"Your home is your emotional and physical base. If you're coming home to disorganization, you'll suddenly get a flood of all the wrong emotions — from frustration to panic. And if the clutter is extreme enough, you're literally living the panic response day in and day out, all the time.
"There's biological evidence that the stress hormone cortisol can cause an appetite surge. If you're stressing about never being able to find things, it really can lead to weight gain. Pay attention to how you feel about your living space and how that may affect other areas of your life."
The above quote is from Pamela Peeke, M.D., author of Fit to Live and The Hunger Fix. She doesn't think it's as important that we work on what might look messiest to outsiders as it is to change the spaces that make US feel most overwhelmed. If there's a room in which we can't feel relaxed and comforted because of clutter, THAT'S where we can make the most difference for our own well-being, not necessarily a space company will see.
Wow, I think that's interesting - especially the part about the connection between clutter and health. I do think it's important for me to make sure "front" spaces of my house are socially acceptable, so I won't have embarrassment or other negative feelings offering hospitality. But I get her point about the overwhelmed feeling when looking at too much clutter anywhere in my home. I deserve to spend time on what's bothering ME, and give myself the gift of less stress.