New research shows clutter dramatically spikes women’s cortisol—while men’s stress barely budges.
Household clutter extends far beyond mere aesthetics—it's deeply intertwined with stress physiology and cognitive burden, impacting women in particular.
Drawing from studies on dual-income married couples, therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw explains that women who view their homes as cluttered often see their cortisol levels rise throughout the day, unlike those who feel at ease, whose levels naturally decline. This heightened effect in women stems largely from bearing the disproportionate invisible mental load—the constant cycle of noticing, recalling, planning, and orchestrating household tasks.
Earnshaw suggests a realistic, three-part approach to reducing the stress–clutter spiral.
First, “shedding” involves intentionally minimizing possessions, including doing the emotional work required to let things go, in order to create more mental and physical space. Second, “preventing” focuses on systems: giving items clear “homes” so that decisions about where things go become automatic rather than mentally taxing. This may start with listing common types of clutter and designing dedicated spots for each (for example, a single, consistent place for receipts). Third, “adapting” asks families to accept that some clutter is inevitable in busy seasons of life and to concentrate on emotional regulation and co-regulation with partners, keeping stress and cortisol lower by adjusting expectations rather than striving for a perpetually picture-perfect home.
[Earnshaw, E., "Clutter, Cortisol, and Mental Load". Psychology Today, 2024]
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