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IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN A MESSY ROOM AND DEPRESSION?


Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD — By Sarah Garone on October 4, 2023
 * What's the link?
 * Messy room depression
 * Cleaning to boost your mood
 * Cleaning tips

Having a messy room doesn’t mean you have depression. However, depression may
increase the odds of having an untidy living space.

Ever notice how certain spaces seem to change your mood? Our physical
surroundings hold powerful sway over our emotions — and, for many of us, feeling
good vibes in a room comes down to its cleanliness. It begs the
chicken-and-the-egg question: Does the state of your room reflect the state of
your mind, or vice versa?



Turns out, both can be true. Here’s what research shows about the link between a
messy room and depression.


THE LINK BETWEEN DEPRESSION AND MESSINESS

First things first: Just because you’re a little untidy doesn’t necessarily mean
you have depression. Powering through a busy week, babysitting little kids, or
throwing a party can quickly add up to a messy house. And hey, we all have
different levels of what we consider cleanliness.

However, research shows that a disordered space can signify depression. A 2020
study found that the greater a household’s messiness, the higher the number of
adverse outcomes among parents, children, and families. One primary negative
effect? Depression.

People with depression often feel low energy. When you’re finding it tough to
get out of bed, the last thing you may feel like doing is running the vacuum or
scrubbing toilets.

Depression also frequently involves a lack of interest in things that may have
previously seemed necessary. So even if you’re a naturally spic and span type,
depression could remove your desire to clean.


DOES HAVING A MESSY ROOM MAKE DEPRESSION WORSE?

Letting the dishes pile up might not cause diagnosable depression, but there’s
something to the idea that a dirty room can darken your outlook on life.

Some research has looked at the effects of clutter on mental health. A 2021
study, for example, revealed that the amount of clutter in people’s homes
strongly predicted their psychological well-being. In another older study, women
whose homes were messier had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which
led to more excellent rates of depression.

Again, it’s hard to say which comes first: depression or a tendency toward
clutter. But if you’re already living with depression, seeing a messy room could
cause a sense of overwhelm or, worse, self-blame for not keeping clean.
Ultimately, this could kick off a vicious cycle of low mood and low motivation
to pursue tidiness.



DOES CLEANING BOOST YOUR MOOD?

So… if not cleaning can leave you feeling down in the dumps, could clearing the
clutter make you feel better? The bright (and shiny) upside is that decluttering
can boost mood. According to 2015 research, ritualistic behaviors like cleaning
can provide a sense of regained control, pulling us out of negativity.

Don’t forget that cleaning can be a physical activity, too! Tasks like mopping
floors, washing windows, and wiping baseboards can all get your blood pumping
and your mood rising (especially if you rock out to your favorite tunes while
you work). Aerobic exercise is strongly linked to lower rates of depression.



5 TIPS TO CLEAN YOUR ROOM WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT

If you’re living with depression, giving yourself some grace about the state of
your home is essential. Try not to put undue pressure on yourself to do
something you can’t muster energy for. Specific tactics can boost your
motivation when you’re not feeling the cleaning bug. Try the following:

 * Set a timer for a short period (like 5–10 minutes) and clean as much as you
   can
 * Put on some upbeat music or a motivating podcast to listen to as you clean
 * Make it a family affair! Gather up the kids and your spouse or partner and go
   at it as a team
 * Build a habit! When you build in cleaning at a consistent time of day (or day
   of the week), it becomes second nature
 * Give yourself a reward. Perhaps when you’ve finished a room, you can sit down
   and enjoy watching a favorite show or take a nap

YOU’RE NOT ALONE

If you’re feeling depressed or overwhelmed, please know you are not alone. Call
SAMHSA’s 24/7/365 helpline at 1-800-662-HELP or visit their online treatment
locator.

Was this helpful?



Last medically reviewed on October 4, 2023

4 sourcesexpanded

 * Lang M, et al. (2015). Effects of anxiety on spontaneous ritualized behavior.
   https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(15)00652-1
 * Marsh S, et al. (2020). The relationship between household chaos and child,
   parent, and family outcomes: A systematic scoping review.
   https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020-08587-8
 * Morres I, et al. (2018). Aerobic exercise for adult patients with major
   depressive disorder in mental health services: A systematic review and
   meta-analysis.
   https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/da.22842
 * Rogers C, et al. (2021). Home and the extended-self: Exploring associations
   between clutter and wellbeing.
   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494421000062

FEEDBACK:

Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD — By Sarah Garone on October 4, 2023





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