So glad you are here. Friday Five is all about being intentional about our mental health. 5 ideas, questions, tools, and resources to encourage you to lean in, care for yourself and reset.
Is your physical environment affecting your mental health? Pause for a moment and do a quick inventory of your living space.
What do you see?
How do you feel?
Today’s Friday Five looks at how our living space impacts our mood and overall mental health.
Today’s Friday Five features Allison Moon, owner of the very successful company Allison Moon & Co, Professional Organizing. Allison brings a unique and helpful approach to personal organizing. Her background as an Occupational Therapist for 20+ years allows her to see clutter and disorganized living spaces through the lens of mental health. You may be surprised to learn that they are connected.
“Can you relate to feeling overwhelmed, buried, or unable to breathe when it comes to the cluttered state of your home? You’d likely agree that it leaves you feeling quite the opposite of ‘happy’.” -Allison Moon
Here are 5 ways our physical living space impacts our mental health:
1. A messy living space distracts us from our personal goals. Clutter blurs our clarity which interferes with our ability to move forward with our goals. For example, if my kitchen is disorganized and cluttered, it may lead to unhealthy eating choices. Can I easily find those healthy foods I purchased this week?
2. Avoiding taking care of our physical space can lead to a feeling of powerlessness (stuck) and hook us into an unhealthy feedback loop. We delay tackling our cluttered living space which leads to feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and/or depressed. Those negative feelings only get bigger the more we avoid taking action.
3. Social isolation is likely to increase when our living space is cluttered. We may avoid inviting people over, due to feelings of embarrassment or shame. Limited interaction with others directly impacts our mood and mental health.
4. Holding onto objects from the past can weigh us down emotionally. When our clutter involves us keeping things connected to past events or relationships we can’t let go of, this can impact our emotional well-being. If you question this to be true, take a few minutes and sit in a room where you are storing belongings from the past. What feelings are stirred up in you? What feelings do you feel when you consider letting go of them? Therapy can be a good place to explore this further.
5. A disorganized living space can impact family harmony and peace. If our homes are cluttered and disorganized, unnecessary friction is often the result. Dad can’t find his car keys…again. The child is late for school because they can’t find the permission slip for the class trip that is due today. And where are those warm mitts I bought last week for these cold temperatures? I know you can relate.
There is a sense of empowerment that comes with taking control of our physical environment. Letting go of things that are no longer useful or are being used can be immensely freeing. This can be hard to do though, especially if your mental health is suffering. Sometimes asking a friend or family member to help can be all you need to move forward. And sometimes, calling someone like Allison Moon to help can be an invaluable gift you give yourself. Working with someone non-judgmental, who has expertise in decluttering and organizing, and isn’t emotionally attached to your stuff in the way you are, can be incredibly helpful.
“When you start decluttering and organizing your physical space, you create mental space. You open pathways that lead to a greater understanding of yourself, your priorities, and your life goals. On this path, happiness is right around the corner, my friend.” Allison Moon
Takeaway: Take some time to assess your living space. What is one thing you can do this week to move toward creating a more organized and calm living space? Your mental health will benefit even from small changes.
The next Friday Five looks at the self-care benefits of having a decluttered and organized living space.
