Having a good clear out and tidying up your belongings is regarded by some as being therapeutic and that living, or even working, in clutter and disarray makes for a less productive environment. However, there are several other potential psychological benefits to de-cluttering and clearing out.
Piles of clothes, stacks of magazines and papers may seem like just a mild irritation but its thought that disorganisation and clutter have a cumulative effect on our brains. We naturally need some level of order and so to be surrounded by too much disorganisation adversely effects our cognitive resources and our ability to focus is compromised.
So, here’s a few of these reasons to organise your space and move some posessions into self storage:
It’s good for sleep
Even at bedtime, it’s thought that if the last thing we see is clutter and mess that it doesn’t prepare us for a good night’s sleep. The clutter will act as an external stimuli reducing our ability to switch off. A tidy, ordered bedroom will be more likely to help you drift off.
It reduces anxiety
Order and symmetry are thought to promote a sense of control and calmness. Disarray and untidiness are more likely to trigger feelings of unease and anxiety. The very act of tidying and of sorting out, is often thought to have a calming effect due to the sense of re-instating order.
It uses another part of your brain
Interestingly, it’s thought that tidying, sorting out and de-cluttering particularly when it involves some kind of movement often allows your mind to ‘wander.’ This kind of wandering is what can provoke light bulb moments that wouldn’t occur during more cognitive work and allow creative ideas to come to the fore. Equally, it is thought that once the space is tidied up it provides an environment which is more conducive to being able to focus and concentrate.
It is motivating
De-cluttering and tidying up gives a sense of something being achieved. The task tends to require a series of quick decisions and the reaching of an end goal and this gives you the sense of time being spent productively and improves your sense of self-efficacy. This can sometimes prompt you to tackle other tasks that you’ve been putting off in other areas of your life.
There may be some items that you choose to donate to charity or to recycle and some that you don’t want to part with but don’t use on a regular basis or just want to put away for safe keeping. This is where self storage provides the ideal home from home for your possessions for as long as you want.
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