Order and Serenity: How Tidying Up Affects Our Mental Health

“Order without contributes to order within.” – Gretchen Rubin

When tidiness and serenity go well together

Imagine yourself after a long day at work. You arrive at your door and with a sigh, you open it. You find a cluttered space and you feel a wave of stress that adds to your fatigue.

Now imagine an orderly space, where everything is in its place. Do you think you will have the same state of mind when you open this door (the famous “home sweet home”)?

This is no coincidence. The connection between the order of our environment and the state of our mind is stronger than we think.

The psychology behind tidying up

Our physical environment is often a mirror of our mental state. By taking care of our space, we indirectly take care of our mind by giving ourselves space to think, breathe and even unwind!

The simple act of tidying up can provide a sense of control and accomplishment, a process that builds our self-confidence.

Studies have shown that clutter in our environment can increase stress and anxiety levels. For example, a study already published in 2009 in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people living in cluttered environments had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Conversely, a tidy space increases mental clarity and reduces stress.

In my work as an organizational consultant, one of my challenges is to help people reconcile with tidying up, so that it becomes a source of relaxation and serenity. During my coaching sessions, I explain that tidying up does not necessarily mean minimalism or perfection. An organized space must meet your needs without necessarily adhering to an ideal of order and extreme simplicity.

Tidying up allows you to focus on yourself and organize your thoughts.

Adapt storage to your needs and your needs to your storage

Organization is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one person may not work for another. So it's It is important to adapt the storage to your specific needs, and also to adapt your needs to the possibilities of your space.

Take some time to assess your needs

Start by asking yourself the right questions about your needs and habits:

Hobbies: Do you have an activity at home? Sports? Music? Creativity? DIY?
Working from home: Do you work from home? How many times a week? What are your tasks?
Time at home: Do you spend more time in certain rooms like the kitchen or living room?

It is by observing your daily activities that you can improve them.

For example, one of my clients, who is passionate about painting, was struggling to find a space to practice her art. By reorganizing her office, we created a dedicated art area, which allowed her to not only better organize her materials, but also better structure her creative thoughts.

Create functional areas

Now that you have analyzed your needs, you have a better vision of the changes to be implemented. You can start to create specific zones in your environment.

For example :

A Reading Corner: If reading is a fulfilling activity for you, a comfortable reading corner with a well-organized library will motivate you further.
A workspace: An ergonomic and uncluttered workspace will help you concentrate.

Associating a space with a specific function will help you better structure your environment and reduce distractions.

Think about evolving the organization with needs

Your needs change over time, depending on changes in your family life, work, or even your interests. Regularly adapting your organization will help you better cope with your changes.

For example, the arrival of a child may require the reorganization of certain rooms. Or if you practice a new activity, you may need to reorganize a space to store your equipment. Or you are faced with a physical disability and reorganizing becomes necessary to remain independent.

The concept of neuroplasticity demonstrates that our brain is capable of reorganizing itself throughout life. To do this, we must learn to develop certain mechanisms:

Become aware and observe the changes in our life.
Reassess needs to adapt.
Developing our living spaces to adapt.

A suitable environment maintains mental balance and promotes lasting well-being. It is by adapting storage to your needs, and your needs to the capacities of your spaces, that you will create an environment that supports your daily life, that supports you mentally and physically.

Does your space reflect your needs?

Tidying up should no longer be a chore for you, it should give you access to the satisfaction of meeting your needs. It is a way of taking care of yourself.

By taking the time to create a space that works for you, you are taking a step towards becoming fully aware of your needs.

I encourage you to experiment with the conscious storage, that is to say a storage which corresponds to what you really need, and to observe the changes it can bring to your daily life.

Why not start right now? Take five minutes to tidy up a corner of your home. You'll be surprised at the immediate impact it will have on your well-being! Every little step counts!

And remember, you are not alone: I am here to support you in this process.