Is Clutter Bad for Your Mental Health?

(AP) – Although 82% of Americans consider themselves to be an organized person, 40% of homeowners are afraid of facing the clutter in their homes, according to a new study by OnePoll for The Container Store.

The survey of 2,000 homeowners with garages looked at how they deal with clutter and found that nearly a third of respondents have difficulty keeping their homes organized. Nearly half of respondents said that the organization of their home has an impact on their mental health, and 80% feel more motivated when their home isn’t cluttered. Similarly, 73% expressed feelings of being overwhelmed when their home is untidy.

Many try to get ahead of this feeling, as 35% of those surveyed even claim to “very much” enjoy organizing, although a quarter feel the exact opposite.

Too Much Stuff

One in seven homeowners admit that their home is currently disorganized. On average, homeowners have 25 things currently out of place in their homes, often in their bathrooms. Of these respondents, half delay finding the right spot for those items, sometimes indefinitely.

According to respondents, the most difficult storage areas of the home to keep organized are the garage, closet, and drawers.

It can be hard to throw items away, especially if they have sentimental value. The top items currently taking up the most space in Americans’ storage spaces are home and holiday décor, old documents, and clothes or shoes.

With the abundance of “junk” in their home, 46% would feel embarrassed if guests saw the current state of these areas. At 52%, the garage ranks as the most common place for “junk” to be stored, like old kitchen appliances in need of a cleaning. It’s a close race for second — 34% say drawers, 32% stuff things into their closets.

Thirty-five percent said it’s been at least a few months since they’ve organized the “junk” areas within their home, and another 23% claim they attempted to organize their garage at least a year ago.

“For many homeowners, the garage — like other classic ‘storage areas’ — can be an afterthought,” says Gretchen Ganc, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Analytics at The Container Store.

“There’s a world of potential within these spaces that can surprise you in terms of just how useful they can be. While you would ideally keep a handle on organizing the storage areas in your home before they get to the point of clutter that will only overwhelm you more, sometimes you have to tackle a space in your home where clutter has already taken over.”

The Garage Needs Some TLC

From car storage to an indoor golf simulator, garages are an extremely useful place in our homes. However, there is something about the garage — maybe its all that open space? — that just makes it a great place to throw all your unused stuff. 37% of the respondents to The Container Store poll say their garage currently looks like a nightmare. Another 21% of homeowners admit they completely avoid going into their garage, just to avoid the mess.

Even the semi-organized struggle 60% claim to use their garage as storage for necessary items, while 58% admit its full of random things. 43% say the storage system in their garage does not accommodate all of their needs.

“Garages are not ‘one size fits all,’ which is why we offer custom spaces and complementary organizing solutions that meet your specific needs,” explains Ganc. “To help figure out what kind of organizational system will work best for you, we suggest outlining your goals for the space: what do you need to store, what are you hoping to do with the space you free up and how can you maximize the space with which you have to work?”

Storage solutions can make a big difference in your garage and throughout your home. Decluttering any room can have immense benefits to your mental health, as research has shown that people are less irritable, less distracted, and more productive in an organized home. A room as important and big as the garage could really free up space for other items that are more important and really take off a mental load.

This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.