Spring Cleaning and Mental Health: Why Decluttering is Good for your Body, Mind and Soul
It’s finally happening! We see flowers peaking through the soil and grass turning green. The days growing longer and the sun shines a little brighter. It’s Spring! Spring has always represented a time to start brand new and if Mother Nature knows its time for a fresh start, maybe this is a hint we should do the same.
For many of us, Spring begins with an annual ritual - the spring cleaning. A chance to declutter and say goodbye to our unwanted stuff - to refresh our living space by getting neat and tidy. However, spring cleaning can actually bring about other, unexpected benefits when it comes to your mental health. There IS a connection between spring cleaning and your mental well-being.
In the spirit of the season, here are some reasons why decluttering is good for your body, mind and soul:
It's a perfect time for a fresh start
There’s something so satisfying about a deep clean and that purge of dust, dirt and clutter that inspires a sense of renewed energy. The great thing about spring cleaning - donating those old clothes, stacks of books and magazines, and whatever else you’ve got lying about - is that it’s an opportunity to create a new beginning for yourself. Even if it’s physical stuff you’re removing, imagine that you’re also getting rid of negativity, past regrets, and anything else that’s causing you a sense of mental clutter. Clearing out “stuff” in this way raises our self-esteem and shifts our energy so we are open to change and are in a better ‘space’ to move forward.
Housekeeping actually makes you happier
If you feel better when your home is clean, rather than when it looks like a tornado hit it, you are not alone. Leading psychological research has correlated clutter with stress and anxiety and discovered that housekeeping has a positive benefit on your mental health. In fact, researchers at Clorox polled 2,000 people and found that every hour of cleaning you do each week is associated with a 53% boost in overall happiness. The survey found people who actually enjoy cleaning are also 25% happier overall.
Keeping a clean home will make you healthier
Individual cleaning tasks such as vacuuming, ironing and gardening are physical activities that can burn between 150 and 300 calories an hour. In fact, a study at Indiana University, found that people with clean homes are healthier than people with messy homes. Results showed that participants who kept their homes clean were healthier and more active than those who didn’t. In fact, house cleanliness was even more of a predictor for physical health than neighborhood walk-ability and other factors. All of this decluttering can add up to some real exercise.
Removing clutter reduces stress
Aside from having a cleaner home, the physical action of housekeeping and the end result of a cleaner home helps relieve stress, anxiety and depression. When stress affects the brain, the rest of the body suffers consequences as well. The physical activity of cleaning (moving, bending, scrubbing, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming) produces endorphins which reduces stress levels, improves your ability to sleep, and boosts your overall mood. Another study noted in the scientific journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin measured the way 60 women discussed their homes. Women who described their living spaces as “cluttered” or full of “unfinished projects” were more likely to be depressed and fatigued than women who described their homes as “restful” and “restorative.”
A clean house makes a happy home
From worrying about unfinished tasks and projects to concerns about a healthy environment, messy homes can lead to messy relationships. The tolerance for clutter varies from person to person. A pile of laundry on the floor can make one person crazy and another person ambivalent, which also comes in to play when it comes to acquiring and holding onto stuff. Some people are natural ‘purgers’ who try to get rid of things regularly. On the other end of the spectrum, you have the collector who accumulates a growing number of specific items or, the pack rat who fills storage spaces. However, no matter where we fall in terms of how we view our ‘stuff’, when we are surrounded by clutter, we all become more irritable, anxious and frustrated. From snapping at others over a missing phone, car keys and other belongings, to blaming others for messes, a cluttered home can lead to behaviors that damage relationships. And, if you have kids - even though it may seem like they don’t mind messes - if their space is cluttered, they can experience some of the same negative consequences of a disorganized environment that you do.
Clearing space gives you more focus
A study by the Princeton Neuroscience Institute discovered that in disorganized spaces people are more stressed, distracted and less productive. Similarly, the University of Southern California published research about whether people describe their time at home as either restorative or stressful. Results indicated that clutter can be visually distracting, and serve as a nagging reminder of tasks and chores undone whereas, cleaning gives people a sense of mastery and control over their environment. It makes sense that the benefits of an uncluttered environment would lead to reduced feelings of anxiety and increased feelings of productivity. We become more relaxed when our environment is clear. We are able to process information differently because visually there is less noise to our brain.
Letting go of stuff saves you time and money
We live in a culture that is obsessed with acquiring stuff. However, there is a shift happening…many are starting to realize that serenity doesn’t come from purchasing more things but from experiencing life with less stuff. Once you clear out the ‘things’ you don’t ‘want’, you start to realize the things you need more of… like hanging out with friends and family, spending time outdoors, reading a book, learning a new hobby. This type of less is more approach helps you to not only simplify your life but saves ultimately saves you time and money. How much time have you wasted looking for those darn car keys in the morning? How many times have you bought an item for a second or even third time because you couldn’t find the item you bought in the first place? When we visually see what we have and have an organizational system in place, we process what we actually need much more clearly.
The relationship between a clean house and mental health is one that should be important to your whole family. We all love a cleaner, more organized home and we typically feel more at ease with less clutter. When you consider the overwhelming benefits—better physical health, improved mental health and a cleaner, healthier environment, it’s easy to see how keeping a home clean can keep minds more calm and relationships strong. That’s why the great thing about a spring cleaning isn’t just the opportunity to get rid of all the stuff that you accumulated over the course of a year – it’s also a chance to help improve your thoughts in ways you may have never even expected!