Seniors who suffer from mental health issues can find them worsened by clutter. Clutter can be anywhere; it can be in their homes or within their minds. Some forms of mental health, like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, involve repetitive behaviors exacerbated by the visual reminders of clutter. For others, the mental health issues are depression and anxiety, which they experience as mental paralysis, preventing them from deciding to declutter their homes or mindsets. Let us give you top good reasons to get started right away.
Falls Are Less Likely to Occur
According to a study published in The American Journal of Epidemiology, decluttering can help older adults avoid falling. The study found that aging adults who lived in clutter-free homes were 56 percent less likely to fall than aging adults who lived in cluttered environments. It makes sense if you think about it: decluttering could reduce your risk of experiencing a fall by reducing your chance of tripping over an object or wandering into an area where you could trip on something. When you’re walking around uncluttered spaces, there’s less chance for objects to get caught up under your feet.
Reduction in Anxiety and Stress
Studies have shown that older adults who live in clutter-free homes experience lower anxiety and stress. As a result, they can do everyday tasks more efficiently and in greater peace of mind, thereby enjoying a higher quality of life.
Grieving People Benefit from Decluttering
If your parent or other loved one passed away recently, then their personal belongings may make you sad as you go through them. The process may be emotional, but it helps you cope with your loss. Having fewer things around can also help those grieving from losing someone deals with depression and loneliness, which commonly occur after a death in the family.
Improved Relaxation and Sleep
Cluttered spaces can promote a host of mental disorders, including depression and anxiety. When you’re surrounded by clutter, your mind is constantly working to make sense of it all, and that leaves little mental energy for other tasks—like relaxation and sleep. Getting rid of excess items helps to declutter aging adults turn their home into a place to relax and recharge their mental batteries. A tidy home also helps aging adults to sleep better at night because decluttering decreases stress, one of many factors that keep you up at night.
The Home Is Less Dusty and Allergen-Filled
Several studies have found a direct correlation between dust and allergen levels in homes and illnesses such as asthma, allergies, and even dementia. The difference in size between these particles and most pollutants we encounter is not surprising. If you’re concerned about your loved one’s health, it would be worth investing in a HEPA air purifier for their room. With these filters, seniors can breathe easier without worrying about aggravating health conditions or setting themselves up for future illnesses. HEPA air purifiers can remove up to 99% of dust and allergens.
