HOW IS CLEANLINESS RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH?

Among other activities like mindfulness and exercise, cleaning is thought to be a type of stress relief. Cleaning can have a variety of beneficial effects on mental health, according to research. The most noticeable of them is a sensation of control and a soothing impact brought on by the employment of cognitive capacity in a repetitive activity.

Negative Impact of Clutter and Mess

Clutter can lead to depression

Studies have shown that people with higher levels of clutter in their homes have a higher baseline of cortisols. This keeps your body in an agitated state and you are unable to be restful. In fact, there is a reasonable correlation between depression and inhabitants of demonstrably messier homes.

Mess can impact focus and productivity 

Research has shown that if you operate in a high amount of mess, your visual cortex is likely to be overwhelmed. In plain speak, there’s too much confusing stimuli to your brain all the time and you begin to lose focus on your task at hand. 

Benefits of Cleaning and Decluttering

There are several benefits of cleaning and decluttering. Here are four good reasons to keep a clean and uncluttered home.

Cleaning Can Benefit Physical Health

Your physical health is impacted by a clean home. People with clean homes tend to be healthier than those with messy or cluttered homes, as evidenced by research carried out at Indiana University. This makes a lot of sense, as messy homes will have higher bacterial counts and hence, poor health outcomes.

Improve Your Environment's Control

Cleaning can be a means for people to take back control of their lives when they feel as though they are dealing with certain uncertainties

In fact, a study by the University of Connecticut discovered that people tend to participate in repetitive behaviours like cleaning when they are under a lot of stress because it gives them a sense of control in a chaotic environment.

Additionally, clutter and disorder can be incredibly distracting, making it difficult to concentrate or finish other tasks, and they can cause you to feel stuck in a rut. Therefore, your mind and body are probably trying to find a way to bring some order to your environment if you feel the urge to clean and declutter when you're stressed.

Improve Your Mood

Studies show that making your bed and having clean sheets are linked to getting a better night's sleep. Getting more sleep has a wealth of benefits for your mental health, including improving your mood.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, cleaning is a physical activity that can help lower stress levels, feelings of anxiety, and depressive symptoms because it results in a cleaner home.

Increase Your Focus

Your ability to concentrate may be affected by the chaos that clutter and a generally messy environment. Your brain's capacity to process information is also limited by the clutter. Studies show that people who operate in uncluttered, well-organised spaces are less agitated, less distracted, more productive, and better able to process information.

Try cleaning your workspace first if you're having trouble focusing on a project. It might be easier for you to focus and complete your task if you spend just a few minutes organising your things and tidying up any mess.

Absence of clutter can reduce the overstimulation caused by too many visual stimuli, allowing for improved focus and concentration. Additionally, cleaning can make people feel good, especially when done mindfully. 

Here are our favourites at Koparo that can help you get started on your mindful cleaning journey.