Why does organizing help with anxiety and stress?

Most people do not reach out for help when they are having a good day. They reach out for support when they are approaching their limits and realize things need to change. Disorganization is often the result of delayed decisions. The delay may be intentional (you don’t like doing something or prefer to do something else) or circumstantial (too many things changed at once (i.e. you moved and had a baby at the same time) or had surgery that took longer to recover from than you expected.)

Like a computer with too many tabs open at the same time, our minds can only handle processing so much information at once and that includes making decisions. When you are already feeling overwhelmed or stressed our minds have fewer resources to devote to new tasks and focus on habitual behaviors instead. The opposite is also true. When you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, the fewer decisions you have to make, the better positioned you are to handle the extra external stressors headed your way. 

For many, visual clutter is stressful. Think about places that are known for being calming. Zen temples, gardens, fine art museums. Zen temples are so calming to the soul because there’s nothing visual to disrupt your psyche. The space is calm and it allows the body/mind to relax. When the body is surrounded by lots of clutter, it actually causes extra cortisol, the stress hormone, to be released. That’s why when you are feeling extra stressed, sometimes just making the bed or washing the dishes makes you feel so much better. It’s because your body craves order too. It’s also why when students need to study, they head to the library where there are fewer distractions so their mind can focus on absorbing new material.

This is where organization and organizational strategies can make stressful situations less taxing. They help reduce anxiety by limiting the number of things your brain needs to process and allows you to focus on what’s really important in the moment. 

~Your external space is a reflection of your internal space. ~

If you are feeling extra stressed with all the unexpected changes happening all around us, I’d suggest starting with a small task that adds a little more order to your space. Clean out a junk drawer, do a few loads of laundry, tackle that hall closet that never seems to have any order. I promise you, you will feel better. Clear out the stagnant energy that’s surrounding you. When the sun is out, open the windows and let the fresh air in. Your soul will thank you and you will feel better.