By Jade Caswell, MA, LMHC Have you ever felt overwhelmed or frustrated in a cluttered, disorganized space? If the answer is yes, there may be new research to explain that feeling. Living in a cluttered environment has been shown to influence stress response and lead to poorer mental health outcomes (Bodrij FF et al., 2021). To explain this, the human brain has an affinity for completeness and organization. Adding clutter to our surroundings can confuse the brain a