If you haven't jumped on the Marie Kindo bandwagon and are sticking with your less-than-pristine home, don't stress. According to research, people who live in an untidy environment tend to be more open-minded and intelligent. Who knew!
A study conducted by the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management found that not only were messy home owners more free thinking but that they were also more charitable.
So while we're being bombarded with media telling us how to minimise and clean up our lives, researcher Kathleen Vohs believes that maybe we should be doing the opposite.
"Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights. Orderly environments, in contrast, encourage convention and playing it safe," she says.
The study of 188 participants found that the study subjects who were messy were more likely to try new things than those from the neater end of the scale. Vohs was pretty happy that she could provide evidence that there are positives to being a bit messy.
"There's a multibillion dollar industry to help people de-clutter their lives. Relationship partners, employers, everyone wants you to be neat … but there may be times being messy is good, too. I think messy people feel vindicated big time," Vohs said.
So don't fret if your house looks a little... cluttered and out of order... it just means you're a genius!
