https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-practice/201802/6-benefits-uncluttered-space

Decluttering creates a sense of confidence – you see yourself as more competent.

In order to declutter your environment you engage in decision-making and problem-solving. You have to decide on a  plan of action, with regard to the amount of space you have, and how to allocate that space to arrange what needs to fit into that space. And just as importantly you also have to also decide to eliminate some of the items from that space to make the situation manageable. Accomplishing this gives you a sense of accomplishment and self confidence.

Decluttering is energizing.

When you make decisions, deciding  what to keep, get rid of, and put in its proper place, it can help put  you into a “getting-things done ” frame of mind. You are more likely to feel energized about tackling doing more.

Being organized and clean reduces anxiety.

When things are out of order, it tends to make a person feel scattered and anxious. By working to create order it can relieve that anxiety- the new environment is calming by comparison. Clutter tells the mind that your world is disordered- you should be doing something you are not doing, and you feel some level of anxiety about it.  Although it may seem like a extreme comparison, consider why those who have obsessive-compulsive disorder do what they do. People who obsessively clean, who repeatedly organize what is already organized, and count what has already been counted, are seeking a calming effect by the reassurance that all is right again in their environment- nothing is out of place. These people are seeking the relief of anxiety of things being disorganized makes them feel. But their obsessive behavior is out of sync with the reality that their environment is already ordered well enough, and their search for an even more ordered environment reinforces their  anxiety disorder. Their condition is an example what can happen when a generally helpful psychological mechanism- maintaining order- goes awry. But it is still true that reasonable effort to keep things at least somewhat clean and orderly has  a calming and centered effect on a person. The key as in so many areas of life, is to find a reasonable balance.

Decluttering can reduce family and relationship tension.

Clutter creates family stress. People argue about the messy space they are living with, as the clutter inevitably causes inconveniences like having to look for something you can’t find when you need it. You waste time and energy looking for your car keys when you are running late, finally finding them under a magazine that is a part of the clutter. You create worry that perhaps you’ve lost something, searching for it until you finally feel the relief of finding it more or less where you thought it was the whole time, but covered by a mess. Decluttering can mostly eliminate having to regularly deal with that kind of stress producing event.

Taking a break from an activity you’ve been concentrating on to declutter your space allows “mind wandering“, engaging in some degree of creative thinking about your organizing efforts. The physical activity you might be engaged in to do cleaning also promotes a more relaxed mindset, as it provides a mental break from what you were working on. If you’ve been working on a project requiring alot of mental effort and concentration, taking  a break from it, giving your mind a chance to wander, may help you to come up with ideas that you weren’t seeing before .

When you declutter, you might find lost treasures. You may sometimes wind up finding items that you value and had forgotten about, or even thought were lost. Such incidents might provide a serendipity and elevate your mood, encouraging you to further clean your environment to enjoy even greater benefits.

A review of the topic in VeryWellMind references  a study by Princeton University, proposing the notion that our environment can positively or negatively impact our ability to complete tasks as well as our overall mental health. If the physical space around us feels scattered, it’s likely our mental space will feel the same.

Clutter Contributes to Depression

Clutter Leads to Decreased Concentration, Confusion, and Tension

Researchers who performed the study by Princeton University found that when a person’s visual is overstimulated by objects not related to a task at hand, it makes it harder to focus efficiently.2

Clutter and mess is linked to negative emotions like stress and irritability, whereas the more organized home produces positive emotions like calm and a better sense of overall well-being.

“Clutter isn’t just the stuff on the floor. It’s anything that gets between you and the life you want to be living” – Peter Walsh