It’s time to lighten up! No, we’re not talking about those couple pounds you might like to trim off your waistline; we’re talking about the clutter piling up in all the nooks and crannies of your house.

Whether it’s those old T-shirts stuffed in your drawers that you never wear, or the stack of papers that have piled up in the corner of the kitchen, clutter can be truly detrimental to your health, specifically your mental well-being.

According to research from the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute, too much visual stimuli makes our brains have to work harder to focus, which proves that mess does in fact equal stress. And based on the record-breaking sales of Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” it’s fair to say that a large portion of our society is feeling the collective burden that comes with having too much stuff.

In her book, Kondo states that “visible mess helps distract us from the true source of the disorder.” Amanda D. Carreon, the owner of A Divine Closet, agrees.

“We’re in a busy, distracting and unsettling world right now, so there’s a greater need for ways to liberate oneself from that situation. I think one of the best ways to do that is with physical space,” said Carreon.

Carreon’s favorite method of decluttering for herself and her clients is through the “joy” method, which is where she approaches getting rid of items by asking if it sparks joy rather than asking how long it’s been since said item has last been used or worn.