People have told me I'm a bit of a neat freak.
I like things to be tidy and organized.
I've always wanted my home to be a calm, peaceful and relaxing sanctuary to restore me from the stresses and chaos of the external world.
Clutter can actually have negative mental effects on our wellbeing and become a serious lifestyle issue.
It reduces productivity, increases stress levels and can even influence poor eating habits all leading to depression and anxiety.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience concluded that less clutter equals more brain power for real tasks.
When looking at clutter, our brain tries to identify the most relevant information to help achieve our immediate goals. This information is known as the “attentional set.”
The more unnecessary objects within our field of vision that have nothing to do with our goal, the harder our brain has to work to keep each of them out of the attentional set.
This leads to fatigue, causing us to feel lazy and less productive.
Alternatively, if your environment is uncluttered, your brain is focused on fewer things to filter through, allowing it to allocate more resources to the task at hand.
I believe that our external spaces are correlated to our internal space. If my truck is a mess and my house is unorganized, it’s a good indication that my mind is in a similar state.
Reducing clutter minimizes distractions, allowing the brain to concentrate on more important tasks at hand. The act of organizing your space can also provide a sense of control and order, alleviating feelings of stress.
Everyone has a unique comfort level with clutter. If you find yourself lacking focus, productivity or have trouble relaxing in your own home, removing things that don’t serve you may be a good starting point.
Steve Braun
Call or Text: 778.932.1978
Email: steve@stevebraun.org
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About the Author: Steve currently resides in the sunny Okanagan in British Columbia Canada where he spends his free time camping at remote lakes chasing monster rainbow trout with a flyrod.
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