The advantages of a day care home
A return to order: does it really make us better?
Psychologist Jean Piaget at his desk in 1979.
We are in the middle of back to school, looking forward to autumn and we are anxious to get everything in order. We start notebooks, projects, collections of booklets and we join the gym. We want the house to be in tip-top shape! But does tidying up really make us better?
"If a cluttered desk is a symptom of a cluttered mind, what is an empty desk a symptom of, then?". This quote attributed to Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein hits the nail on the head. Being tidy is the right thing to do, the socially accepted thing to do. Tidiness is trendy (Marie Kondo and her bestseller The magic of order In Japan, there are at least 30 professional organisers' associations in Japan. In the United States there is only one, but with more than 3,500 members. In Spain there is the Asociación de Organizadores Profesionales de España (AOPE) founded in 2016 and with 50 members.
It is true that there is something shameful in a drawer full of old newspapers, bottles with old batteries, medicine cabinets with medicines that have been out of date for years... and that chaos has made Calder's mobiles, Francis Bacon's paintings or the very discovery of penicillin possible. So let's see, does order really make us better?
A dsordne point is good and here we explain why:
1. Less Stress. You will be less stressed
It seems contradictory, but there are studies that show that people with messy houses live with less stress than those with spotless houses. This is because when your house is as clean and tidy as a convent, the level of demand is high, very high! And that's stressful. A little mess here and there gives way to carefree, relaxed, relaxed walking... You are free to "walk around the house" without fear of spoiling the perfect picture. Life is too short!
2. You will be more creative
When your mind is clear, it is free to wander and explore new ideas. The most interesting things along the way happen at its margins, don't you think? That's why the best ideas often come to you in the shower or while you're taking a walk. A study by Kathleen Vohs of the University of Minnesota came to the conclusion that a messy table stimulates creative thinking and the generation of new ideas. Think of Einstein and his crazy hair...
"Disorder implies a freedom from an established pattern and this goes hand in hand with creativity".
3. Disorder is healthier
Running on the treadmill at the gym like a hamster is a drag... but messing around the house is a great exercise that pays off immediately! Think of all the times you've had to bend down to pick something up off the floor or dig through the sofa cushions for the TV remote... One study showed that people who did an hour of cleaning a day burned more than 200 calories, almost as much as going for a run! So next time someone tells you to tidy your house, tell them you're already getting fit!
4. It is more cost-effective
At In praise of disorderColumbia Business School professor Eric Abrahamson and journalist David H. Freedman show that organisation and order come at a cost. "It is an economic rule; the time or resources one invests in tidying up may not pay off. Organising is not always cost-effective. Or to put it another way, tolerance with a certain level of mess and clutter often results in significant savings".
Contrary to common sense, "moderately disorganised" organisations, people and institutions turn out to be "more efficient, resilient and creative".
The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, who categorised the periods of cognitive development in humans, was clearly unable to tidy up his office (see photo). When asked about this, he clarified: "Bergson pointed out that there is no such thing as disorder, but two kinds of order, geometrical and vital. Mine is clearly vital"..
In conclusion, having a messy house may not be everyone's cup of tea and maybe reading this post you're tearing your hair out (not really). But, in reality, living uncluttered has some advantages, from being more creative to getting fitter. Your home is to be enjoyed, not enslaved!
