🔥MYTH-BUSTING | The Sustainability Myth: Why Letting Go of Guilt (And Clutter) Is Essential for Dementia Caregivers

You’re standing in the middle of a room that was once a comforting living space, but now feels like a physical obstacle course. In your hand is an old sweater—worn, outdated, and perhaps reminds you of a past version of yourself.

You know that this item, along with decades of other accumulated "stuff," needs to go. The clutter is makes you feel overwhelmed as soon as you walk into a room. 

You start to put it into a bag destined for the bin, but then the voice in your head stops you.

“You can’t just throw that away. It’s bad for the planet. Think of the landfill. You should find a textile recycling bank. You could donate it. there is a more perfect way to dispose of this.”

You freeze. The bag remains half-full. The clutter remains. And the crushing weight of Sustainability Guilt paralyzes you once again.

If this scenario feels familiar, you are not alone. For many people, the desire to be an ethical, responsible citizen is colliding with the grueling reality of busy lives, working, and often taking care of others.

Today, we are going to talk about why that guilt is lying to you, debunk the common myths keeping you stuck, and show you why clearing the "battleground" of your home is the most sustainable act of care you can perform—for your loved one, and for yourself.

What is Sustainability Guilt, Really?

Sustainability guilt is the specific anxiety we feel when our actions (or perceived lack thereof) fall short of the environmental ideals we believe we must uphold. It is the overwhelming sense of responsibility for the planet’s future, manifested as a roadblock in your daily life.

As caregivers of those suffering from dementia, your mental load is already overflowing. You are managing visual noise, trip hazards, medication, and emotional agitation.

Adding the requirement to dispose of twenty years of accumulated items perfectly while in "survival mode" is an impossible standard.

Research Breakdown: Why Clutter (Not Landfill) is the Immediate Enemy

While the landfill issue is important globally, the impact of a chaotic, cluttered environment in a home is immediate and damaging.

Research shows that decluttering is not just about aesthetics. Clutter affects most people’s productivity, focus, and coping mechanisms. Further, it is a crucial therapeutic tool for managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD).

Key Research Findings:

1. Visual Overload, Autonomy, and the Environment: This Princeton University study found that physical clutter in the environment competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and cognitive overload. 

A comprehensive 2023 study published in MDPI emphasizes that the built environment plays a direct, therapeutic role for people living with dementia. The researchers note that because dementia often overlaps with physical and sensory impairments, poorly designed or cluttered environments compound the barriers to a person's autonomy and increase confusion. Conversely, a well-designed, simplified environment allows the individual to "remain at ease, optimising independence and compensating for physical, sensory, or cognitive impairments."

  2. Safety and Physical Risk: Clutter directly increases the risk of falls for anybody at home–but falls happen to  be leading cause of injury for those suffering from dementia. The NHS explicitly advises removing clutter and tripping hazards (like rugs and accumulated boxes) as a primary safety measure.

If you are keeping items "just in case" to save them from the landfill, you are inadvertently

keeping your home a battleground, not a sanctuary.

Debunking the Myths: Flip the Perspective on Decluttering

It’s time to confront the lies that sustainability guilt tells us. By shifting your perspective, you can find the permission to act.

Research into the moral landscape of caregiving suggests that the heavy responsibility felt by caregivers often leads to a "negative subjective appraisal" of their own performance when they cannot meet every perceived standard (Prunty & Foli, 2019). This study found that these feelings of guilt directly increase the risk of depression and psychological burden, which ironically makes it harder to provide care. A piece of research published by Han and Hong in 2025 illustrates that guilt is often triggered by the perception of "not meeting caregiving challenges sufficiently."

The Peaceful Pathways Perspective: Caregivers are often giving their very best, and there is not much more you can give than that. If decluttering makes your life easier and more enjoyable, then it is worth doing. 

Myth 1: If I can’t dispose of or donate it perfectly, I need to hold onto it 

The Reality: While the UK has fantastic circular economies, managing a fragmented disposal strategy (one bag to textile bank, one bag to charity shop, one to electronics recycling) requires immense time, energy, and transportation—resources you do not have as a caregiver. There are also many items which are, unfortunately, not designed to be recycled. Even more frustratingly, many items today use materials that are meant to last a long time (e.g. plastic), even if the devices they comprise are meant to last a small amount of time (e.g. devices of convenience, electrical items). Keeping them at home does not improve their sustainability. Done is better than perfect. Clearing the space is the priority.

Our top tip: Set up a basket for old electronic waste somewhere out of sight of your loved one. Next time you pass a Curry’s, drop all the contents of the basket off for recycling. Ask for a card that gives you a discount off your next purchase! 

Myth 2: Decluttering means I am consuming too much, and that’s bad

The Reality: Decluttering and organising by itself does not mean you are having a negative impact on the environment. The process invites you to think about how you got so many items in your possession to begin with. It invites you to see patterns in how you consume, or what negative thoughts you may be holding onto that don’t serve you. In engaging with the process of decluttering, you may come to some insights that will help you to consume more mindfully in the future. The relief and enjoyment of a clearer space is also more likely to make you reluctant to fill it with more stuff again. Thus, decluttering can lead to consuming less, which is the ultimate goal of sustainability! 

Our top tip: Commit to a “one out, one in” policy for items that you found yourself throwing away or not using frequently. For example, if you had too many pairs of trainers, commit to disposing of, donating, or selling a pair of shoes or trainers next time you get a new pair. 

Myth 3: I don’t have the time to declutter. It is self-indulgent.

The Reality: When you declutter and organise, you end up with more time. This is an invitation to think: “How can I spend this time in a more valuable way that is more environmentally sustainable? Could I get some exercise outside? Could I devote some time to something that is environmentally valuable – e.g. a litter pick, or political action?” Feeling guilty does not help the environment, but makes you trapped in a cycle where you feel like you cannot change anything. Freeing yourself of the guilt and the items and routines that surround you enable you to make change—including environmentally sustainable change!  Happy people consume less, and thus lead more sustainable lifestyles.

Our top tip: Try to estimate how much time your clutter costs you in terms of time, and then find a more enjoyable use for that time.For example, cleaning up after cooking and eating in a disorganised kitchen may have taken 2 hours. Following a declutter, it may take half an hour. Once you have that estimate, think of an enjoyable thing you could do for yourself in the time you have saved. Would you take a bath? Read a book? Watch a really good TV show? Take up a new hobby? 

👉 Download: “Caregivers Need Care Too — Evidence-Based Insights for Carers Supporting Loved Ones Suffering from Dementia"