If You Notice These 11 Things In Someone's Home, They're More Stressed Than They'll Ever Admit
They don't have the energy for anything but the bare minimum.
Leszek Glasner | Shutterstock Chronic stress may feel like a fleeting sensation in the present moment, but for someone who doesn’t have the tools to de-stress or reduce constant anxiety in their routines, chances are it’s going to become a long-term issue. According to a study from Future Science OA, chronic stress has the potential to alter our brains and bodies, causing long-term damage, cognitive performance issues, and mental health concerns.
While these subtle changes and signs of chronic burnout may typically be overlooked by other people in a stressed out person’s life, if you notice certain things in someone’s home, they’re more stressed than they’ll ever admit. Their homes can be both added cause and a symptom of their stress, if they’re not careful.
If you notice these 11 things in someone’s home, they’re more stressed than they’ll ever admit
1. Their calendar is completely full
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While using a physical calendar tends to promote more productivity in the average person’s life, if it’s hung up in the middle of a stressed out person’s office or home, it could simply be a reminder of their overworked routine. The stress they’re experiencing right now isn’t going anywhere, and the rest they crave feels impossible to find.
If you notice these things in someone’s home, chances are they’re more stressed than they may ever admit, maybe because their schedule feels too full to find time to ask for support.
2. Every closet and drawer is overflowing
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When our days feel stressful and our lives feel long, even the smallest things can feel like the straw on the camel’s back — like a closet overflowing and refusing to shut or a drawer being too full to close. Of course, these things are also a sign that a person is struggling with basic household tasks and chores, like decluttering their home, that only add to the spiral nature of stress and overwhelm.
Even when they’re not entirely conscious of it, the chronic stress a person experiences can negatively affect their core executive functions, according to a study from Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. Not only does that affect their motivation and ability to do household labor at home, but it also completely derails daily processes like focus and memory in the long run.
3. Their fridge is near empty
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According to a Cureus study, stress can often alter the hormones in the body that are typically associated with appetite regulation. Especially for someone dealing with chronic stress in their routine, chances are their appetite is all over the place, with day-by-day changes to the cravings they have to the food they’re able to eat.
Some people may even be so stressed out and busy that they don’t have the time to go to the grocery store, so their fridge stays empty and they live on convenient, fast food options.
4. Everything feels unfinished
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Whether it’s an actually half-finished project at home, a million tabs open on their desktop computer, or a sense of unease in their living space, if you notice these things in someone’s home, they’re more stressed than they’ll ever admit.
They’re constantly running around with no sense of direction, dealing with the consequences of chronic stress, only to come home and be overwhelmed again by neglect, clutter, and information overload.
5. There’s no decor
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If a person is dealing with chronic stress in their routine, whether it’s family responsibilities or an overwhelming job, chances are small things like home decor or easily overlooked chores aren’t even on their radar.
Of course, having a safe space starts with decorations and self-expression that craft belonging, but for stressed out people living in “survival mode,” they live without that kind of safety and comfort. When they come home, they eat, sleep, and work. It’s a cycle that pushes them closer and closer to burnout every single day.
6. Their bed is always unmade
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Even if it seems subtle and unsuspecting, an unmade bed is often one of the most common signs of a chronically stressed out person in their home. Think about it: if you don’t have the mental capacity to do chores or clean up clutter, of course you’re not going to make the time to make your bed, especially if you’re stuck in fight-or-flight from the moment you wake up.
However, even for the most stressed people, making their bed can actually be a healthy coping skill. Even if everything else goes wrong during the day, you’re always coming home to a tidy, comfortable bed and prioritizing good rest.
7. There are random things in the wrong spot
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For many people dealing with stress constantly, mental brain fog may start to feel like their new normal. It’s hard to ignore, but still sometimes overlooked as a “red flag” for a person’s need for rest or a break.
They start putting things in random places, struggling with focus at work, and losing touch with critical thinking skills that once carried them through life. That’s why if you notice random things in random places, like the car keys in the fridge or a skincare product in the kitchen cabinet, it could be a sign that someone’s more stressed than they’re willing to admit.
8. There's a lot of background noise
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Whether it’s intentional for comfort and company, like a background TV they’ve turned on at home, or an annoyance, like a busy neighborhood, both of these things can often add more subtle stress to an already burnt-out person’s life.
Sensory input can overload our brains, even if we’re not consciously aware of it, when we’re already dealing with emotional turmoil. That’s why safe places at home are so important for stressed people to lean on to cope and rest.
9. There are sticky notes everywhere
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Considering chronic stress tends to take its toll on memory in many people, it’s not surprising that noticing sticky notes with reminders and phone alarms in someone’s home is a “red flag” that they’re in distress.
They’re always writing random sticky notes around the house, many of which might seem obvious to the average, regulated person, and reminding a future version of themselves to do the bare minimum. But that’s the lifestyle of an always-stressed person — they’re living from moment to moment in constant survival.
10. Their blinds are always closed
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Even if a cold, dark shelter of a home seems like the most relaxing space for a person dealing with constant stress, it can actually keep them stuck in a depressed, anxious, and isolated place for longer than they need to be. Natural light does wonders for our mood, like a study shared by UCLA Health explains, so it’s important to make space for it at home — no matter how overwhelming or stressed you are.
If you notice a person’s blinds are always closed at home, they’re more stressed than they’ll ever admit, trying to hide from the turmoil that’s actually brewing inside of them.
11. There are dirty dishes and overflowing trash cans
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For most stressed people, the root cause of their frustration and anxiety takes up most of their time. Whether it’s ruminating over financial distress at home or spending all their time overworking themselves in an office, there’s a reason why they don’t have the mental or physical capacity for household labor.
For some, it’s a motivation and self-discipline issue; for others, it might be a literal lack of free time. Maybe it’s even a struggle with executive functioning in the face of more exacerbated mental health concerns. Regardless, if you notice these things in someone’s house, they’re more stressed than they’ll ever admit.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
