This recent article describes the link between clutter and mental health. “The clutter that can accumulate when people are experiencing a mental health crisis is neither a form of hoarding, nor the result of laziness. The culprit is extreme fatigue, said N. Brad Schmidt, a distinguished research professor of psychology at Florida State University.”
“People are ‘oftentimes just so mentally and physically exhausted that they don’t feel like they have the energy to take care of themselves or their surroundings,’ Dr. Schmidt said. ‘They just don’t have the capacity to engage with housecleaning and upkeep that they probably once did.'”
“A messy home can also contribute to feelings of overwhelm, stress and shame, making you feel worse than you already do. And while decluttering will not cure your depression, it can give you a mood boost. If you are struggling and it feels impossible to keep your surroundings tidy, here are a few tips on how to clean strategically to optimize your energy and your space.”
“People who are neurodivergent, with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (A.D.H.D.), autism or other executive functioning issues, also often struggle with excess clutter. Like ‘depression rooms,’ the term ‘doom piles’ has become popular on social media to describe the random stuff that builds up and you don’t know what to do with. Nearly everyone has a junk drawer or two in their home, but these piles of clutter tend to be more ubiquitous for people who struggle with executive functioning.”
Counseling with Elaine Korngold
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy can be really helpful for people’s mental health, as they get to know parts of themselves that have strong feelings about cleaning or clutter. For example, a client may discover that the part of them objecting to cleaning is very young and is still rebelling against the grown up who was present in their life decades ago.
Helping clients access and heal that part of them can result in powerful changes. In my practice, I love to use IFS therapy (Parts Work) to help clients address and process deeply-held shame, grief, self-esteem, childhood trauma, and other distress, in a gentle and non-invasive way. We explore and address complex issues and emotions that manifest when clients encounter external and internal stresses that impact their emotional well-being. Contact me to learn more.