To many people, cleaning is more than just about tidying up it’s, a therapeutic exercise that calms the mind and feeds the soul. A clean and tidy space is not only visually pleasing but offers a safe haven for the brain to relax, thoughts to flow logically, and positive energy to thrive.
With our busy lives, we tend to accumulate clutter without even realizing it until it becomes overwhelming. However, clutter isn’t merely an inconvenience on the physical level—it greatly affects our psychological well-being too. It introduces a sense of disorder into our thoughts and emotions which causes stress and anxiety to spike.
If you’re looking for some helpful decluttering tips, don’t miss out on this post by Cami White. It’s part of a blog swap we are doing with Cami this week!
Does Clutter Affect Psychology?
A chaotic environment can be a major source of stress for many individuals. When things are messy or out of place, it represents unfinished tasks and disorganization which can increase feelings of being overwhelmed or anxious—especially in addition to other life stresses.
However, through cleaning up your environment and getting rid of things no longer needed or used regularly – people gain control over their world thus reducing stress while enabling focus on more crucial matters.
Author of Life and Latte. Astghik Igityan runs a personal blog with a mission to brighten women’s days and improve lives. On her blog, you’ll find articles about motivation, productivity, motherhood, style, and even some delicious recipes.
Subscribe to this author’s newsletter so you never miss out on new posts !
What Does Cleaning Do For Our Mental Health?
Research suggests there are several positive mental health benefits associated with cleaning. For instance; it can help reduce anxiety as well as engage one’s mind in repetitive activity that induces calmness. In addition; studies show tidying up lifts moods by providing a sense of achievement when tasks are completed successfully so why not give yourself credit where due? And finally; when life feels completely out-of-control or uncertain sometimes all we need is order so let cleaning be your first step towards regaining control over everything else going wrong because once completed successfully, nothing else will seem too much trouble anymore – guaranteed!
What Are The Benefits Of Decluttering?
The idea of cleaning and tidying up might appear as an impossible mission beyond your powers the moment you are grappling with depression, just had a baby or lead a disorganized life. In fact, many people do not know whether cleaning should come first on their priority list. But consider this: that tidier environment can lighten your mood and bring peace into your life
Cleaning does not only make our homes clean but also has a great impact on us mentally.
So, let’s consider the advantages of cleaning from another perspective that will help in self-awareness and mental health improvement.
Productivity Development
Do you know the saying “The best rest is a change of activity”? It works for cleaning too. Suppose you decide to take some time off from work. Instead of spending your free hour doing nothing, it’s better to do something useful.
Dr Alice Boyce in her book called “The Healthy Mind Toolkit” in moments of reduced productivity advises to do just cleaning. It helps you calm down, focus, and concentrate on what other useful things you have to do.
Restore Energy
Perhaps you have noticed that sometimes without any reason you can feel apathy or tiredness up to spending the whole day in bed even being completely healthy? In such cases try paying attention to the state of your apartment.
Clutter affects mood negatively. Try setting a timer for 10-15 minutes and during this time clean the house.
Most often this simple activity can give not only a clean apartment but also much more: enough energy to switch over next scheduled activity instead of going back to bed and being apathetic.
New Beginnings
It is quite common that we want to start some part of our life from scratch. This decision usually brings stress because old weight still lies upon us and there is complete emptiness and unknown ahead.
In this case, it is necessary just to put thoughts (and things) on shelves so as everything could be seen clearly. This action will help calm down, put thoughts in order and tune in for a new beginning.
Another good practice with cleaning – let go of the past. Psychologists advise when clearing out an apartment think about people or events which should remain there forever. Things that remind about them need to be disposed of.
It is desirable to leave only items having practical use – if they are rarely used then it’s better to send them away into distant storage so that they don’t appear before eyes again provoking unpleasant memories.
Physical Activity
We’ve mentioned many times that cleaning is a great way to stretch, especially for those who work from home. Even dusting alone helps to get blood circulating throughout the body. Not to mention vacuuming or scrubbing floors! Of course, cleaning cannot be compared with full-fledged sports training but in any case it is an activity useful not only for your body but also for your apartment.
To sum up, decluttering and cleanliness are not just about having a neat space – they have positive effect on mental health and general well-being. By reducing stress, enhancing focus, increasing energy and promoting a sense of renewal, cleaning contributes greatly to overall happiness and fulfillment. Therefore next time when you feel overwhelmed try to tidy up around yourself – see what psychological benefits can be obtained.
Remember that a clean space leads to a clear mind and a happier you!
