Can clutter really affect your mood and emotions? Researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute have published the results of a recent study that says that yes, the state of your environment can affect the state of your mind.
The researchers found that when a person’s home or work environment is cluttered, the ability to focus is reduced. Clutter also makes it more difficult to sort and process information. A clean, organized home and workplace environment allows for easier decision making.
The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging and other measurement tools to look at the brain’s responses to both organized and disorganized stimuli. Then they measured how that affected the performance of a task. They concluded that, for your best performance at work and at home, an uncluttered environment can make a measurable difference.
Source: The Journal of Neuroscience