Myths About The Negative Impacts Of Clutter

Online, August 29, 2012 (Newswire.com) - It is often believed that clutter is always a bad thing, but that's not always true. Clutter builds up from a multitude of places. Buying products, busy lifestyles, and creative influxes can all contribute to clutter. Projects or items that you don't have time to do often just go into a pile on the kitchen table and projects that don't warrant immediate attention are often left in the corner of your room. Extra clothing that's ready to be donated, DVDs, and small appliances that haven't been used in years often begin to bleed out of their storage areas.

Messiness can lead to stress and lower self-images, but most of the negative feelings felt about home organization come from worrying about how other may perceive your clutter. Human beings are natural born organizers, but that doesn't mean organization isn't relative to every individual. Some people view clutter as domestic failures and uncleanliness while others may view moderate clutter as the by-product of a creative and high-functioning mind. Before worrying about clutter ask yourself isn't whether your clutter bothers others, but if it helps you function.

Many people rely on visual reminders and cues to complete tasks or projects. A pile of bills on the table may remind those people to pay them. A person who spends a lot of time on projects and leaves out tools before putting all of the items away is more likely to accomplish more work and progress than someone who puts everything away every time. By expending less time and energy by prepping all over again the project worker has much more time to work on other endeavors.

But for some people clutter can be a symptom of compulsive behaviors like hoarding or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Both extreme organization and excessive clutter are pathological behaviors with the main difference lying in the fact that overly neat people usually don't annoy their neighbors or raise eyebrows amongst their family and friends. Finding a healthy balance between productive clutter and tidiness is the best way to enjoy living in an organized and comfortable home.