The mental health benefits of a clean home · Sense of order and control. Human beings prefer similar routines that offer us stability, even in otherwise chaotic circumstances. Keeping household items in order can provide that familiarity. However, he adds that “order doesn't necessarily mean that everything is perfectly aligned and color-coordinated,” and that someone else's sense of order may differ from your own. The physical act of cleansing can also release endorphins, which, according to Dr.
Roeske, “is hugely beneficial as a pain reliever, for relieving stress, and for improving our overall well-being. Evidence suggests that having a cluttered and cluttered environment can create stress and interfere with the ability to concentrate, at least for some people. The very act of cleaning and tidying up can improve your mood, help you move your body more, improve concentration and help you feel more in control of what's around you. Here's a more detailed analysis of the relationship between cleaning and mental health, including the benefits of cleaning and how to incorporate a cleaning program into your life.
For many people, having a clean and organized home can help them feel like they're in control. It can help them with their daily routine. In addition, they offer the peace of mind of having an aesthetically pleasing place to wake up and return at the end of the workday, or if you work from home, of course, to make your workday smooth, organized and tidy. Along the same lines, as with ADHD, people with this condition may have a cluttered space, but they know where everything is, or the opposite can happen when they keep something and don't remember where they kept it.
How does ADHD also influence cleanliness? Having a clean home or work space has been shown to improve productivity, lower stress levels, improve immune function, increase people's chances of choosing healthy foods, increasing the chances of people donating to charity, and predicting the development of children's reading skills and vocabulary. A clean home promotes mental clarity, reduces stress and encourages a positive mindset. Experts agree that tidy and organized spaces can improve mental health. Gill says that a well-edited home can provide a range of mental health benefits, including a sense of clarity and control, a better quality of life, a greater sense of trust, increased productivity and a calmer environment.
Not only does a clear space provide a sense of calm, but the physical act of cleaning can release endorphins that make us feel good and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. As you cross tasks off your list, your body it also releases dopamine. Also known as the “happiness hormone,” dopamine provides a sense of accomplishment and pride that can promote motivation in other areas of our lives. To keep costs low, consider taking on more difficult tasks, such as cleaning only the bathrooms and then cleaning the other areas of your house on your own.
Whether you're struggling with depression, have a new baby, or just have a chaotic life, the concept of cleaning and cleaning can seem like a daunting task that's simply out of reach right now. So if you're often faced with external pressures, such as from a partner or family member, or you just suddenly realize like: Oh my God, I have to clean up around here, you can do it without much distress. Therefore, if someone was suffering from depression, they are less likely to maintain the concentration needed to completely finish the task of cleaning or organizing, and to worry about whether there are dirty socks on the floor or not. And normally, with this type of cleaning, a person can clean something over and over again because, to begin with, they feel like they didn't really clean it, or because they think it has become contaminated again even though they probably haven't. In a study on ritualized behavior in anxiogenic situations (those that cause anxiety), researchers studied the cleaning behaviors of 62 university students who had been assigned to groups with high or low levels of anxiety.
Slowing down while cleaning gives you space to relax and free your mind from the burdens, stressors and irritants that can affect your mental health. So there definitely seems to be some kind of connection in most people between being clean and organized and having better mental health. The next day, you can clean the kitchen counter, and the next day, you can pick up all the clothes scattered around the house and put them in a laundry basket. The hard part is that if you're dealing with your mental well-being, but you still want a clean and organized home, you may unfortunately find yourself stuck in a vicious cycle, something Natalie Christine Dattilo, PhD, a clinical health psychologist and psychiatry instructor at Harvard Medical School, believes is a common chicken-or-egg dilemma.
According to the DSM-5, the manual that mental health professionals use to guide their diagnoses, criteria for depression include decreased motivation and interest in activities, decreased physical movement, loss of energy and indecision, all of which are often helpful in keeping the house clean and organized. Find out how tidying up your space can also bring your thoughts in order below, along with tips for cleaning when you have mental health issues. In addition, the American Anxiety and Depression Association indicates that physical activity that involves cleaning, together with the end result of having a cleaner home, help reduce stress, feelings of anxiety and depressive symptoms. If you have difficulty doing these daily activities and have other symptoms of depression, such as feelings of sadness, lack of energy, irritability, and changes in sleep and appetite, talk to your doctor or a licensed mental health professional. When you rest more, that provides a wealth of mental health benefits, including improved mood.
