If you feel bad for not getting on the Marie Kondo bandwagon, don't.

Having a messy home can actually be a sign of intelligence and creativity. According to research people who live in an untidy environment tend to be more open minded and clever. A study conducted by the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management found that not only were messy home owners more free thinking but that they were also more charitable. While we are surrounded by articles and YouTube tutorials on how to minimise and clean up our lives researcher Kathleen Vohs believes that we should be doing just the opposite.

"Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights. Orderly environments, in contrast, encourage convention and playing it safe."

During the study of 188 participants Vohs found that the messy study subjects were more likely to try new things than those from the neat end of the scale. Vohs was delighted that she could prove that there are positives to being a bit of a clutter bug.

"There's a multibillion dollar industry to help people de-clutter their lives. Relationship partners, employers, everyone wants you to be neat … but there may be times being messy is good, too. I think messy people feel vindicated big time."

So there you have it. If your sitting room looks like a stampede has been through it don't fret, just means you're a genius.