It may or may not come as a surprise that disorganization not only affects your outer world, but can create a physical manifestation in your inner world as well.
A recent study found that families who had more clutter and disorganization and unfinished projects in their home had lower cortisol levels, higher rates of depression and anxiety, reportedly less satisfied marriages, higher stress and overall feelings of unease.
If you feel that your space and the countless THINGS that surround you are starting to affect you physically- you are right! Your environment really does impact your mood, relationship with your family, and your daily decisions.
These manifestations of stress and hopelessness are real, but many of us spend so much time blaming ourselves for our lack of energy, motivation, or ability to stick to a task, when the problem is rooted primarily in your external environment. While clutter and disorganization certainly doesn’t appear overnight, it should come as a relief that your external environment is in YOUR control and you have the power to do something about it.
Your definition of cluttered and disorganized is based on your standards alone.
There is no universal standard of organization.
There are minimalists who might have a couple things out of place in their homes, and their whole day would be off because of it. And there are people who have lived in the same home their entire lives surrounded by knickknacks and clutter and are totally happy and satisfied. A sterile, untouched, magazine home is not the end goal! There is no right or wrong way to live your life and there is no perfect way to be organized.
There is just “are you happy?” “do you feel at peace in your home?” if the answer is no, then what are you going to do about it? Every change starts with you. It starts with you saying “that’s it. I deserve the life and home of my dreams, and I choose not to life this way anymore.”
Opening up your home and asking for help is a huge first step. But when the price of disorganization manifests in the physical ways listed above, it is absolutely worth the investment to make room for peace in your home.