When someone says it is important to organize and clean your room, most people agree. However, a lot of people take for granted how much of an effect it can have.
An organized room is more than just pleasing to the eye, it is also beneficial for the mind. Clutter can also be far more than an annoyance, and may negatively impact our mental health. A room is supposed to be a safe place of rest, and during the pandemic, individuals spent more time there than ever.
If you find that your room brings you more stress than comfort, putting it in order may be a priority to consider.
A Messy Room Can Create a Messy Mind
Research has shown that living or working in a cluttered environment harms the mind. This is due to having a mess around you filling your minds with possible tasks. These tasks then clutter your brain and make it hard to focus.
On top of this, it is very common to enjoy order. When you know where everything is, there is much less for you to worry about at any given time.
You may have experienced the frustration of losing something you needed, and you may attribute that discomfort to that moment. The truth is, however, that consistent worrying about clutter can take up the mental focus and energy you need. A messy room or workplace can create slowly building stress that stacks up over time if gone unchecked.
Excess stress from any source can be harmful and has been linked to both mental and physical health problems. Untreated stress has even been linked to depression.
The positive side of this coin is that an organized room can provide many benefits. Cleaning your environment may reduce stress, help boost focus, and improve your quality of life. You can rest knowing that what you need is easily accessible, you have more storage space, and your mind is not getting derailed thinking about unfinished tasks.
When you complete something you may have been putting off, it will feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
Your Castle
During the pandemic, you may have spent most of your time in your room. While in lockdown, your bedroom most likely became your safe haven. If you were working at home, it even became your office. Not to mention the fact that you sleep in your rooms as well.
Sleeping in a place that makes you uncomfortable is certainly going to be challenging, and any place you spend that much time in is worth putting effort into. The places you spend the most time in, and the things you spend the most time doing, often have the largest impact on you. If you feel like the state of your room is not putting you at ease and rather is doing the opposite, this may be a problem worth addressing.
Start Small With Self-Improvement
Imagine looking up at a mountain from the bottom and thinking about each step you will have to take to get to the top. That’s enough to tire anyone out. If you have a messy room, even looking at it and thinking about cleaning all of it can be exhausting and demotivating. This is because you may tend to perceive the whole room at once and think about the combined effort to clean it. Having this mindset can do far more harm than good, and there is a better option.
Clinical psychologist, psychology professor, and bestselling author Dr. Jordan B. Peterson famously emphasized the importance of cleaning your room. The strategy he offered to get the job done is to focus on one thing you know you can fix, and spend 10 minutes a day doing it. Instead of exhausting yourself all at once, you can incrementally improve your surroundings a bit at a time. In this same lecture, he states that with his patients, getting them to organize their room is often the first thing he focuses on.
The idea of improving at something one step at a time is an idea taken into many aspects of life, besides cleaning your room. It can be applied to recovery from substance use disorder. Recovery is a process of growth that tends to seem like a mountain when thought of all at once. Taking your recovery one step at a time instead of trying to change yourself too quickly can be a healthy path.
Seeking treatment can be a life-changing step, but afterward giving yourself time to become who you need to be is important. Overwhelming yourself is harmful — whether it is clutter in your room or trying to change at too fast a pace.
Although keeping our rooms clean may seem like an afterthought, many people are surprised by how much better it makes them feel. Knowing where everything is, being able to focus, and feeling more comfortable inviting guests over can all be big boosts to our confidence. During the many challenges of life, however, this aspect can sometimes fall behind. Using the tactic of taking things one step at a time can help us accomplish this and many other tasks in our lives. One of the most important first steps we can take in life is to seek treatment for substance use disorder. If you or a loved one needs treatment, Everlast Recovery Centers is here for you. Our well-trained staff understands the importance of helping our clients on the path to recovery. At our home-like facilities in southern California, we offer various treatments and therapies to fit each client’s needs. To learn more, call (866) 338-6925 today.
