Research: clutter raises stress and reduces focus

This episode is one that hits your home and your heart. I’m joined by Katy Wells, author of Making Home Your Happy Place and host of Maximize Minimalist. Together, we unpack the biggest lies we’ve been sold about decluttering—especially how harmful those messages can be for ADHD and neurodivergent brains.

We go far beyond “just get organized” and dig into how clutter impacts your nervous system, identity, emotions, and stress levels. Katy shares a compassionate, realistic, and ADHD-friendly approach to decluttering that doesn’t rely on perfection, Pinterest aesthetics, or overwhelm. If clutter has ever sent you into a shame spiral or made you feel like you’re failing at adulthood, this conversation is for you.

Katy Wells, author of Making Home Your Happy Place: The Real-Life Guide to Decluttering without the Overwhelm, created Holistic Decluttering—an approach that tackles clutter at its roots and pairs it with simple, sustainable systems. As host of The Maximized Minimalist podcast (5 million listens), Katy helps families break the cycle of clutter that keeps coming back. Her work has been featured on NBC News Daily, Martha Stewart, and Real Simple. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband and two sons.

Episode Highlights:

[0:51] – Introducing Katy Wells and why this conversation goes way deeper than “stuff”
 [2:03] – The biggest decluttering myths we’ve been fed and why they harm ADHD brains
 [5:51] – The shocking research linking clutter, cortisol, and focus
 [8:27] – Why mess and clutter are not the same thing (and why that matters)
[11:56] – ADHD-friendly decluttering: one category, one decision at a time
[16:54] – “Only Handle It Once” and designing your environment for follow-through
[20:32] – Finding your baseline instead of chasing impossible standards
[24:45] – Decluttering as a lifestyle, not another exhausting to-do list
[33:00] – The four types of clutter: superficial, scarcity, sentimental, and identity
[40:33] – Letting go without regret and why decluttering is a skill you can build
[49:55] – Creating a home that feels possible, supportive, and truly yours

Links and Resources:

Katy’s website: https://www.katyjoywells.com/ 

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