Why Great Grandma Could Do It All: How Clutter Causes Anxiety
Discover how clutter causes anxiety and impacts homemaking. Learn why Great Grandma’s simple lifestyle kept stress low.
In today’s world, we’re surrounded by products and gadgets that promise to make our lives easier. From robot vacuums to ready-made meals, it’s hard to imagine homemaking without these conveniences. Yet, if we look back to the early 1900s, many of our great grandmothers managed households with far fewer items and lived simpler lives. Surprisingly, they often experienced less stress when it came to managing their homes. Why is that? Let’s explore how the difference in possessions and lifestyle between then and now could be the key to reclaiming a sense of peace in our homemaking. We’ll also look into how clutter causes anxiety.
The Early 1900s: Essentials Only
In the early 20th century, homemakers relied on basic tools and essentials. There was no need for multiple cleaning gadgets, a cabinet full of gadgets, or endless storage bins. Most homes had only the necessities, often passed down through generations. Each item had a clear purpose, and when it wasn’t in use, it wasn’t replaced by something “new and improved.”
Without the constant influx of new items, there was less clutter to manage and fewer distractions. Great Grandma knew where everything was because there was simply less to keep track of! This simplicity helped her focus on what mattered most: caring for her family and keeping the home.
Modern Homemaking: Surrounded by Convenience (and Clutter)
Fast-forward to today, and we’re encouraged to buy every new convenience item on the market. From food processors to countertop gadgets, the options are endless. But with each new purchase, the simplicity of homemaking slips away. While we may think we’re saving time, we’re often just shifting the burden—trading the work of using and maintaining fewer tools for the mental load of managing too many.
Over time, the buildup of these possessions starts to weigh on us. We become caretakers not only of our families and our homes but also of our things. Each item demands attention: cleaning, organizing, and finding space to store it all. This leads to more time spent managing “stuff” and less time for the meaningful parts of homemaking that we genuinely enjoy.
If you’re still wondering how clutter causes anxiety, let’s take a look at some research.
The Hidden Stress of Cluttered Convenience
Though we may not realize it, all these items can actually contribute to stress and overwhelm. Research has shown that cluttered environments can significantly increase feelings of anxiety and stress. A study by the UCLA Center on Everyday Lives and Families found that women who described their homes as cluttered had higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, throughout the day (BeWell at Stanford). Additionally, Psychology Today reports that disorganization and clutter are associated with mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety (Psychology Today). When our homes are cluttered, it can create a feeling of overwhelm, leading to a sense of unfinished work that never quite lets our minds rest.
In contrast, our great grandmothers’ simpler surroundings allowed them to focus on tasks without the distraction of excess. For them, homemaking was about managing a smaller set of items, which meant fewer demands on their time and energy.
The Proliferation of Possessions in American Homes
Today, the average American home contains approximately 300,000 items (Becoming Minimalist). This staggering number reflects a significant increase in consumer goods over the past century. In the early 1900s, households were limited to essentials. That meant less clutter and fewer possessions to manage. With the rise of consumerism, our homes have gradually filled with more and more items, resulting in a far heavier burden of ownership and management than our great grandmothers ever experienced.
The Surge in Consumerism Over Recent Decades
Consumer spending in the United States has risen significantly in recent decades. In 2022, the average American household spent $72,967 on consumer goods and services, marking a 9.0% increase from the previous year (Bureau of Labor Statistics). This upward trend reflects a broader pattern of increased consumption, leading to more possessions and, consequently, more clutter in our homes. Our culture encourages buying as a solution to many of our challenges, yet we often end up with items that add to our stress rather than reducing it, thus how clutter causes anxiety.
Why Less Really Can Be More
When we embrace a simpler approach to homemaking, we get a taste of what life was like for our great grandmothers. By paring down to the essentials, we open up space in our homes and our minds. This allows us to enjoy the process of homemaking, whether it’s preparing a meal from scratch or taking a quiet moment to reflect. Our grandmothers may not have had the latest conveniences, but they had peace—a priceless benefit of a life free from excess.
Learning from the Past
As we continue this series, we’ll look deeper into the ways we can reclaim a simpler approach to homemaking. By recognizing the unnecessary burden of “stuff” in our lives, and how clutter causes anxiety, we can take a step back and focus on creating homes that are peaceful and welcoming, rather than cluttered and chaotic. Perhaps the wisdom of our great grandmothers can guide us back to a simpler, more fulfilling way of keeping our homes.
