The orderly shelves start filling up with articles that were supposed to go somewhere else. What was initially supposed to be only temporary becomes a long-term arrangement with a growing number of things that have nothing to do with each other. This process occurs all the time but may not necessarily be related to a shortage of space in a household. It just demonstrates the priority of comfort over order in the everyday life of people. According to the findings published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, accessible and visible locations tend to attract more clutter, which requires less effort to be put away.

Repetition eventually leads to clutter formation

The repetition of clutter patterns takes place due to the repetition of behaviors rather than making a one-off decision. Research carried out regarding habit formation shows that behaviors that involve less exertion of energy are more repetitive, especially in familiar surroundings. Having an item stored in a particular shelf becomes a routine that does not involve decision-making after a certain period. This sets up a cycle whereby the shelf keeps being filled up because the easiest place to store things is now there. This is not an accumulation pattern that happens randomly but is determined by habits formed over time.

How can you reset the space through structure?

To disrupt this cycle, one needs to draw certain lines. According to research, demarcated storage areas tend to minimize clutter since there is clarity in terms of where things should be stored. Having smaller spaces for commonly used storage shelves limits the number of things put in there and minimizes the amount of clutter. This is because the issue of clutter has little to do with lack of space and much more to do with habit.