The Psyche of Cleaning and Decluttering

Have you experienced satisfaction from cleaning and decluttering?

Some people book massage therapy or go to the movies to unwind when they feel stressed. Meanwhile, others mop their kitchen floor, dust their shelves, or do their laundry.

There is a positive psyche behind cleaning and decluttering, and science can prove and tell that it is a fact. A study at Indiana University observed that those who have clean houses are healthier than people who live in messy houses. As a matter of fact, the cleanliness of a home has been considered an indicator of a person’s physical health. Thus, that tells us that keeping in shape and eating healthy has to go with a clean house.

There may be moments when you feel unmotivated, lazy, or sad– especially during this pandemic; we are trapped in our homes, anxious about what may happen. It is better to take advantage of the mental health benefits associated with cleaning and decluttering as we are in quarantine at home.

But, before we take on its benefits, let’s know why it is difficult to do.

Why cleaning and decluttering is hard to do?

Although they say how being organized can help us with our mental health, why is it hard to do?

There’s too much clutter to handle.

You might not notice, but your house is probably full of small and large objects you do not need. Let’s say you have a coffee machine in your kitchen that you have never used. The object takes up space that could have been placed by a necessary item that you will use.

At first, it is difficult to let go of these things. You may be emotionally attached to these objects. But try convincing yourself that you do not need it and try selling, donating, or throwing these clutters away. Give more space to your house.

You do not have enough time.

Organizing, cleaning, and decluttering takes time. By only thinking that you have to organize the whole house, do the laundry, prepare a meal, you might give up before starting. You might think of how you should keep up with your busy schedules and hobbies if you always spend time cleaning and organizing? But, have you considered that having a disorganized home can affect your performance at work?

Cleaning, decluttering, and organizing may be a daunting task for you. But you can take things slowly. Spend less than an hour cleaning and organizing, hire a laundry service for your big pile of dirty laundry, try giving out small bits of your time to the house chores, and eventually, it will result in a tidy home.

You forgot the satisfaction of being organized.

Unfortunately, once we see how organized our house is, we forget the feeling of satisfaction. It becomes easier to develop bad habits of leaving things randomly around the house. You might be tempted to leave your jacket on the sofa rather than putting it on the coat rack because you’re going to wear it again anyway? But soon enough, you will find your house disorganized again.

What you need to do is develop a habit of returning and putting things at their assigned places. You have to live by the fact that having a clean and organized home gives you a healthier physical and mental state.

What is the secret behind an organized and clean house?

Some of the mental health wins of an organized and clean house is experiencing an endorphin boost. Believe it or not, your house situation has a huge effect on your mood. Here are some ot the most important effect of cleaning and decluttering to your psyche: 

You can control it.

There are moments in your life, especially that we are in a pandemic, that you feel you have no control over it. Well, truth be told, there are things that are out of our league. Luckily, we can control how things are at our house. Take advantage of the things you can control. As you spend your time in quarantine, organize and clean your space.

It is liberating to throw or donate things you are no longer using and organize the things you have at home. The feeling of having control over your environment can make you feel secured. 

Helps you feel calm.

Studies show that organizing, decluttering, and cleaning helps decrease stress and anxiety. However, a messy space or an unfinished space can unconsciously give you unnecessary stress.

Simple tasks like taking out the trash, wiping the counter, washing your dirty laundry, or other cleaning-related activities can bring you to a meditative state. Light a scented candle or take out your essential diffuser to make your environment more tranquil.

Moreover, a clean sheet and made up bed can give you a good night’s sleep. Don’t trade your calmness and sleeping habits because you feel tired of cleaning your house. 

Increases focus and attention span.

Studies show that clutters can significantly affect a person’s focus on a specific task. The clutters you see can overwhelm your visual field. Thus, if you have decluttered and organized your things, it can improve your attention span and focus. 

Improves your mood.

Once you cleaned and organized your house, you will have a new and fresh mental state. You experience the feeling a refreshing feeling. The process of decluttering and cleaning gives you a sense of excitement about what will be the outcome.

Other than that, you will get positive energy that motivates you to become productive. When you declutter and organize your house, you are doing it with your mind as well.

Regardless of the why and how maintaining a clean and organized home is a good thing. It makes us feel better and motivates us to be productive. Although cleaning and organizing give wide-range health benefits, it is undermined by most. That’s why always remind yourself that how your house looks like will reflect on your emotional health. Thus, keep yourself mentally stable and focused on organizing, cleaning, and decluttering.