You know that feeling when you're rummaging through a mountain of clothes just to find one thing? Or that low-key panic when a surprise guest is on their way and your home is, well, a disaster? We've all been there. But what if we told you that the clutter in your life isn’t just about having too much stuff? According to a professional organizer I spoke with, a very cluttered space that you can never seem to keep tidy is a manifestation of blocked emotional clarity. Understanding the psychological underpinnings of a messy environment—what might be called emotional clutter—is a first step in a useful self-discovery, leading to tidier surroundings and calmer existence.

Meet the Expert

Dr. Regina Lark is founder of A Clear Path, a professional organizing company. After a successful career in academia, Dr. Lark earned specialized certifications in ADHD, chronic disorganization and hoarding disorders and began working with clients to tackle regular moves, achieve organization goals and remediate hoarding. She is the author of Psychic Debris, Crowded Closets: The Relationship Between the Stuff in Your Head.

Let’s say your surroundings skew toward maximalism, heaps of brightly colored pillows, a display cabinet of Sonny Angels or other hallmarks of dopamine décor. And you love it! You’re able to locate everything you need for you and your family’s life and just seeing your belongings and hanging out in your home makes you feel safe, energized and happy. Well, then—you’ve mastered the art of everyday clutter and have a handle on the ebb and flow of living in a busy home.

But by contrast, if you find yourself paying bills late because they’re part of that unopened stack by the door, purchasing extra mascara because you couldn’t find yours on your crowded bathroom countertop, or if you keep setting aside Saturdays to “straighten up the mud room” but it stays a snaffle of boots, socks, half-filled totes and recycling…you might have some emotional clutter that’s manifesting in actual clutter.

According to expert Dr. Regina Lark, the physical act of tidying up is deeply tied to our emotional and mental well-being. While everyone has busy times in which they can’t make time to go through the mail or put away all their clothes, if you strive for minimalism but feel stuck in a pattern of over-accumulation and messiness, you might benefit from some deep inward reflection, in order to gain mastery and organization. "The clutter in their homes is a physical manifestation of what's going on inside," Dr. Lark explains. It's not about achieving a magazine-worthy home, but about finding peace within your own four walls. Dr. Lark shared four ways decluttering can transform your mental health.

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