杂乱的生活环境对人造成的影响可能多种多样。在杂乱的环境中，有些人会变得难以集中精神或入睡，但也有人能享受被杂乱的物品包围的感觉，甚至会因为收纳和清理个人物品而感到紧张。本文探讨整洁和杂乱的生活环境分别对人有哪些影响。

词汇：decluttering 清理

Are you the kind of person who needs a pristine, orderly environment for you to feel relaxed? Or perhaps being surrounded by your clutter isn't a big deal – it might even bring you comfort. 'Professional organisers', who help people declutter their space, have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly on the internet. But does shedding your possessions always make you happier? Or, does clutter matter?

Living in a messy space can have various negative effects on our lives. For example, a study called 'No Place Like Home' by Repetti and Saxbe, found that mothers with messy homes had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol and an increased depressed mood throughout the day. Messy homes can also make it harder to fall asleep, according to the 2021 study 'The association between sleep and late life hoarding', and no one wants that!

So perhaps Marie Kondo, author of 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying', was on to something when she said, "tidying can transform your life". To achieve Kondo's style of minimalism, she recommends gathering all your things together, choosing which items 'spark joy' and then discarding the rest. Some may find it invigorating to begin again on a clean slate, while others, particularly extreme hoarders, can find the process anxiety-inducing, because of an attachment to their belongings.

Then there are those who simply enjoy collecting. Vintage style expert Kate Beavis has a home filled with handbags, toys, phones and cookware from the 1960s. Others may call this clutter, but she argues that minimalist homes are "boring and bland". Some items may not have a practical use, but instead hold sentimental value, and spark joy in a nostalgic way. And things that "evoke happy memories are valuable, especially to people with memory problems," says Chris Stiff, senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University.

Maybe a giant mess isn't all bad. And as Albert Einstein once said, "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?"

词汇表

pristine 整洁的，崭新的
orderly 井然有序的
clutter 杂乱的东西
declutter 清理，整理
shed 丢弃
possession 所有物
messy 脏乱的，不整洁的
cortisol 皮质醇
hoarding 囤积
tidy 整理，使…整洁
on to something 发现某事的真相
minimalism 极简主义
spark joy 激发快乐，引起愉悦
discard 丢弃
invigorating 令人充满活力的
clean slate 一张白纸，比喻崭新的开始
hoarder 喜欢囤积东西的人
collecting 收集，收藏
sentimental value 情感价值
nostalgic 怀旧的

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What does a 'professional organiser' do?

2. What are two negative impacts of living in a messy?

3. True or False? Marie Kondo recommends discarding items that spark joy.

4. What does Kate Beavis think about minimalist homes?

5. What does Chris Stiff say about nostalgic items?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. The kitchen was covered in _______, making it impossible to prepare dinner.

clutter cortisol collecting possession

2. I didn't like your idea at first, but now I think you're _______.

on to something minimalist hoarder sparking joy

3. His desk was always very _______, with everything in its proper place.

messy organisation orders orderly

4. Moving to a new city gave her the _______ she was looking for.

fad clean slate pristine shed

5. You can't throw that away! It holds too much _______.

nostalgic invigoration decluttering sentimental value

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What does a 'professional organiser' do?

A professional organiser helps people declutter their space.

2. What are two negative impacts of living in a messy space?

Two negative impacts of living in a messy space include higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, increased depressed mood and increased difficulty falling asleep.

3. True or False? Marie Kondo recommends discarding items that spark joy.

False. Marie Kondo recommends discarding items that do not spark joy.

4. What does Kate Beavis think about minimalist homes?

Kate Beavis things minimalist homes are "boring and bland".

5. What does Chris Stiff say about nostalgic items?

Chris Stiff says things that "evoke happy memories are valuable, especially to people with memory problems".

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. The kitchen was covered in clutter, making it impossible to prepare dinner.

2. I didn't like your idea at first, but now I think you're on to something.

3. His desk was always very orderly, with everything in its proper place.

4. Moving to a new city gave her the clean slate she was looking for.

5. You can't throw that away! It holds too much sentimental value.