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The Maleficence of Mess

How a Cluttered Work Space Impairs Focus

Clean-freaks rejoice!

Those of you who are meticulous about cleanliness, organization and generally keeping things in the proper place now have scientific data to lean on.

According to a new study from the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, the excess of "stimuli present in the visual field," or in layman's terms, an array of random items found in the cluttered work space, can significantly reduce a person's ability to concentrate.

Researchers used readings from an fMRI machine to map the cerebral responses of test subjects to both cluttered and uncluttered stimuli, and monitored the subjects' task performance. The results clearly indicated that a cluttered work space is a detriment to concentration and productivity.

The research also suggests that reducing clutter will improve your mood, since inhibited productivity often leads to frustration.

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