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Local Senior Living Community Offers Research-Based Advice on Decluttering
Kick off the new year by clearing up clutter. Making a resolution to pare down belongings and get organized will improve your living space and your brain health. That鈥檚 right: cluttered or disorganized spaces can actually negatively affect our productivity, mood, and sleep quality.
鈥淎s someone who鈥檚 passionate about interior design, I love clean surfaces and uncluttered rooms,鈥� says Gale Morgan, Senior Vice President for Mather, the organization behind , a Life Plan Community for those 62 and better projected to open in Tysons, Virginia, in 2024. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not just about appearance鈥攖rimming down and organizing their belongings can free people from their stuff. It has the effect of clearing the mind.鈥�
Your Brain & Clutter
Multiple studies have explored how people are affected by cluttered environments; some focused on work productivity, but others are more general. Here is what the research reveals:
- Neuroscience researchers have found that some people鈥檚 brains are better than others at handling disorder. Some of us may find that cluttered spaces鈥攙isual evidence of disorganization鈥攃an overload our cognitive resources and inhibit focus and memory.
- Clutter can stress us out and even make us depressed. One study found higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in people whose homes were cluttered.
- Another study found that those who sleep in cluttered rooms are more likely to have trouble falling asleep and sleeping through the night.
- A 2016 study nicknamed the 鈥渃haotic kitchen study鈥� showed that students in a messy kitchen were more likely to eat more unhealthy snacks than those in a clean kitchen. (They did not overeat healthy snacks, which were also offered.) The researchers say a chaotic environment can trigger a vulnerability to making unhealthy food choices.
Pro Tips on Getting Organized
When organizing your home, reducing the amount of papers, belongings, and other 鈥渟tuff鈥� in your space is probably more than half the battle, says Gale. For those with a large house or lots of belongings, she says finding a starting place can be a stumbling block. 鈥淵ou need to find a method of breaking it down into manageable chunks. Once you find a place to get started, it will snowball,鈥� she says. She recommends starting in rooms that you use the least, or that are less personal, such as spare bedrooms, the laundry room, the dining room (if you鈥檙e a kitchen-table family), or the formal living room.
鈥淚鈥檇 say set a goal of organizing one room a day鈥攕ome may not take that long, so you can take some time off,鈥� says Gale. 鈥淏ut if you find a particular room is taking you longer, just stop and move on to the next one. Don鈥檛 get hung up鈥攖hat just means that one room was too hard, too emotional. You should keep moving and come back to it later.鈥�
Downsizing, decluttering, and organizing your home will create visual order that you and your brain can enjoy.
Uncluttered Life, Paralleled Style
With ranging up to 3,300 square feet, apartment homes at provide plenty of space, along with ample storage. Keeping rooms cleared of clutter will help to highlight the unmistakable style of the home.
With floor-to-ceiling windows offering natural light and expansive views, high-end appointments and finishes, smart-home connectivity, and flexible open floor plans, one- and two-bedroom homes at offer style, comfort, and convenience. Each has been meticulously designed by award-winning architects to be as functional as it is sophisticated.
Plus, residents at The Mather can enjoy access to all that the elegantly designed community includes, such as
- a fitness center and day spa
- an indoor pool
- a group exercise studio
- a cardio/weight training
- a variety of restaurants
- an outdoor park, walking paths, and聽more
鈥� offers elegant style–but there鈥檚 so much more behind the beautiful design,鈥� says Gale. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we say that true luxury lies in the peace of mind that comes with living in an extraordinary Life Plan Community.鈥�
