The Negative Effects of Cable Clutter (and How To Clear It Out!)
It’s difficult to pinpoint when we, as a society, all just chose to live with cable clutter.
No, that’s not exactly right. For most of us, the overabundance of wires littering up our homes and offices hasn’t been so much a conscious decision as it is an unconscious accumulation.
Everything we use in a modern home requires electricity; up until very recently, every new gadget or appliance we brought home with us came with its own power cable. As technology moves ever on, new cables replaced old ones–but we still kept them around just in case we needed them in the future.
The result, often, is a nest of tangled wires crisscrossing the floors, if not shoved up against the walls or hidden into the corners of every room in the house. We’ve filled drawers with them and clutter up desks with them, creating an unsightly mess.
How does clutter affect us?
It seems harmless enough, cable clutter–or just disorganization in general. We always think that messes can be cleaned up later, and if we don’t have the energy to do it now, well; out of sight, out of mind, as they say.
What you may not realize is that clutter has a cumulative effect on the brain. The human mind prefers order, and a chaotic environment is wildly distracting. Research on the subject has proven that constantly being visually reminded of disorganization drains our cognitive resources. Thus, our brains feel more overloaded, which then lessens our ability to process information.
Clutter also contributes to feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression. Studies have again corroborated as much; simply being in a messy environment causes the body to produce more cortisol, the stress hormone. In that study, researchers found that living in a cluttered space triggers a low-grade form of the body’s natural fight or flight response, which can then negatively affect the immune and digestive systems. This can make you more susceptible to certain infections, and increases your risk for developing diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Numerous other studies have shown that clutter can also negatively affect the quality of your sleep, your eating choices, as well as your ability to effectively interact with others. Not to mention the fact that a messy home is an unsafe home: it’s wholly possible to seriously injure oneself just by tripping on a stray cable.
Clever Cable Management Tips
Even those who keep their spaces neat often struggle with cable management. We want them out of the way, but we also need them to be in easy reach to connect or power whatever needs it. Here are a few ways to tidy those cords and wires up:
Invest in a charging desk
Outside of the entertainment system in the living room, the place that usually has the most cable clutter in the home is your desk. Depending on the system you work with, you may be connecting anywhere between 4 to 6 devices to your computer at any given time–not including the chargers for your mobile devices.
FENLO’s solution is a desk with USB port and outlet: the Future Mid-Century Modern Desk with Charging Station. It’s equipped with a built-in 5W wireless charging pad that is compatible with most handheld devices that support the technology, as well as 2 USB ports on the front, 1 USB-A and 1 USB-C. It also has an AC outlet next to the ports, allowing you to charge up to 4 separate devices at once. Say goodbye to bending down just to get to your trusty power strip–just plug your usual cables into this desk with USB ports and outlet!
In addition to the Future desk with USB port and outlet, you may want to consider looking into the offerings at our sister site, ATAMIN. The Aria Charger Edition is a modern floor lamp that also features embedded Qi wireless charging, a USB-C port, a USB-A port, and a power outlet, just like the Future desk. They make for an excellent pair.
Throw out old cables
How many times have you shoved a cable into a drawer, only to completely forget all about it?
By now, any cables you probably know exactly which cables you need and use regularly. There’s really no need to hold on to cables from phones you’ve already gotten rid of, or appliances that no longer work. Identify the ones you need and prioritize the cables that can be used with multiple devices (for example, all Apple devices use Lightning connector cables, while almost all Android devices keep to the USB-C standard). Keep the minimum you need and dispose of the rest.
Keep them off the floor
Tangled cords and wires are a safety hazard. You can trip on them or pets can chew on them. The easiest way to keep your cords from causing harm to you or any member of your family is to get them off the floor.
You can look into a few solutions for this problem. You can find a cable trunk that attaches under your desk and run all your cords through it. You can also use cable trunkings to hide cables in and fix them to your skirting boards.
The Future desk with USB port and outlet is only available here on FENLO! We invite you to check out the rest of our modern and functional offerings that are perfect in all places.
