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By Daniella Gray
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A mother has shared her perspective on why keeping a clean and organized home is essential for her mental well-being, contesting the notion that mess can wait.
Dr. Tuesday Watts-Overall, 33, shared her "unpopular opinion" in an Instagram post that delves into the reasons why a messy household negatively impacts how she parents her three children.
"When my external environment is chaotic, my internal reality is, too, and that can heavily impact how I show up for my kids," the mom from England, United Kingdom, told Newsweek.
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"I'm a lot more stressed, irritable, and a lot less patient than I am normally," said Watts-Overall.
The doctor (@iamdrtuesday on Instagram) added that both anecdotal evidence and scientific research supported her views.
"For instance, a study by UCLA [University of California, Los Angeles] found that women who described their homes as cluttered had higher cortisol levels and reported feeling more stressed throughout the day," Watts-Overall said.
Additionally, research published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin journal found that clutter leads not only to stress, but also the potential for depression to manifest itself.
Despite other moms feeling this way, Watts-Overall told Newsweek that the automatic advice is often 'the mess can wait'.
The problem, she said, is that the mess serves as a constant visual reminder of the chaos around her: "It would mean ignoring the sensory overload that comes with a disorganized environment, which so many of us find hard to do because our brains crave organization."
Watts-Overall also said there was a personal toll of ignoring the mess: "For me and so many others, the effort it takes to reclaim some level of environmental order massively outweighs the overwhelm that would persist by trying to mentally hold on to the features of a chaotic space.
"In my own experience, that overwhelm not only massively impacts the mother I am in the moment but also can get in the way of me connecting with my children and really enjoying motherhood."
Despite sharing this "unpopular opinion", Watts-Overall, who is launching a new e-book How to Find Calm in the Chaos, was surprised by the overwhelming responses from other moms who feel the same.
One Instagram user commented: "I have and give zero shame or blame to any humans out there with a messy house, you do you. But for me an organized and at least cleanISH environment truly help me thrive."
Another parent also agreed with Watts-Overall's sentiment and posted: "The space I keep can either make me crazy or make me feel at peace."
Other moms shared how they navigate the stress and anxiety a chaotic household can bring.
One wrote: "I'm in the middle and have had to learn to pick and choose which mess I leave. For me it's having a tidy counter/kitchen. The basement and the kids rooms that you can't see the floor, I've let go of."
"They continue sharing in my mess-related overwhelm, and there is an immense feeling of solidarity between us as we share our experiences," Watts-Overall told Newsweek.
"Given the response, I would say that it might not be such an unpopular opinion after all," she said.
If you have a family dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
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