Unclutter your space. Here's why.
Do you ever notice that when there’s a stack of papers on your desk you haven’t gotten around to sorting, the desktop on your computer is a hot mess, or the chair in the corner of the room has become the ‘dump it and deal with it later’ destination, you just can’t seem to concentrate?
Turns out there’s a psychological reason for it. Read on for five reasons you should get your shit together.
Focus focus focus
The neuroscientist folks at Princeton University did a study on people’s task performance in an organised vs disorganised environment and found the following:
“Multiple stimuli present in the visual field at the same time compete for neural representation by mutually suppressing their evoked activity throughout visual cortex, providing a neural correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system.” (Via)
In plain speak - all that excess crap around you stresses you out, negatively affects your ability to focus and process information, so get tidying.
PING! See you later creativity…
Clutter doesn’t always mean in your physical space.
You may think you’re an expert multi-tasker and a bad ass hustlin’ entrepreneur when you’re simultaneously working through design concepts, responding to client emails, and managing your junior freelancer via Slack. But guess what…
When you have notifications popping up left right and centre on your screen, or constantly hearing that buzz from your mobile, your brain doesn’t fully get a chance to settle into a task. “Clutter inhibits creativity and productivity by invading the open spaces that allow most people to think, brain storm, and problem solve” (via)
Seems logical. But this may mean your design concepts are probably not as sharp as they could be and your emails are going to need a spell check.
Be less of a cranky bitch
Clutter can make you feel cranky not only because it's like visual noise, but it also sends a signal to our brains that work isn’t finished. Which can feel a little like you don't have your life together.
"It turns out that clutter has a profound affect on our mood and self-esteem and there is a link between high cortisol levels and a high density of household objects. (Via)
Catch more Z’s
We all know sleep is super important and we’re now all terrified of not getting enough (thank you Matthew Walker).
Dr. Carl Bazil, director of the epilepsy and sleep center at Columbia University Medical School, told the Huffington Post that a key “principle of sleep hygiene” is that “you need a space you are comfortable in, where you are able to tune out and turn off.” People who doze in cluttered rooms are more likely to have difficulty putting away thoughts of “unfinished tasks” and that leads to sleep-disrupting anxiety.
Needless to say, laying awake thinking of all the things you didn’t finish today won’t help in achieving much tomorrow. A tired designer isn’t an optimally performing designer.
However?
There are a few studies out there that indicate “Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights” (via). So perhaps we should disregard all of the above and make like Steve Jobs, Einstein and Mark Twain?
Image via
Either way the pendulum swings, for me nothing beats a perfectly organised desk with a candle I likely spent far too much on because I liked the packaging.
Which camp do you fall in? Let us know in the comments below!