Why Spring Cleaning Can Help With Your Stress
A new season has arrived, and while you may still experience some chilly days - at least you know “officially” Spring has begun. A new season, especially once that brings warmer weather, can do wonders to give you an emotional boost in your mental health. Seasons symbolize a fresh start, and it’s been a long tradition that “Spring cleaning” is one of the best ways to kick off this season. If the idea of spring cleaning does not sound particularly appealing to you, read on: there are benefits for your stress and overall mental health when you participate in Spring cleaning.
Why Spring Cleaning Reduces Stress
If you’ve been feeling unable to focus, overwhelmed, or anxious by the disorganized environment that is your home, Spring cleaning could be exactly what you need to help you regain a sense of control, reduce your stress, and increase your focus.
Spring Cleaning Helps to Increase Your Focus: Clutter can be a big distraction in your home, especially if you work from home. Experts have found that if you are surrounded by clutter or mess, it impacts your brain’s ability to process information. Taking time to organize your living space, clean out items you no longer need, and reorganize your space can help you become more productive, boost your concentration, and improve your focus.
You Can Declutter Your Home: Clutter in your home can lead to stress in many ways, including a constant visual reminder of all the cleaning and organizing that needs to be done, wasted time looking for lost items among the clutter, and difficulty creating a space for relaxation or other activities. While it can be important to save some sentimental items, too many items stored can quickly lead to clutter and negatively impact your mental health by raising your stress levels.
Your Physical Health Gets a Boost: A good cleaning routine helps increase your physical activity and gets your body moving, which after a long sedentary winter, can do wonders for you. In addition, experts have advised that cleaning can remove potential allergens such as dust, pollen, and mildew, all of which can impact your immune health. Studies have shown that people who live in a clean house tend to be in better physical health than those who live in untidy environments. Another benefit of cleaning and decluttering is that you remove potential slip and fall hazards from items left laying around.
You Can Create a Calm Space: We’ve talked before on our blog about creating a calm sleep environment to improve stress, but creating a calm space shouldn’t be limited to just your bedroom. It’s important for all rooms in your home to promote a feeling of peace, calm, and relaxation, giving you most of the mental health benefits that come from a clean house.
Spring Cleaning: Where to Start to Relieve Stress
Start small. Pick one room or even a single closet in one room to start. If you look at your entire house, you’ll feel too overwhelmed to even begin. Making a list can help, and even setting a timer. Take one hour a few times a week to go from room to room to start the decluttering and deep clean process. When you fully dedicate yourself to cleaning, and you have a timer set, you’ll be surprised how focused you can be and how much organizing you will actually accomplish.
Work Together. If you have roommates or share your space with family members: involve them! Sometimes looking at a space and not knowing how to organize it can cause frustration, and having a fresh set of eyes can help you see a new perspective. With others involved in the organizing process, you can brainstorm creative ideas to spruce up a space.
Don’t Forget to Have Some Fun: Spotify has multiple “cleaning the house” playlists, and it’s time to tune in. Listening to upbeat music makes cleaning fun, and you may even accomplish the task quicker. If you need to go through clothes or boxes, put on your favorite movie and organize away!
Need Additional Help with Spring Cleaning?
If you are having difficulty finding the motivation to even entertain the idea of Spring cleaning, check in with yourself to see if you are also experiencing any symptoms of depression or anxiety, such as fatigue, lack of motivation, trouble sleeping, or loss of interest in your day-to-day lifestyle. You may need professional help from a therapist who can help you identify the cause of your depression, stress, or anxiety. It’s always important to reach out for help if you may be struggling with your mental health.
Reach Out To Our Office
For more information about our services and how we can help you, please contact our office. It is our pleasure to provide our clients with professional therapy services. You can also check out more of our awesome mental health blogs by clicking on the link here.