Mental Health Benefits of Cleaning You Might Not Know

Taking care of one’s mental health comes in various forms. For some, it means an early morning run or a trip to the gym. For others, it means tidying up their closet or organizing their file cabinets.

Cleaning offers a lot of benefits other than having an organized space. According to a 2009 study, the way a person describes their room is associated with that person’s current mood. The study also found that respondents who frequently used the word “clutter” to describe their place had a higher score in the stressful barometer. But did you know that the mental health benefits of cleaning go beyond influencing one’s mood?

Tidying Pp Affects Our Psychology

Keeping things (and yourself) clean and well-organized has an impact on one’s wellbeing. A study by a team of psychologists from the University of Michigan learned that handwashing is associated with emotional cleansing. The team found that respondents who washed their hands after making a critical decision were happier and more satisfied with their choice than those who didn’t.

A clean space also contributes to organizing one’s thoughts, which in turn could help bring clarity when doing a certain task. Likewise, cleaning is a practical habit that could help simplify other chores. For example, having a place for your work materials will help you prevent these items from being misplaced. Instead of wasting your precious minutes looking for these items, you could instead spend your time accomplishing your actual tasks.

Cleaning Can Be Overwhelming

While its benefits are attractive, cleaning on a consistent basis can be overwhelming. You have to dedicate your time and energy to accomplish this task, among other sacrifices. If you are burned out at work or have other household duties such as cooking or taking care of a baby, cleaning may be the last thing on your to-do list. But the benefits of cleaning to one’s mental health outweigh the responsibilities that come with it.

Here are some tips on how to overcome being overwhelmed when faced with the daunting task of cleaning:

• Do it on a regular basis. Pick a day in a week (or month) when you have to declutter and stick to it. Once you’ve made a habit out of a good practice, it won’t seem like a chore anymore.
• If you can, outsource. While it’s easy to think that it’s not cost-efficient when you hire someone to do a task that you can do, outsourcing can actually help you focus on other responsibilities that are more important.
• Rest. Knowing when to pause when things get too overwhelming will enable your mind and body to recharge. Don’t hesitate to take that much-needed break even in the middle of cleaning or organizing your stuff.