The Stress of Mess

Research has shown that, in some people, a messy or cluttered home can over-stimulate the brain, setting off stress signals. Messes are distracting and silently call out to us with demands that we should be cleaning! This type of stress mentally drains our energy and sends tension soaring through our veins. Conversely, a neat home sends subliminal messages to our brains that promote peace and a sense of calm.

One room that has been known to stress me out is my office. When my work area is messy and unorganized, I tend to be less productive than when everything is neatly put in its place. The same goes for the kitchen. If there are dishes piled high in the sink and papers strewn all over the counter, just thinking about cooking dinner practically sends me over the edge. On the other hand, if my kitchen counter is clear and free of clutter, I’m more at ease and willing to dig out those recipes.

As a work at home mom, your potential for mess is doubled. You’re home all day, possibly with small children, plus you’ve got a business to run. Is it really possible to maintain a mess-free home? Maybe not, but when the mess begins to affect your productivity and, ultimately, your level of stress, it’s time to take action.

Where to Start?

If your home is messy and disorganized, just the thought of cleaning it up can be overwhelming. There have been times I just stood and cried in the middle of all the junk, my stress-meter overheating.

So, in essence, putting a messy house in order begins in your mind. Start by envisioning it the way you want it to look. Picturing your picked-up home immediately takes the focus off the problem and onto the end result, which instigates your mind to come up with a solution. Put simply, imagining your home in that mess-free state will get you more motivated to clean it.

See the Small Picture

Now that you have a vision of the end result, it’s time to look at the small picture. Start in the area that causes the greatest stress for you. For many work at home moms, like me, that would be the office where receipts, bills, the kids’ school papers and other miscellaneous junk normally end up.

Instead of diving in, try wading through one small area at a time. That way, you’ll get frequent feelings of accomplishments as you de-clutter each space such as clearing off your desk, cleaning out a closet, picking toys up off the floor, or straightening that stack of magazines. Each area you conquer gets you closer to that overall goal of being mess-free.

Maintaining a Mess-Free Home

While it may be impossible to achieve a mess-free home one hundred percent of the time (after all, people live there!), it is possible to control it to some degree. Set aside thirty minutes each evening to pick up and de-clutter. Enlist the help of your kids. While they put away their toys and other miscellaneous items, you can file papers, straighten your desk and run the vacuum. If done on a regular basis, you can maintain a picked-up home while, at the same time, maintaining your sanity.