A disorganized and untidy living or work environment can say a lot about a person, and sometimes, but not always, it can be indicative of mental health issues.
This article will discuss how clutter can not only be a reflection of how a person is feeling but how it can also make matters worse and what can be done to address it.
What Mental Health Issues Can Cause Messiness?
Although some people might be messy as a general personality trait, more often than not, it can be an indicator that something else is happening behind the scenes.
A good example of a disorder that can contribute to this issue is depression.
A few of the common symptoms of the condition are fatigue, lethargy, and a lack of interest in performing various tasks or activities.
When someone is feeling depressed, they might lack the energy and motivation to organize their things or pick up after themselves, especially if they feel a sense of hopelessness.
Another disorder that causes clutter to build up is hoarding disorder, and this can happen for completely different reasons than someone with depression may struggle with.
People who have hoarding disorder will excessively save items for various reasons or purposes, depending on the individual, and will usually have a very difficult time parting with their belongings, usually by creating distress.
Over time, naturally, these items will start to create an uninhabitable and even dangerous living situation due to it never being cleaned up.
At the same time, a disorganized environment leads to the same kind of thinking, and it can easily make people feel even more stressed, depressed, and anxious.
For instance, even if you don’t have major depression or a chronic anxiety disorder, clutter can still certainly make you feel this way – you might have stacks of papers or other assignments piling on your desk or struggle to find the things you need to complete the tasks you need, and this will definitely have a negative impact on your mood, especially if it’s a constant issue in your life.
Luckily, it’s something that can be easily treated, but for those whose messiness is a manifestation of their current state of mental health, it can be overcome with a bit more work.
How To Address A Cluttered Mind & Environment
Keeping your work and living spaces organized and tidy is something that will take a conscious effort to improve upon, and for those who only have this issue, making it a point to clean up will have a profoundly positive effect on your health.
However, if you have an underlying mental health issue, such as the ones mentioned in this article, it is advised that you reach out to a professional who can help you get to the root of the negative thinking and behaviors that are causing you to be messy.
This typically involves working with a counselor or therapist who can teach you effective coping strategies, and the ones found at BetterHelp are trained and experienced in assisting people with concerns like depression and anxiety and its symptoms, like disorganization and messiness.
Medication may be another option for you and prescribed by your doctor; however, it’s usually most effective when combined with the skills you learn in therapy.
On its own, medication can help manage the symptoms and make daily living much easier, but it doesn’t provide a long-term solution to the issue at large.
Conclusion
Sure, some people can simply just be messy individuals, but more often than not, it’s a sign of a bigger concern.
If messiness is a chronic issue in your life, don’t be alarmed, but take action, and hopefully, this article can help you get you on track to finding a solution so that you can feel like a happier and more focused individual.