It has been said multiple times by parents, “Why isn’t your room clean?” “Do your dishes!” “Wipe down the counter top please!” But has it ever been noticed that these things weren’t just for better habits of cleaning, but of a better sound mind at the end of the day? College students are always busy and most are going through mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, etc. 

Can having clean areas affect your emotional state or the way you do things? These habits we develop as we grow older can affect the way we handle ourselves, having a messy room could affect the mental and productive part of our mind.

 “When I get frustrated or especially tired and stuff, things tend to pile up in my room quite a bit,” Jackie Tran, a professional creative writing student at CWU said.

Messes in rooms or any common areas can bring up the emotion and the mental motivation just by having a disordered room with laundry that needs to be done, or cups that need to be washed, or just simply throwing a bag of chips away. Some might just clean the area just to be productive and to feel better emotionally. 

“Funny enough I actually clean to make myself feel better,” Tran said. However not everyone is like this. She also mentioned “a lot of people, will actually get more frustrated and keep piling things up instead.” 

Emotions can take over in ways people might not even recognize until everything is too much, and personal spaces become unbearably messy. The frustration may build up to the point that either a friend points it out or the person can’t deal with it anymore and does it out of spite. 

Bryan Bader, an aviation student at CWU, when asked what kind of ambiance do you get from being in an area or space that is messy, answers with “out of control” when a person doesn’t keep up with their own cleaning space, it becomes more difficult to control their own life. As if when having a clean and organized space it can balance out one person’s life.

Bader also said, “Not necessarily would it have to do with my emotions, it would more have to do with my mindset.” 

Many students, whether at CWU or another university, may have been in this situation. A student who is doing school full time may encounter the big to-do list throughout the day homework, studying, buying groceries, maybe going to a part-time job, exercise, maintaining a social life, calling their parents or loved ones back home, maybe even practicing an instrument. 

Then after everything is done, what is left to maintain? Getting enough sleep but also making sure that laundry is done and the dishes are done. Then eventually cleaning up anything, whether it’s clothes laying around or having piles of homework sitting out. Keeping a routine that is so simple yet so frustrating, it’s always one thing after another. Yet to maintain a clean space can be extra work. There are so many reasons to put it off, but for what cost?

Despite the prevalent amount of things on the to-do list, what must also be thought of is the voice inside of each and everyone of us and what is it telling you? What is more important for you?  It can be said that it is easier to just put it off, but it might just end up giving you the short side of the stick. You never know, sustaining an organized area and may just end up helping your mental health.