How many times have you looked at that growing hodepodge of clothes, books and papers sitting on the bottom of the stairs? At first, it was a small job which is why you put it off but now it is snowballing. Fear not, for you are not alone,  73% of UK households are living in homes that have been considerably taken over by clutter. 

 

With amazon prime at our fingertips, it is sometimes easy to fulfil saturday night fantasies and order that pore sucking device pioneered in Korea or perhaps an owl shaped lamp. But, ironically, the more objects we have at our fingertips the less value we get overall from them all. This teaching is not a new one, seen in Buddhism and minimalism, to the story of the Rich Man in Christianity. 

 

Then why do we indulge our novelties to replace long term fulfilment? 

 

Mental health has become (and rightly so) a topic of discussion amongst schools, workplaces and families, but did you know clutter and ‘things’ can contribute to a feeling of overwhelment. It increases our cognitive overload, in turn reducing our ability to work our memory. The mental gymnastics to flit through all the possible outfit combinations on a Tuesday morning requires precious energy. It is the combined influx of fast fashion, short term gratification and improved delivery services that have left us using material possessions as a crutch rather than a conduit to get through the day, despite these objects being stuffed to the back of a wardrobe weeks later. 

 

Maiysha Daly from Woodford Green, mother of three kids, comments on the impact of mess on a household if left untreated. “A clean household is the foundation for a harmonious house; when there’s clutter, it’s so easy to point fingers as to who did what.” This isn’t a surprise considering about 60% of British households report there being arguments at least once a month about mess and clutter. 

 

Luckily with the rise of minimalist voices online such as Matt D’Avella, there is guidance for those who want to stop the cycle. Tips include starting small with a drawer, or a room before tackling an entire living space, as well as keeping onto things that genuinely add value to your life. As the cost of living across the UK increases and our living spaces become more compact to accommodate for this, a clutter-free environment is better for everyone.