My house is never truly clean — I have an 8-year-old, plus three aging cats, and none of us are particularly neat. If you were to visit right now, though, you would probably think it’s fine. Because I have tricked you. The door to my office is closed for a reason. Spring cleaning, for many of us here in the 21st century, does not mean deep-scrubbing soot from the fireplace after a season of heavy use. It mostly means decluttering those spaces that have been absorbing our chaos since Thanksgiving. These chaos spaces, like my office, help maintain an illusion of order. And that can be a fine substitute for the real thing in the short term. It helps keep us sane.

Today I will open the windows and blast some music and force myself to confront those boxes of schoolwork and stray wires and already-forgotten Christmas presents that cause me to feel secret shame when guests come by. Experts like Christina Fallon of Dream It Done Organizing stress practical steps: Follow the 20/20 rule — if you can replace an item for under $20 in 20 minutes, toss it. Fallon also addresses emotional attachments: ‘Most people are sentimental,’ she noted. ‘They worry that if they give something away, that memory will fade.’ Her solution? Take photos of sentimental items and let them go. ‘We tend to make museums out of our lives,’ she says.

Myths about organizing persist despite expert advice. Dorie Chevlen, who covers home décor for Wirecutter, debunks the idea that you need to buy baskets and dividers first: ‘You need to measure before you buy stuff,’ said Christi Newrutzen, whose TikTok videos get millions of views. Another myth? That you need a full day to organize. Andrew Mellen, an organizing expert, recommends starting small: ‘After completing even five minutes of cleaning, people feel motivated to do another five minutes.’ These strategies challenge the notion that perfection is required to begin.

The chaos room phenomenon reflects broader cultural anxieties about control and mental health. As one reader put it, ‘It’s not about tidiness — it’s about confronting the parts of ourselves we’ve been avoiding.’ This resonates with millions who’ve turned to organizing as a coping mechanism. While the New York Times’ lifestyle section frames this as a weekend project, the underlying message is clear: facing clutter can be a step toward self-awareness. For those feeling overwhelmed, the first step isn’t buying bins — it’s admitting you need to open that door.