The family home is an environment that teaches numerous values, habits, and customs. When sharing lunch or dinner, the act of clearing the table immediately after finishing a meal is an everyday gesture that many people perform almost without thinking, but it can reveal information about personality, emotions, and family dynamics. For some, clearing the table quickly is a sign of responsibility learned from childhood; for others, it is a way to maintain control or reduce the discomfort caused by clutter and the presence of food scraps.
The immediate urge to tidy up may be related to the need to regain a sense of calm after sharing a meal. Furthermore, according to the University of Barcelona, the family has a significant influence on our personality, as the relationships between family members determine values, affections, attitudes and ways of being that are assimilated from birth. ‘These are patterns that influence behaviour and are often passed on from one generation to the next,’ they say. They are also hugely important in personal development because each family has its own dynamics, traditions and specific way of relating that creates a particular family environment.‘ In turn, researcher and psychologist Belén highlights in her book ’Ten Psychological Foundations of Helping Behaviour” the importance of empathy, altruism and other psychological mechanisms that drive people to provide assistance. Furthermore, these can play a fundamental role in the perception of well-being and in the management of everyday stress in families.
What does it mean to clear the table as soon as you finish eating?
This action can be interpreted as a sign of efficiency, but also as a way to avoid the feeling of chaos. Many people associate visual disorder with emotional discomfort, which leads them to act to restore balance.
Furthermore, the relationship between environment and mental state shows that a tidy space helps to reduce feelings of cognitive overload. In this sense, those who tidy up immediately tend to be highly sensitive to environmental stimuli.
Another characteristic feature of these people is that they find it difficult to relax if their surroundings are not under control. ‘It is not necessarily a question of perfectionism, but rather a search for harmony that allows them to enjoy the rest of the day without that “pending task” hanging over their minds,’ say the experts.
Habits learned in the family environment
The education received plays an important role in this behaviour. In many homes, especially traditional ones, the idea is conveyed that clearing the table is a sign of immediate cooperation and good domestic habits. Therefore, those who have grown up with this teaching tend to reproduce it in their adult lives without even questioning it.
In some families, the habit of clearing the table immediately after finishing a meal can function as an invisible code within the home. While for some families, getting up first to clear the table is synonymous with responsibility, for others it is an act of courtesy towards those who prepared the meal.
Clearing the table: a need for structure and control
Another crucial aspect arises when the gesture of getting up quickly is linked to the perception of control. After eating, the environment can become chaotic with used plates, food scraps, and napkins. Thus, for those with low tolerance for disorder, resolving this situation as soon as possible provides immediate relief.
In addition, the urge to clear the table as soon as you finish eating may be related to people who organise their time very precisely. Clearing up quickly allows them to continue with their routine without interruption, thus avoiding the feeling of “wasting time” and associating order with performance and productivity.
What is the relationship between disorder and stress?
According to NeuroClass, the absence of order not only affects the functionality of the space, but also the emotional state. ‘It has been shown that those who perceive their home as messy tend to experience more unpleasant emotions and a lower sense of control, impairing mental well-being,’ they warn.
In turn, they comment on how the physical space of the home correlates with daily patterns of mood and cortisol, a biological marker of stress. In this sense, people who describe their home as chaotic or messy tend to show higher levels of cortisol and negative mood patterns.
In addition, they warn that the brain needs to constantly filter out irrelevant information, a process that is hindered in a messy environment. ‘This additional cognitive effort can be exhausting and diminish mental processing capacity,’ they say.
Therefore, the stress resulting from such a process not only affects productivity, but can also have negative effects on physical and mental health. Thus, the inability to maintain attention and concentration can lead to feelings of frustration, tension, and anxiety.