Mental health is an important element of overall health that is often overlooked. As our modern world becomes more demanding, and we continue to feel the effects of the last year’s global events, people are reporting record levels of anxiety and depression. Taking care of our mental health is becoming more important than ever before, but how can we ensure we prioritise our mental health regularly. It could be as simple as picking up a broom! That’s right, one simple way we can improve our mental health is through regular cleaning.
A 2017 study on clutter and overconsumption found that cleaning helps our minds feel more in control and elevates feel-good hormones in the body — which means cleaning is good for the mind and the body! Who would have thought?
Want to know more? Here are 5 ways cleaning can be beneficial to our health and wellbeing.
Let’s get physical
When we clean, we get our bodies moving, which helps to release endorphins and feel-good hormones into the blood and reduce cortisol levels, which cause stress. Overall, this helps to relieve tension and anxiety, allowing the body and mind to unwind.
Taking care of business
Cleaning can create a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction by increasing our mind’s feelings of control. The achievement of a goal, like a clean space, can give us the motivation to tackle other challenges in our lives, beginning with the belief that we are capable and can overcome any obstacles we come across along the way.
Also read: 5 Environmentally Friendly Laundry Tips
Because I’m happy!
A clean and tidy environment can help to create a positive attitude and the resilience to keep going, no matter what. The discipline and habit of cleaning and tidying on a regular basis can also lay a foundation for developing positive habits like discipline, focus and motivation.
Just the two of us
When we clean with others, it can be a bonding activity that can improve intimacy and strengthen relationships. Untidy and chaotic home environments have been found to be related to parental stress and to negatively impact parenting behaviour as well as children’s problem behaviours. But, when cleaning becomes a positive group activity, it creates cohesion, helps everyone to feel like they play their part and relieves the pressure from being shouldered by one individual, which often creates tension in the home.
Home is where the heart is
Your home is an extension of how you feel about and see yourself, so cleaning is a form of self-care that can help with developing and maintaining self-esteem. People who struggle with depression and anxiety in particular often find cleaning difficult, but report feeling safer, calmer and happier when their space is clean and tidy.
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