It's Science: A Messy House is Actually a Sign of Intelligence and Creativity

Inside: Why we moms demand to finish obsessing over whether or not our home is tidy – a messy business firm could exist a sign of intelligence and creativity!

"Please ignore the mess!"

My friend waved her hand, gesturing to her living room that looked like…well…a regular living room.

"Nosotros've been so busy with vacation stuff that I just haven't had a take a chance to…" she trailed off.

I looked effectually — this was my first time inside her house.

It wasn't spotless. At that place was a blanket tossed over the armrest of the burrow. There was a stack of post on the tabular array. A big dog trotted over, tail wagging and fur flying.

And in my head I did a lilliputian happy dance.

Stop obsessing over whether or not the home is tidy - studies show a messy house may actually be a sign of intelligence and creativity!

A Messy House is a Existent Firm

You see, when I step into some other mom'south firm and it isn't messy I get suspicious.

How does she find time to clean every room every day? How is it possible that in that location are NO toys on the floor…anywhere? Does anyone evenlive here??

You lot might think that your messy firm is an embarrassment.

Au contraire mama — I see your messy house and I experience at home. I know that someone lives here. I know that you, like me, are doing the best you tin can, and not ever getting everything done.

You are my people.

There'due south no fakery hither. No putting on airs or pretending that you're perfect.

I know that you're going to keep information technology existent with me.

And that is SO much more important to me than whether or non your house looks magazine perfect at all times.

My House Isn't Messy – It's Lived In

I suppose I should clarify that by messy I don't mean dirty. I'm a stickler for making sure that food is put abroad at the cease of the night and I vacuum at least once or twice a week.

Only at whatsoever given time at that place will be toys scattered around the room, dishes in the sink, and laundry in a basket waiting to be folded.

And with three kids and a full-time career, I merely have to be ok with that.

It took me a while to get hither. To get to the place where I stopped worrying most what "people" might think if they saw my living room in its non-then-perfect state.

What "people" am I worrying nigh anyways??

The UPS guy?

My mother in law?

Those are the just people who might glimpse my living room on a day-to-solar day basis.

And while I practise insist on cleaning upwards the dinner table and sweeping the kitchen floor every night, I've stopped obsessing over ordinary clutter.

Our house isn't messy — it'slived in.

Isn't that what you're supposed to do with your house?

My isn't messy — it's LIVED in

Our Messy House is Total of Memories

Besides the fact that information technology'southward literally not possible to have a perfect firm with kids (pretty sure that's a proven scientific fact), I don't know if I fifty-fifty want to get all Konmari on everything.

Because that "mess" is full of memories.

The shag carpeting in the eye of our floor? The one that'sdefinitelyseen better days? That rug is where our ii youngest daughters learned to crawl.

The bookshelves in our living room are crammed with our favorite books and magazines — stuffed into every nook and cranny. There are candles, picture frames, photo albums, and kids crafts. Those bookshelves hold our memories, and I smile every time I glance up at them from the burrow.

The dollhouse in the corner of our living room that's filled to the brim with mismatched furniture, and every type of toy from My Picayune Ponies to Barbies — that dollhouse contains 25 years of imagination in its walls. My Granddad congenital it for me equally a trivial girl and it makes my heart burst to see my girls treasure it too.

Speaking of My Little Ponies, nosotros have atleastfifty of them. Those faded ponies with the ratty tails? Those are vintage y'all! Straight out of the 80's! And the brightly colored ones with giant cartoon eyes, well thosewill exist vintage also in about twenty years. And ALL of those ponies encourage my girls to let their imaginations run wild.

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A Messy House is a Sign of Intelligence

Simply in case you still need a little more convincing, in that location is quite a flake of prove that shows a correlation between a messy house and intelligence. Some of the theories include:

Complex thoughts and ideas monopolize most of the "brain ability" of smart folks, leaving less energy for dealing with mundane tasks, similar chores.
Intelligent people aren't concerned with what others think about them…or their house.

A lot of history'due south most renowned geniuses, from Einstein to Marker Twain, are said to have kept a less-than-tidy abode.

Interestingly, I had the pleasure of attending a spoken communication by Randi Zuckerberg — y'all might recognize the last name from her famous blood brother, but Randi is a super successful woman in her ain right. She told a story about how shockingly messy and disorganized her blood brother Mark'south apartment was, and he is 1 of the most successful of this generation!

In fact, a 2013 study published in Psychology Today shows that a messy space encourages creativity and outside-the-box thinking. On the flip side, a clean and tidy environment makes people more probable to "play it rubber" and avoid new ideas.

Your messy house means that you and your kids are smart, creative thinkers who areliving life, and not just picking upwardly afterward it.

So mama, stop worrying nigh the mess and starting time making memories.