Science has proven that being surrounded by clutter interferes with the
brain’s ability to process information and is a continual source of stress.
You might think you happily coexist with that messy desk, but neither
your brain nor science would agree with you!
Researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute published
the results of a study they conducted in the January issue of The Journal of Neuroscience that relates
directly to uncluttered and organized living.
From their report “Interactions of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Mechanisms in
Human Visual Cortex”:
Multiple stimuli present in the
visual field at the same time compete for neural representation by mutually
suppressing their evoked activity throughout visual cortex, providing a neural
correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system.
Or, to paraphrase in non-neuroscience jargon: When your environment is
cluttered, the chaos restricts your ability to focus. The clutter also limits
your brain’s ability to process information. Clutter makes you distracted and
unable to process information as well as you do in an uncluttered, organized,
and serene environment.
The clutter competes for your attention in the same way a toddler might
stand next to you annoyingly repeating, “candy, candy, candy, candy, I want
candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy, candy …” Even
though you might be able to focus a little, you’re still aware that a screaming
toddler is also vying for your attention. The annoyance also wears down your
mental resources and you’re more likely to become frustrated.
The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and
other physiological measurement tools to map the brain’s responses to organized
and disorganized stimuli and to monitor task performance. The conclusions were
strong — if you want to focus to the best of your ability and process
information as effectively as possible, you need to clear the clutter from your
home and work environment. This research shows that you will be less irritable,
more productive, distracted less often, and able to process information better
with an uncluttered and organized home and office.
Clutter’s
Impact on Your Brain
Whether it be your closet or office desk, excess
things in your surroundings can have a negative impact on your ability to focus
and process information.
Material objects have a tendency to crowd out the emotional needs they
are meant to support. When you introduce new items into your life, you immediately associate
value with these items, making it harder for you to give them up in the future.
This psychological connection to things is what leads to the accumulation of
stuff.
A team of UCLA researchers recently observed 32
Los Angeles families and found that all of the mothers’ stress hormones spiked
during the time they spent dealing with their belongings. Similar to what
multitasking does to your brain, physical clutter overloads your senses, making
you feel stressed, and impairs your ability to think creatively.
4 Ways to Master Clutter
There are millions of sources of information and things for you to
consume so it’s important to figure out a way to control these streams so you
have more time to do things that matter.
1. Apply Constraints
One of the principals of good design is constraint. You can apply this
same theory to create a system for mastering consumption. For instance, set a
limit for how many people you follow on Twitter, how many books you buy, or how
many apps you own.
There will always be more information available than you can consume so
set limits so you’re no longer simply trying to just get through it all but
rather enjoying more of what you consume.
2. Use Small Storage Spaces
Cutting down on your storage space can do wonders for limiting
consumption. Try cutting your closet down to 10 hangers or force yourself to
use a small bag when you travel. Do you really need a walk-in closet or a rack
for all your shoes? Try constraining your storage spaces and you’ll quickly
identify what you really need.
3. Conduct a Monthly Review of Your Closet
Every month, review your closet, looking for items you haven’t worn. If
it’s summer and you have t-shirts, shorts, or shoes that you aren’t using, put
them in a bag to sell on eBay or Craigslist or give them away.
Another option is to try and get rid of one item a week until you’ve cut
your belongings down to the things you actually use.
4. Remove All Files From Your Desktop Daily
If you work on a computer, having a cluttered desktop every time you
turn on your computer can give you a constant uneasy feeling. At the end of
each day, remove every file from your desktop. If you don’t have an immediate
place to move the file, create one folder on your desktop and drop the stray
files in there.
Do the same with your desk furniture, also.
Clutter, whether physical or digital, is something you’ll always have to
deal with but it can be controlled. Finding ways to steer the streams of
consumption in your favor will give you a sense of power and a freed mind,
leaving room for you to create and experience life.
Files on your computer, notifications from your Twitter and Facebook
accounts, and anything that goes “ping” in the night competes for your
attention. This creates a digital form of clutter that erodes your ability to
focus and perform creative tasks.
‘When you have to-do items constantly floating
around in your head or you hear a ping or vibrate every few minutes from your
phone, your brain doesn’t get a chance to fully enter creative flow or process
experiences. When your brain has too much on its plate, it splits its power up.
The result? You become awful at:
- filtering information
- switching quickly between tasks
- keeping a strong working memory
The overconsumption of digital stuff has the same effect on your brain as physical clutter.
(Mark Hurst, author of Bit
Literacy)
Don’t let the seasons pass without strategic purging. The problem is that much of a family's
stuff has no permanent home. Since no one knows where to put anything, it
spreads across all available real estate (the coffee table, the counters, the
floor).
When the house is decluttered and clean, you have this feeling of
freedom. It's all about volume
control and systems. Keep physical stuff to a minimum.
And rather than perpetually clean and organize, use an established set
of tools and routines that allow you to quickly straighten up, find things you
need, and don’t waste more time than you absolutely must maintaining your
dwelling.
Design a "mail center": three stacked letter trays on the
counter into which mail will be sorted immediately upon entering the house. One
tray is for open bills and other matters needing attention, one is for things
requiring input, and one (the top and most easily accessible) is for notes and
reminders. Invitations to upcoming
social events, meanwhile, get an upright magazine file. When you are tempted to
abandon new mail to make lunch or grab a phone that's ringing off the hook, just
remember, "Later is the best friend of clutter." In other words, you
can't always let the urgent take precedence over the important.
Focus Your Fridge
Uses clear plastic trays (Fridge Binz; Organize.com) to separate cheese
from condiments from baking supplies. When you grill outside, simply grab the
entire condiments tray. Bonus: No need to scrub dried maple syrup from the far
corners of the fridge.
Standardize Your Food Storage
To avoid accumulating a drawerful of mismatched plastic containers in
ten colors, use just one brand of food storage container so lids will always
fit (OXO LockTop set; Organize.com). Stack just a few sizes in a cabinet for
easy access. Most people only really use three or four of these containers
anyway, so there's no need to keep hundreds.
Use Easy Counter Canisters
To keep the dried lentils, beans, quinoa, flour, and other ingredients readily
available, store them in a set of stainless steel canisters with “windows”(Organize.com).
This way you always know what you have—and friends could easily pitch in with
the cooking.
Rethink Your Linen Closet
Warning: Your mind might be blown by organization guru Peter Walsh's
brilliantly simple linen system. To store his uniform white sheets, he folds
fitted sheet, top sheet, and extra pillowcases inside a pillowcase of the same
set. Needless to say, he never has to ransack his closet for an elusive match.
De-Junk Your Junk Drawer
Instead of being jammed in a kitchen drawer, household necessities like
rubber bands, pencils, and glue should be stacked in clear, labeled boxes of
varying sizes (Zak! Designs canisters; Organize.com) inside a cabinet. This
makes things easy to find.
Clear containers make it easy to see what needs replacing. Even better,
their labels discourage the stashing of miscellany. They don't allow you to
overload your junk drawer with junk.
Establish a Free-Money Box
Let yourself be inspired by the sheer dollar amount of unused gift cards
and rebates you might find stashed around your house. Corral various coupons,
gift certificates, free gym passes, and vouchers into a brightly colored box
(Bigso storage box; Organize.com), which you can riffle through for relevant
bargains when you go shopping.
You might have fun with these:
