How Clutter Affects Mental Health

By U.S. News & World Report
December 11, 2025 | 7:00 PM

Clutter takes on many forms — physical, digital or even mental and emotional.

“Clutter refers to having more items than we need or can reasonably use, causing them to occupy too much space, both physically and emotionally,” says Patrice Le Goy, an international psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist and host of the “Like-Minded with Dr. Patrice” podcast.

If you’re already overloaded with stress from work, relationships and world events, excess clutter of any kind can amplify feelings of overwhelm.

“Clutter typically disrupts your peace of mind,” says Angela Williams, a licensed therapist and coach.

Managing all forms of clutter can improve your mental clarity and have a positive impact on your emotional well-being.

[READ: When to See a Psychiatrist.]

How Clutter Affects Mental Health

Clutter doesn’t just bombard your physical space and email inbox. It can also take a toll on your mental health.

“Clutter can serve as a distraction and negatively impact focus,” Williams says. “It’s often a visual reminder of unfinished tasks.”

Experts say clutter can contribute to the following emotions:

— Distress

— Guilt

— Anger

— Anxiety

— Irritability

— Mental fatigue

— Hopelessness

“Clutter can also lead to feelings of shame, overwhelm and distraction,” Le Goy says. “It can create a constant sense of being ‘behind’ or out of control. Over time, it can hurt your self-esteem, relationships and overall sense of well-being.”

[READ: Types of Mental Health Professionals.]

Types of Clutter

Clutter takes on many forms. The most common include:

— Physical. When you hear the word “clutter,” physical objects are usually the first to come to mind. This is when clothes, books, papers, magazines, old furniture and trinkets take up space in your home, whether on the floor, in your closet or other spaces where items shouldn’t be piling up.

— Emotional. These are emotions, beliefs or thoughts that cloud your judgment and sap your energy. Emotional clutter can impact your relationship with yourself and others by creating stress, anxiety or feelings of overwhelm.

— Digital. Digital clutter — including overflowing inboxes, endless app notifications and disorganized files — demands our attention. If not addressed, it can disrupt your focus and create a state of mental busyness, even if you want to disconnect and be “offline.”

— Social. Maintaining relationships or social obligations can feel draining and can impact our emotional and mental well-being. This is especially the case if those connections you’re nourishing are misaligned, inauthentic or don’t serve you.

[READ: Therapy Red Flags: 8 Reasons to Leave Your Therapist]

How Does Clutter Accumulate?

Clutter doesn’t just appear out of nowhere — it slowly builds over time for a variety of reasons.

Decision fatigue

Being indecisive on whether to keep, use or get rid of something can lead to a delay in decision-making and clutter piling up as a result.

For some people, the idea of deciding to part ways with something is so overwhelming that it can lead to junk accumulating.

“Avoidance and procrastination are protective mechanisms the brain uses to try to shield you from the potential pain or stress of having to sort through something, especially if there’s an emotional labor component,” Williams says.

Emotional attachment

Sometimes, people collect items due to their sentimental value.

“If they’ve experienced loss, it may make them feel more secure,” Le Goy says.

Shopping addiction

Uncontrolled shopping habits can significantly contribute to the accumulation of physical clutter.

“Just like any other form of addiction, it can take over people’s lives,” Le Goy says.

Stress and burnout

Because cleaning becomes a low priority when you’re stressed or burned out, it can be easy for items to build up in places they’re not supposed to be. (This can also look like not sorting through emails and deleting junk mail, for example.)

“During times of high stress or emotional exhaustion, it can be difficult to maintain a tidy space,” says Karishma Patel Buford, a psychologist and the chief people officer at Spring Health.

Lack of an organizational system

“Without a clear storage system or lack of space, belongings can easily pile up and create clutter,” Buford says.

This can make it even more challenging or overwhelming to stay on top of daily organization.

[SEE: Best Anti-Stress Supplements, Recommended by Pharmacists]

How to Recognize When Clutter Is Impacting Your Mental Health

There are a few telltale signs that indicate clutter is having a negative impact on your mental well-being. These include.

— Feeling tense or overwhelmed when you enter a specific room

— Avoiding cluttered spaces

— Feeling shame when you look at cluttered spaces (digital and physical)

— Having issues sleeping thinking about the clutter

— Fearful of inviting guests over due to the clutter

— Constantly thinking about clutter

[Read: How to Help Your Elderly Parents Start Decluttering and Downsizing]

Strategies to Reduce Clutter to Promote Mental Health

Experts say these decluttering techniques can help you regain control of your mental well-being.

1. Practice self-compassion

It can be easy to feel ashamed of yourself for having clutter of any kind. But harping on yourself won’t help you get the main job done: removing the clutter from your life. Flipping the narrative and positively talking about yourself can help as you work to get rid of what’s not serving you.

“Acknowledge that decluttering can be difficult, and be patient with yourself,” Le Goy says. “You deserve to feel free from the burden of clutter.”

2. Unsubscribe from email threads, and bookmark important tabs

These days, everything lands in your inbox — from last night’s dinner receipt to your favorite newsletter and work updates. While some emails are worth keeping, marketing messages often aren’t. Unsubscribing from a few can spare you the daily hunt for what actually matters.

The same sentiment applies to all of the tabs you have open on your screen. Ask yourself, do I really need to see all of these right now? What can I save for later?

“Make it a weekly practice to spend 10 or 20 minutes just deleting emails that no longer serve you,” Williams says. “Bookmark tabs that you may want to return to but don’t need right now.”

3. Focus on one thing at a time

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, it can feel like every task has to be resolved right now, which can make it feel impossible to get anything done. The best approach is to break down your decluttering plan, step by step.

“Tackle small areas first,” Buford says. “This can consistently prevent feelings of overwhelm and build momentum.”

4. Understand the root cause of your clutter

This may be the hardest part of the decluttering process. It requires you to look inward and face what’s actually causing you to hold onto excess items, memories, belief systems, text threads — you name it. Understanding why you’ve accumulated this clutter can help you break the cycle.

“Reflect on how clutter has accumulated in your life, so you can avoid repeating the same patterns,” Le Goy says.

5. Introduce calmness into your space

A cluttered environment can throw off your sense of calm. Refresh your bedroom, office or any messy space by bringing in things like a diffuser, art you love or framed pictures of loved ones, for example.

“It’s important to design your environment with intention by keeping things around that create a sense of calmness and purpose for you,” Buford says. “A more mindful space supports better mental health.”

When to Seek Professional Help

If your clutter negatively impacts your relationships, perception of yourself or ability to focus, seeking help from a mental health professional can be life-changing. This is especially important when dealing with emotional clutter; a professional can help you process and understand certain belief patterns and systems.

“People need to know that they are not alone,” Le Goy says.

There are mental health support groups, low-cost therapy options and anonymous help available.

Bottom Line

Clutter can exist on many different planes — physical, emotional, digital and social — all of which can have a negative impact on your mental well-being. Understanding why clutter is accumulating can help you reverse the problem and reclaim a sense of calmness and control. A mental health professional can help give you the tools you need to start decluttering, especially if the above strategies don’t help.

More from U.S. News

Types of Therapy: How to Choose the Right One for You

Therapy Red Flags: 8 Reasons to Leave Your Therapist

EMDR Therapy: How It Works for PTSD and Other Trauma

How Clutter Affects Mental Health originally appeared on usnews.com

Asia’s next great gourmet destination? Inside Indonesia’s fine-dining revolution

By CNN
August 11, 2026 | 5:44 AM

More than 120 years ago, Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, National Geographic magazine’s first female writer, photographer and board member, chronicled her travels through colonial Indonesia in her book “Java: The Garden of the East.”She was particularly fascinated by a feast known as the rijsttafel (rice table), a multi-dish banquet that was served in the grand Hotel de Nederlanden in Batavia, as Jakarta was known then.Scidmore vividly recalled a “conglomerate mountain” of food, including bits of fish, duck, chicken, beef, omelettes and onions piled alongside steaks, salads, curries, chutneys, spices and tropical fruits.The sumptuous spread had something to satisfy everyone amongst the 100 or so guests that filled the grand dining hall — even the “squeamish folk, unseasoned tourists and well-starched Britons with a small sense of humor.”Like Scidmore, most early Western documentation of Indonesia’s flavors focused on the opulent colonial feast. Little else was known about the diverse and rich flavors found across the enormous archipelago, in spite of it being home to the fabled Spice Islands, which sparked a 16th- and 17th-century “spice rush” for cloves, nutmeg and mace by Portuguese, Dutch and British traders.In more recent decades, the world has become better acquainted with some of the beloved humble foods found in Indonesian homes and warungs (street-side eateries), with satay, nasi goreng and beef rendang among the most familiar dishes beloved by travelers.But now, there’s a rising number of contemporary chefs who are elevating the national cuisine on the global stage by reimagining its famous spices into fine-dining experiences, while sharing the sophisticated stories of Indonesian flavor through a different lens.Made up of thousands of islands dotted across two oceans, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic country. It would be an understatement to say the country’s cuisine is wildly varied.As a result, “the existing understanding of Indonesian food culture is very shallow,” says William Wongso, an Indonesian culinary expert and author.Boasting an enviable array of regional ingredients and flavors, the country’s chefs have been working to educate international gourmets — and even locals — about the beauty of Indonesian cuisine.And Jakarta, its capital city, has become a breeding ground for the movement. Wongso compares it to the dining scenes in New York or Shanghai, which draw talent from all over their respective countries. “Everybody wants to come here to make a thing,” he says. “So people from different regions bring flavors and food cultures.”Some open humble warungs and serve their home cooking. A few look beyond recipes and focus on elements that make Indonesian cuisine unique for a wider audience, reinventing the whole experience.A modern, fine-dining blueprintEnter August, which opened in 2021 inside a gleaming skyscraper in Jakarta’s central business district.The duo behind the concept, Jakartan Hans Christian and Budi Cahyadi from the Indonesian island of Lombok, were definitely not the first people to promote Indonesian flavors — Christian emphasizes figures like Wongso, for example, who have been championing gastro-diplomacy abroad for decades.But August has spearheaded a new format and standard for the country’s fine-dining restaurants: a modern, Indonesia-inspired tasting menu operating at a world-class level of culinary execution and service.The industry has already noticed. August became one of the few Indonesian restaurants to achieve international recognition, placing 42nd on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026 and earning accolades at The Best Chef Awards.“When I came back to Jakarta, you either had classic French fine dining or very casual bistros, mostly run by expat chefs,” says Christian, who sharpened his skills in Malaysia and the United States before returning to Jakarta in 2016.“There were no locally grown chefs doing their own thing with their own roots or interpretations. For me, August is about the pride of telling our own story … and a responsibility to not only embrace our roots, but also relearn them.”Cahyadi, with more than a decade of hospitality experience in a luxury hotel, agrees. He currently helms the front of house in August’s dining room.“In Jakarta, you either had to pick a place where the food was good but the service was lousy, or a casual place where service was bad but food was decent. When I met Hans, I knew it was time for a place where food is excellent and hospitality is delivered at the exact same time,” he says.In 2019, the two started August as a private kitchen concept before turning it into the current restaurant in 2021.Inside August’s intimate dining room — warmly lit with dark wood accents and a bright, open stainless-steel kitchen at the end of the dining room — the restaurant’s two tasting menus blend familiar Indonesian flavor profiles into completely unexpected forms.Their daikon dish is inspired by the format of Japanese agedashi tofu — silken tofu coated in starch, deep-fried until golden brown and traditionally dressed in dashi sauce.August’s version is served with a cuko sauce — a sweet and sour reduction made with tamarind and palm sugar featuring a tangy umami taste.It reminds locals of eating pempek, the Indonesian fishcake. A drizzle of andaliman pepper oil, Indonesia’s version of Sichuan peppercorns, gives the dish a unique, numbing spicy kick.Another highlight features Japanese Kimendai fish cooked by pouring hot oil over the scales until it crisps up while keeping the flesh tender. It sits in a kuah garang asem (yellow sour curry sauce) from the Central Java region.The sourness comes from a native green fruit called belimbing wuluh (or bilimbi), which looks like an oblong tomato but tastes extremely acidic, while ginger flowers provide a touch of freshness.The curry base is made from a yellow bumbu — made of aromatics such as turmeric and lemongrass. Often compared with France’s mother sauces (a group of five master sauces, such as Béchamel and Hollandaise, that are said to be the foundation of classical French cooking), Indonesian bumbu are spiced sauces that take hours to caramelize and form the base of many different dishes.Christian says that August has slowly evolved over the years, with more Indonesian flavors being incorporated into his menu as the team gains confidence and the demand grows.“In the beginning, our menu leaned more towards classic European because that was my formal training. When more international guests came, they expected more Indonesian flavor,” says Christian.Now, with half of their guests coming from overseas, the team tries to find the balance carefully without being intimidating.“Finding that balance was crucial — doing modern Indonesian cooking in a way that’s exciting for locals without just putting expensive ingredients in a traditional dish. We want to start from a product or a cooking method and create something new out of that idea,” says Christian.The founders admit that Jakarta has few fine dining concepts compared to fellow Southeast Asian cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila and Bangkok.“We knew we were a few years behind, but we are in progress to catch up. Over the years, the interest from people who want to learn and taste the flavor of Indonesia is growing,” says Christian. “For the past five to six years, we’ve been on a mission to prove people wrong.”It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t just about the menus, but the operation.They were the first restaurant to impose a reservation fee for diners in Jakarta. It also took a few years to educate their diners to be punctual for the tasting menu so the table could start the menu together – an often tricky feat in Jakarta traffic.But August’s success helped set new operational benchmarks for the city, proving that local diners were ready to enjoy high-end tasting menus.In the years since, Jakarta’s fine-dining community has expanded rapidly.ESA, opened in 2023, proudly offers a menu called New Jakarta Cuisine. Kindling, which opened the following year, blends Indonesian-Chinese dishes with French technique. Selera, newly opened this year in the Keraton at the Plaza hotel, emphasizes the nation’s culinary heritage with local ingredients.Outside the capital, things are changing, too, particularly in the country’s tourist hotspots. Bali, for example, has evolved to offer more than just fine resort dining and Western restaurants catering to visitors.Locavore NXT, helmed by Dutch-Indonesian duo Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah, serves a tasting menu that highlights local ingredients. The independent concept also has a farm, laboratory and store.Meanwhile, young, local and independent concepts are slowly increasing elsewhere in the country.Overlooking the historical Prambanan Temple and Mount Merapi, Suwatu in Yogyakarta, the royal cultural heart of Java, is an upscale hillside restaurant with a menu packed with local dishes cooked by local villagers.In Bandung, both MMBS (Mari Merangkai Bunga Seroja) and Plataran Bandung serve local Sundanese cuisine, with hyper-seasonal tasting menus featuring a creative twist.Not just about the price tagAt the same time, classic Indonesian restaurants are reexamining the stories they would like to tell.For a long time, the 1945 Restaurant inside the Fairmont Jakarta has been regarded as the city’s only high-end Indonesian restaurant in a five-star hotel.Taking over as the chef de cuisine this year, Yopi Tumeru has been determined to inject fresh ideas into the 11-year-old establishment — and he was inspired by the traditional rijsttafel concept.His vision of the legendary feast isn’t only a sumptuous buffet but an educational exploration of Indonesian cuisine.“For many years, Indonesian food was presented either as home cooking, street food or part of a hotel buffet… Our Rijsttafel was designed as a culinary journey through the archipelago. We preserve the generous and communal character of the traditional experience while refining the portions, presentation and sequence,” Tumeru says.The menu includes dishes such as wagyu beef rendang, duck leg confit with sambal madura, tuna collar rica-rica (rahang tuna), tempe nachos and es teler cheesecake — all created to shine new light onto old dishes.For chefs like Tumeru, presenting Indonesian cuisine in a haute gastronomic format isn’t just about slapping on higher price tags and using expensive ingredients.They are proudly showcasing the often undervalued Indonesian cuisine — from the ingredients, the knowledge and the labor to the cultural heritage.“Rendang, for example, is not simply beef cooked in coconut milk. It requires patience, careful control of the heat, and an understanding of how the spices develop over time,” says Tumeru, who feels chefs have a responsibility to help guests appreciate that complexity.Despite giving Indonesian cuisine an upscale makeover, all of the chefs insist their roots and hearts remain with the humble, family-run warung. They encourage diners to ask for street-food tips, which might otherwise feel intimidating without a local guide.The movement isn’t about replacing affordable neighborhood joints. It’s about broadening how the world sees Indonesian food, using fine dining as a welcoming gateway into their country’s vast culinary heritage.“There is still a mindset that Indonesian food cannot be expensive — that is not true,” says Wongso.“These high-end restaurants, if they’re doing it right, they’re quite helpful in changing people’s mindsets. Indonesian food cannot be cheap. It takes immense labor and skill. A single sauce or spice paste takes hours of balancing and preparation. You can Google many things, but you can’t Google taste.”The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

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