In this article we explain how a disorganised bedroom can have a practical and psychological effect on you. And, if you’re keen to change your ways, we take a look at how you can make easy changes to create a relaxed and calming environment.

Adolescence is a time best known for melodrama, mood-swings and messy bedrooms.

You might be able to think back to your teenage sanctuary. A room strewn with half-read magazines, dirty clothes and discarded Mars bars wrappers. Or, if that spirit of rebellion followed you into adulthood, you could be looking at a room like that now.

It’s everyone’s right to keep their bedroom looking exactly how they like it, but clutter in the bedroom can result in increased levels of depression, lost sleep and stress.¹ Not to mention all the practical ways that it can impact on your day…

The morning scramble

Waking up can be a struggle at the best of times. But, if you’re tumbling out of bed into a messy bedroom, your morning routine might be tougher than it needs to be.

You could be stretching, throwing back the covers and padding your way to the kitchen for that first cup of coffee. Instead, you find yourself retrieving your phone from underneath yesterday’s clothes, dodging upturned plugs and settling for an unwashed mug from the collection on your bedside table.

What’s more, when it comes to getting dressed for the day ahead, you’re at a serious disadvantage.

Clothing chaos

One of the first signs that you’re descending into a spiral of messiness is your clothing. And we don’t mean the clothes on your back ­– we mean the clothes on your floor.

It may start with innocently forgetting to put your clothes away when you get into bed at night. But, very quickly, clothes that get strewn across the floor or over a chair will pile up.

Maybe they’re eventually shoved into the back of a wardrobe. Maybe they make their way into the laundry basket, whether they’re dirty or not. Either way, before long, every morning involves a frenzied hunt for something to wear. And once you’ve found your favourite t-shirt, it could be crumpled, dirty, or even require an exploratory sniff.

If clothes are the main culprit in your bedroom chaos, the good news is that a few simple solutions could help to get you back on track.

• Ditch the dead weight
  Organising your wardrobe might not be top on your list of fun-filled activities, but it can be surprisingly therapeutic. Consider it a yearly detox – clearing out the clothes that you don’t wear, or that don’t fit, to make room for ones that do. By cutting down your options you’ll free up storage space. Plus, it might prompt you to stay on top of the laundry.
  
  
  
  
• Organise
  An organised bedroom should make your life easier, not duplicate your work. So if you’re regularly tossing aside your tidy laundry while hunting for other clothes, it’s time for a rethink.
  While a chest of drawers is a great option for storing items like underwear, nightwear and jeans – hanging rails and wardrobes are much better for easy access to your outfits. They not only make for easy browsing, but your clothes will hang freely and avoid getting crumpled. A mirrored wardrobe makes a room feel bigger, and allows you to check your (uncrumpled) outfit from head to toe before you leave the house.
  If your bedroom is short on space, consider doubling up with a wardrobe with drawers, or a space saving wardrobe with sliding doors for maximum efficiency. When you buy a wardrobe, remember you can usually request additional internal fittings to suit your needs – so you can have a shoe rack worthy of your collection.

Box it up

One of the biggest obstacles to keeping your bedroom tidy is finding the right place for your possessions. Things like bed throws, vanity cases and electric blankets might only come out on occasion, but that doesn’t mean you want to be rifling through the attic whenever you want them.

Making the most of any unused space is key to keeping everything you need close to hand. Under the bed, at the bottom of your wardrobe and even underused spaces in bookshelves and display cabinets can be put to good use with storage boxes and trunks. Ottoman beds are ideal for storing extra bedding, blankets and seasonal clothes neatly out of sight.

If it’s the top of your dresser which bears the brunt of your homeless items (think old receipts, spare change and unopened post) creating a place for bits and bobs can help, too. Letter sorters, decorative boxes and change dishes are a clever way to group and store small items.

Clutter confusion

It’s often said that messiness is connected to creativity. But, rather than being a symptom of a creative mind, it is thought to be the messy environment itself that prompts people to think differently.² So indulging your inner teenager and allowing your workspace to get a little wild can actually help you produce more creative work. However when it comes to your bedroom messiness is not an advantage, instead you want it to be a calming space for rest and relaxation.

Whether you’re 15 or 50, we can all benefit from maintaining a tidy bedroom. Wake up to a clear room and a clear head – once you’ve cleared the clutter from your life you could find yourself happier, calmer and much better rested.³

¹ http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=5619
² http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797613480186
³ https://undecidedthebook.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/saxbe-repetti-pspb-2010.pdf