Cleaning and mental health can be directly linked – from not feeling able to do jobs round the house to using cleaning as a way to improve your mood.
When you’re feeling low and fatigued, cleaning may be the last thing on your mind. One of the hardest parts of depression or stress is that the world can seem to go on around you when you don’t feel equipped to deal with it, and when the grime and jobs build up at home, it can make your mental health suffer even more. If, like many of us, you find clutter and chaos to negatively impact your mental wellbeing, it’s clear how this can easily get into a vicious cycle of mess, stress and low mood.
Cleaning and mental health are directly linked
The link between cleaning and mental health might not be immediately obvious, but when you feel like your life is spiralling out of control, cleaning can be a way to regain some power. A study by The University of Connecticut found that when highly stressed, many people default to repetitive behaviours like cleaning because it gives them a sense of control among the ongoing chaos.
Cleaning and mental health – declutter to stress less
When your home is unorganised, cluttered or messy, it can severely impact your ability to focus, making you feel anxious and stressed. In fact, science shows that working in a decluttered environment helps you learn more, think faster and process information more effectively.
If you don’t feel able to tackle the clutter, don’t be afraid to call on friends and family to help at home, or even engage a professional cleaner who can give you a helping hand. You might find that once your home has had a professional clean, you’ll find it easier to keep on top of.
How to improve your schedule for cleaning and mental health
Start small
Rather than trying to tackle the whole house at once, start on one room and take it steady. When you’ve ticked off that room, move onto the next. This doesn’t even have to be the same day – you’ve made a start and that’s all that matters. If you can commit to doing one thing around the house each day, you’ll gradually find your living space becomes cleaner and more organised, in turn improving your mental wellbeing.
Use time blocking to help at home
In our modern lives, it can be tough to fit everything in. And with a long list of things to do and no energy to do it, our mental health can take a turn for the worse. Make it easier on yourself by committing to a certain amount of time a day, such as 30 minutes, where you’ll clean and tidy the house. This makes it easier to manage priorities and takes the pressure off you.
When cleaning and mental health means help at home
Inviting a professional cleaning company into your home once or twice a month to do the big jobs, like bathroom cleaning, might not seem much – but can make a huge impact on your mental health. It’s much easier to tackle big projects with the help of others, and you’ll probably be more inclined to keep the house tidy. If you’re looking for professional cleaning help at home, Domestique can help. We offer day to day home activity services such as cleaning, shopping, pet care, dog walking, companionship, preparing meals, doing the washing up and more. For more information for you or a loved one, please visit our website.
