizers. I don’t know about you, but my time is extremely precious. A hygge home is not rushed. It’s dinners at the kitchen table, reading a book by the fire, or talking to your husband about his day. How can you have time to be fully present in a conversation if you are constantly looking for lost items? Clearing the clutter from your closets can help save you valuable time.
5. Clutter Can Be Embarrassing
In an Australian study on stress and the affects of mess, “59% of women said there was a room in the house that they don’t like visitors to see because of clutter.” It also stated that 4/10 Australians say they feel anxious, guilty or depressed about clutter in their homes.
Have you ever had someone drop by unannounced and been ashamed to let them in the front door? Past the living room? Into your kitchen? That guilt and embarrassment is caused by clutter! Taking the time to clear your closets of clutter will help you feel more confident in your own home. A hygge home is a welcoming place, and should feel safe and cozy, not shameful or embarrassing.
6. Clutter Causes Poor Sleep
Who enjoys a good nights sleep? Honestly, I don’t think anyone on this planet enjoys sleep as much as my husband. There are many tactics to improve your night’s sleep, and one of them is to clear the cutter from your closets. When my clothes closet is a mess and spills onto the floor of my bedroom, it makes it difficult to navigate the space.
A study conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found those who are at risk for a hoarding disorder scored higher for sleep abnormalities. Now a messy home does not a hoarder make, but the research is still interesting. More clutter means less quality sleep. A hygge home is a cozy home, not a restless one.
7. Clutter Can Negatively Affect Your Health
We’ve discussed how clutter can lead to obesity and depression, but there are many other ways clutter can affect your overall health. Clutter creates a haven for dust and dust mites, which can trigger an allergy or asthma attack. It is especially important to stay organized and clean thoroughly if an asthmatic is living in your home.
Clutter can also create the perfect home for mice, brown recluse spiders and various other insects. Clear the clutter in your closets to reduce the risk of these pests in your home. That’s reason enough for me!
I hope you learned a few things from our first blog in the series home tips series, Hygge Home Tips: 7 Reasons to Clear the Clutter from Your Closets. Subscribe to Be Still and Write below for weekly content. If you are looking for more hygge home tips, be sure to check out:
How to Bring Hygge and the Holy Spirit to Your Home Office
How to Create Hygge In Your Hotel Room
5 Reasons You Should Make Your Bed
Hygge Home Tips: How to Make Your Guest Room More Cozy
As always, if you have any questions feel free to send me an email or message me on Instagram. Follow @bestillandhygge on Pinterest for more travel tips and tricks and subscribe below for new content every week.
Love Always,
