Stacks of unopened mail, countertops covered in stuff, jam-packed closets, and those "I’ll get to it later" piles aren’t just household nuisances. A growing body of research links home clutter to heightened stress and anxiety, sometimes even pointing to connections with depression.

The Clutter-Mental Health Connection: Key Research Insights

Believe it or not, cluttered homes could be harming your mental—and physical—health in ways you might not even realize. Check out these findings from several studies and see if they resonate with you:

• Women who viewed their homes as cluttered reported feeling constantly tired and even showed signs of depression.

• Cluttered kitchens are more likely to lead to overeating unhealthy foods.

• Household clutter can trigger feelings of guilt, anxiety, and an inability to concentrate.

• Cluttered workspaces at home can make employees less satisfied with their jobs, increasing tension and even leading to burnout.

Cleaning up your space might just be the boost you need.

Tidying, sorting, storing, and organizing your belongings can help restore a sense of control over your environment. Having fewer possessions to manage frees up time and energy to focus on what truly matters in your life.

Identifying a Clutter Problem in Your Home

The tipping point for problematic clutter occurs when it disrupts the livability of your space, causes emotional distress, and impacts your relationships and financial well-being—like contributing to overspending. In extreme cases, clutter can evolve into hoarding, a serious psychiatric disorder. Hoarding involves accumulating "vertical" piles of the same item, like stacks of toilet paper packages, whereas clutter is "horizontal," with an overabundance of various items.

Self-Test for 'Chronic Disorganization'

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization offers criteria to help identify signs of what they call “chronic disorganization,” such as:

• Filling storage areas to capacity

• Having difficulty parting with items

• Needing to rent additional storage space

• Starting multiple projects that go unfinished

• Constantly struggling to find things

Decluttering Is a Learned Skill

If you see yourself in these behaviors, don’t worry—decluttering is a skill that can be learned. According to a study in the International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health, decluttering doesn’t mean getting rid of everything important to you.

Which Decluttering Type Are You? Managing Stress Through Decluttering

Experts have identified three main types of declutterers:

1. The Disengaged: They feel they should declutter but are reluctant, often citing a lack of resources or time.

2. The Enthusiastic: They enjoy organizing and feel internally motivated to declutter, experiencing the highest levels of happiness afterward.

3. The Challenged: They find decluttering meaningful but difficult and stressful, often motivated by external demands rather than a strong personal desire.

Disengaged and challenged types report higher levels of anxiety and fear when decluttering, but they do feel relief and happiness afterward. Researchers suggest finding a meaningful purpose for decluttering, like creating more family time or boosting productivity in your home workspace. Taking frequent breaks and alternating between low and high-stress tasks can help manage stress during the decluttering process.

10 Tips to Declutter Your Home and Lift Your Mood

Organizing your space might not completely eliminate stress or depressive feelings, but it can help you break out of a rut. Here are 10 expert-backed tips on how to declutter your home and manage stress:

1. Ask Yourself 'Let Go' Questions About the Clutter

Don’t just ask, "Do I need it?" or "Do I want it?" Dig deeper with questions like:

• Has this item overstayed its welcome?

• Does it fit?

• Do I still like it?

• Is it damaged beyond repair?

• Do I use or wear it anymore?

• Is it expired?

• Is it taking up space unnecessarily?

• Has it served its purpose?

2. Watch for Emotional Chokeholds

People often get attached to their things because they hold memories or seem like extensions of their identity. But an overabundance won’t make you happy. If you struggle to let go, enlist the help of an organization buddy and set parameters for what to keep. For instance, keep only greeting cards with special handwritten messages or limit mementos from past experiences to a few items.

3. Don’t Touch the Clutter

Contrary to Marie Kondo’s advice to touch items to see if they spark joy, research shows that touching items makes you more likely to keep them. Instead, have someone else hold the item while you decide, creating distance to make it easier to let go.

4. Create a Safe Passage for the Clutter

Letting go is easier when you know your items will go to a good home. Donate items to charity or give them to friends or family. This "safe passage" provides comfort, knowing your things will have a second life.

5. Stop Making Excuses to Keep Stuff

“It’s not clutter, it’s my stuff!” or “I might need it someday!” are common excuses. But if something comes back in style, it’ll be different from the old version. The 1982 T-shirt will still look like it’s from 1982.

6. Nip Procrastination Tendencies

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization suggests writing down your goals and creating a realistic schedule. Break projects into smaller tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed and steer clear of perfectionism.

7. Set a Deadline for Clutter Removal

Schedule a specific date for donation pick-ups with organizations like Goodwill or Habitat ReStores. However, some may need a gentler approach than a firm deadline.

8. Don’t 'Doom Pile' the Clutter

Popular on social media, DOOM piles (Didn’t Organize, Only Moved) involve stashing items in one place to deal with later. While it clears space quickly, it doesn’t solve the clutter problem.

9. Remove the Clutter ASAP

Once you decide to get rid of something, remove it from your home as soon as possible. Leaving items in a pile doesn’t alleviate the mental weight—they need to physically leave your space.

10. Find Help

Organizations like the Institute for Challenging Disorganization and the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals can connect you with professionals who can help you sort, purge, and organize your belongings, creating a sustainable system to maintain order.

Decluttering your home isn’t just about tidying up—it’s about creating a space that supports your well-being and mental health. By following these strategies, you can reduce stress and anxiety, making your home a more pleasant and productive place to be.