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Therapists share 3 things in your bedroom that may be causing you stress and how to fix them

Mar 16, 2021, 04:46 IST
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Cramped, cluttered bedrooms may induce stress, according to therapists.Joey Hadden/Insider
  • Bedrooms are made for resting, but some common stressors may be keeping you from truly relaxing.
  • Therapists shared three things in bedrooms that may add stress, from clothing piles to unmade beds.
  • Our home environment is linked to our overall health Cecille Ahrens tells Insider.
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Since the bedroom gets less foot traffic than the kitchen or living room, therapist Weena Cullins says people often overlook it.

But we shouldn't.

"Bedrooms are important since we typically spend our most concentrated time at rest or asleep there," she told Insider.

Our home environment is related to our overall health, Cecille Ahrens, a therapist who hosts a podcast about mental health called "Get Mental" told Insider.

"Certain items and elements can create stress and cause our bodies to tense up and contract," Ahrens told Insider.

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We asked Ahrens and Cullins what might cause stress in a bedroom, and they highlighted three common stressors.

1. Not enough storage solutions

Cullins said the absence of adequate storage for your personal items, like toiletries and other essentials, can lead to a cluttered space. Visual clutter can make it tough to relax.

A cluttered desk inside of a bedroom.Joey Hadden/Insider

Mark Loewen, a therapist and the founder of LaunchPad Counseling, previously told Insider that clutter gives our minds more visual information to process.

"By freeing up space, you are giving your mind a break, too," he said.

This is why Ahrens keeps clutter minimal in her own home and says she gets rid of "things that are broken or no longer serving me or bringing value to my life."

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2. Unmade beds

An unmade bed is another example of disorganization that can make a bedroom feel more stressful, Ahrens said.

At the same time, making your bed might make you feel better.

Making your bed is a simple task that moves your day forward, said Admiral William McRaven, author of "Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life... And Maybe The World," in a Business Insider video.

He said that making the bed is something that only takes a few minutes to complete, and it can give you a sense of accomplishment that sets the tone for the rest of the day.

An unmade bed looks messy.Joey Hadden/Insider

3. Clothing everywhere

Cullins said piles of clothes can induce stress by making people feel cramped.

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"Allowing clothes to pile up on chairs, benches, the bed, or the floor can also be visually distracting and take up precious real estate in the bedroom," she said.

But stuffing everything in the closet can stress us out by overwhelming us with choice.

"We can have so many clothes crammed into our closet that it prevents us from seeing all of the clothes we own," Cullins said, "which ultimately prevents us from wearing many items that we love."

Piles of clothes in your room may add to your stress.Joey Hadden/Insider

To prime your bedroom for relaxation after a long stressful day, make your bed, put your clothes away, and consider more hidden storage options for smaller spaces.

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