Did you know that being organized is good for your health? It’s true. Think about it; if you notice that your kitchen counters are cluttered, or you can’t find your favorite shirt, it doesn’t feel great. Similarly, if you need a printout for a work presentation, and the documents are nowhere to be seen, a normal reaction would be panic, another negative emotion.

Over time, if disorganization is allowed to reign, it can even make you constantly anxious. Plus, the chaos can be overwhelming, hindering your ability to take action or focus.

By getting organized, you can quell those negative feelings. If you are wondering how being organized reduces stress and promotes improved well-being, here’s a look at nine mental health benefits of being organized.

9 Mental Health Benefits of Being Organized

1. Being Organized Reduces Stress

When your home or workspace is cluttered, it’s normal to experience some negative feelings. You may feel frustrated that you can’t find what you are looking for or get down on yourself for letting the situation get out of hand.

Plus, the idea of dealing with the mess might be overwhelming, compounding the issue further. Over time, heightened stress levels are harmful to your mental health, potentially lead to problems like depression and anxiety.

Getting organized can quell these negative feelings by reducing your stress levels. When you can find items with ease, and your home or workplace seems to be in order, it’s calming. Moving through your daily life gets simpler, reducing your mental burden, and you won’t get stuck rushing around or feeling frantic just because you can’t find an item you need. It can have a substantial impact on your mental health, with the benefits often being experienced immediately.

2. Being Organized Improves Job Satisfaction

One of the benefits of being organized at work is enhanced job satisfaction. When you’re disorganized, you might misplace critical documents, miss important deadlines, or overlook crucial details. As the issues pile up, you’ll usually face negative feedback, and that can be hard to shoulder. Additionally, you’ll likely become frustrated, harming your mindset even more.

Organization supports a stronger workplace performance by making sure everything is in the right place or is accounted for properly. You won’t have to struggle to find what you need or to track your responsibilities. Not only will this reduce stress, but it will also boost your efficiency at work.

Overall, you may be able to accomplish more in less time and with fewer difficulties. This can make your work more enjoyable, boosting your job satisfaction and morale.

3. Being Organized Improves Your Relationships

Organization can be a point of contention for couples. If one partner is dedicated to cleanliness while the other ignores clutter, it can take a toll on the relationship. If fights ensue, tension and conflict escalate, both of which are harmful to your mental health.

However, when both partners are dedicated to organization, this potential issue is eliminated. It removes a possible argument from your life, allowing your relationship a chance to be healthier and happier.

4. Being Organized Enhances Your Self-Esteem

Many people who succumb to clutter berate themselves for not keeping a tidier home. It can lead to a negative internal dialogue, something that can be damaging to their self-esteem and mental health.

By taking the time to get and stay organized, you are giving yourself a boost. You are proving to yourself that you’re capable of making it happen, and that can go a long way toward defeating negative self-talk.

5. Being Organized Leads to Better Sleep

Chaos isn’t conducive to great sleep. Scrambling to handle responsibilities or stressing over misplaced items can elevate your heart rate and get your mind moving, making drifting off to dreamland difficult. Plus, worrying about missing things, forgotten bills, or overlooked tasks makes it harder to nod off, too, compounding the issue.

When you’re organized, you may not experience these sources of anxiety. As a result, it’s less likely you’ll have trouble falling and staying asleep. And sleep is a critical component of good mental health. Without a good night’s sleep, you may become irritable or frustrated, and those feelings can impact your entire day. When you feel rested, you may feel more in control and ready to face challenges, essentially improving your mood from your first waking moments and on.

6. Being Organized Improves Your Financial Well-Being

Your financial health has a significant impact on your life. When you’re disorganized, you may forget to pay bills. And, if that happens, you have to face the consequences, nearly all of which are stressful.

Through organization, you can make sure you handle your obligations on time. You won’t have to worry about utilities being shut off, cars being repossessed, or foreclosure or eviction. Additionally, you’ll increase your odds of keeping your credit score intact or even improving it. With time, this can substantially elevate your financial health, leading to a greater sense of overall well-being.

7. Being Organized Enhances Your Ability to Focus

Clutter can be surprisingly distracting. Your brain is a tricky thing, and it often assesses the world around you, even if you aren’t fully aware of it. When a space is disorganized, this process takes more effort. As a result, you may struggle to focus on the task-at-hand, as your brain is using some of its energy to review your environment.

By getting organized, there are fewer things competing for your attention. Your brain won’t need as much time to assess your space, allowing it to finish the process more quickly and efficiently. Then, you can take all of that energy and direct it toward your work, project, or other responsibility, making focusing easier than it would be otherwise.

8. Being Organized Leads to Goal Fulfillment

When a person keeps a tidy environment, they tend to make smarter choices. For example, they are more inclined to eat healthily and exercise regularly, both of which support greater physical and mental health.

Additionally, organization makes tracking goals easier. You won’t have much trouble sticking to the routine or monitoring your progress. Further, you may have a simpler time saying no to temptation as you won’t feel overwhelmed or defeated by worries that may otherwise hang over your head.

9. Being Organized Creates Space

Often, clutter takes up more real estate than the sum total of the items. When an area is disorganized, things may simply be strewn about, causing them to overtake regions of your home or workplace.

In contrast, when you get organized, you can use your space efficiently. Let’s use a closet as an example. If you just have clothes lying on the ground, dangling from hangers, and crammed into drawers, they usually take up an unnecessary amount of room. This can make your closet seem too small, even if it actually isn’t.

Now, imagine if you organized the space. You take your off-season clothing and compress it using SpaceSaver bags during the summer, allowing you to stack them on shelves with ease. You take another SpaceSaver bag to shrink down winter coats, spare pillows, or extra comforters, tucking those away as well. Then, you can hang up and fold the items you’re using, making them accessible and easy to spot. Once you’re done, you’ll have a surprising amount of room “left over,” increasing the speed at which you can find what you need.

Tips for Getting Organized at Home and at Work

Getting organized doesn’t have to be a challenge. All it takes is a little time and dedication.

Start by focusing on a single space, like one closet, one drawer, or one counter. Remove everything from that area and set it aside. Next, grab each item one by one. Consider where its “home” should be, then move it into its proper place. Repeat the process until you handle that entire area.

As you move along, don’t hesitate to throw away or donate anything you no longer need. Grab two boxes or bags and label one “trash” and the other “donate.” That way, you can keep the process going while giving those items a place. Once a bag or box is full, toss it or take it to a donation center, ensuring it is out of your life as quickly as possible.

Additionally, consider investing in some organizational tools. SpaceSaver bags, storage bins, drawer organizers, and similar goods can all make getting organized easier. Envision what your ideal space looks like, then track down the items that can help you make it possible.

While it does mean making a small investment, the mental health benefits of being organized make it worth it. It creates an opportunity for you to take control of your space. When it comes to mental well-being, that can work wonders. So, make sure you have the tools you need to succeed, simplifying and streamlining the process while improving the end result.