Improving your mental health can be achieved in various ways.
Mindful activities such as yoga and meditation have shown to be effective for benefiting someone’s mental health as the practices can reduce stress. On top of that, some people have found relief and benefits from more physical activities such as cleaning and decluttering.
There is a clear relationship between mental health and cleaning as proven by the recent worldwide pandemic. Being more hygienic can put your mind at ease and feel much safer, which can lead to reduced anxiety. The more you practice cleanliness and incorporate it into your life, the more mindful you can become. Likewise, being more organised has a direct impact on your mental health as it will help you to live life more structurally, maximise your time and maintain better focus. The idea is that by decluttering your life, you obtain a tidier space and therefore are able to enjoy a tidy mind.
Living in a clean space is not just about releasing endorphins, lifting your mood or sleeping better. It’s more scientific than that. In fact, a 2010 study by researchers at the University of California used software to analyse how 30 cohabiting couples talked about their homes. Those describing their living spaces as “cluttered” or complained of “unfinished projects” were more likely to be suffering from depression and fatigue than those who described their homes as “restful” and “restorative.” It was also found that those living in cluttered environments displayed higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that’s released into a person’s blood from their adrenal gland, often in response to stress. In their 2011 study, researchers at Princeton University concluded that a cluttered environment makes it more difficult to focus on a specific task due to a person’s visual cortex being overwhelmed by all the task-irrelevant objects in the room.
To help you achieve your focus and an organised mind, at Cherchez La Femme, we’ve put together a short guide that will help you incorporate the practices into your life to obtain mental health benefits. Eventually, these points will become natural to you and you won’t even think about having to do them. Instead, you will just do them without having to think about it, which makes the task much more mindful and continues to improve your mental health further.
Dedicate a certain time of the day to clean
By setting a specific time of the day that suits your lifestyle and commitments to cleaning, you will stop avoiding it and will just know when it is time to clean and reap those amazing mindful benefits.
Write lists
To keep your mind, space, and life organised, you can start by writing daily lists. These should order your tasks with priority levels and when you complete each one, tick them off. You will realise how satisfying it is to write down and complete tasks, which will encourage you to do it more.
Declutter
Start with small drawers and cupboards and work your way around the house. Soon enough you will have a much tidier space, which will give you more room to focus and avoid distractions. Having a tidy space helps to achieve a tidy mind.
Make cleaning fun
You could play your favourite music, involve others, or give yourself a reward when you achieve it, which will entice you to fulfil all cleaning tasks, which will maximise your mindfulness.
Start small
If you are not used to cleaning and organisation on a regular basis, then don’t overwhelm yourself. Start small and work your way up. It will feel more manageable and enjoyable, which will encourage you to continue to do it.
Gratitude
Another way to keep a tidy mind is to own a gratitude journal, where not only you can write down what you’re grateful for and what you’d like to get better at, but also you can put black on white your daily affirmations.
Keeping your home clean and tidy could be key to maintaining your mental and physical wellbeing. Decluttering and cleaning promotes a positive mental attitude and can have an energising effect, allowing you to focus on other challenges in your life. So much so that there’s plenty of apps and courses to teach you to do so, if you can’t get to the goal by yourself. Our favourite? Elemental Space Clearing by Denise Linn. Once you’ve got yourself organised and have been able to establish new routines, don’t be surprised if you start to feel better about yourself and find that you’re more productive at home and at work. You might even start to enjoy the meditative qualities of housework and appreciate the many benefits of living a clutter free existence.
[information sourced on thecleaningcollective.co.uk and atidymind.co.uk
Featured image and all images sourced on canva.com]