When you’re feeling overwhelmed with stress, a messy room can add more anxiety to your mental headspace. How can you organize your thoughts when your home is strewn with clothes and last week’s take-out boxes? By organizing your space and cleaning all surfaces, you can find mental clarity and relaxation. Cleaning can be extremely beneficial to your health, and even more so when you are using green cleaning products; de-cluttering your physical space will help to reduce inner chaos and improve your mood. Here are a few mental health benefits of cleaning.

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It helps maintain positive relationships. Tensions run high between housemates when the home is a mess. Conflict often occurs when someone slacks off on their chores and leaves a disaster zone for the next person to deal with. When a roommate does the dishes or sweeps the floors, everyone is grateful for the clean space that they can enjoy. It promotes harmony and positivity among friends or family members. Ease the tension of sharing a household by cleaning communal spaces.

A fresh, clean scent will lift your mood. Coming home to a funky smell is sure to sour your mood. An unclean scent will bog you down. Conversely, a home that smells like pine, peppermint, or lavender oil will relax and soothe you. You’ll feel confident that when you invite guests over, they won’t be disgusted by an odd smell. A pleasant scent will freshen up your mental space.

It’s good for the environment. A clean planet is a green planet. But the act of tidying won’t benefit you or the earth if you use products with toxic ingredients. Be aware of the effects of harmful chemicals. Cleaning agents that contain them hurt both you and the environment. Poisonous chemicals contaminate water resources. They enter the food chain when fish ingest polluted water, and humans eat those fish. Toxic products that contaminate the soil affect food crops. When we consume these resources, we ingest chemicals like phosphorus, nitrogen, and ammonia. These chemicals can cause behavioral, mood, and psychological disorders. Cleaning products that contain chlorine or bromine are released into the atmosphere and deplete the ozone layer. They also irritate eyes, throats, and respiratory systems. To avoid harming the health of our planet, use green products when you clean. Green cleaning will keep you safe from harmful effects and keep the environment free from chemical pollutants.

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You’ll be more productive. A messy space makes it difficult to focus on the task at hand. One that’s neat and tidy enables you to accomplish your work without the distraction of clutter. The visual disarray that surrounds your workspace has a real effect on your ability to concentrate. By tidying up your office, you’ll eliminate irrelevant stimuli and clear the way for a more productive mindset.

A clean home reduces stress. You know that feeling you get after crossing off the last item from your to-do list? That’s the same satisfaction that cleaning provides. Living in disarray is a constant reminder of all the tasks that are still unfinished. By taking care of them, you’ll feel more productive. This is great for your mental health because it alleviates a source of anxiety. Organizing makes life easier; it eliminates the time you spend searching for your belongings. When everything is in its place, you don’t have to expend energy worrying about misplaced items. Take control of your life and your stress by organizing your space.

You’ll feel safer in a disinfected space. Pandemic anxiety is something that many people have experienced since the global outbreak of COVID-19. Frequent cleaning will help reduce the uncertainty you feel within your own home. By cleaning with a disinfectant product, you can rest assured that your house is free from viruses that cause diseases like COVID-19. Clean high-touch points such as light switches, door handles, and kitchen appliances at least once a day. You’ll find peace of mind knowing that your home is safe from germs and viruses.

It will help you sleep. While some count sheep before they fall asleep, others count the list of tasks they must do the following day. Dozing off in a clean room allows for a night of deep rest. When you close your eyes, the last thing you see won’t be your cluttered desk or messy floors. Instead, you’ll be relaxed in a space where everything is in its place. Washing your sheets and pillowcases weekly will increase the comfort of your bed - not to mention that they will smell better, too.

Cleaning can help you practice mindfulness. Okay, we admit that it’s not everyone’s favorite task to organize clothes or scrub surfaces. But taking time to care for your space can cultivate a better relationship with yourself. When you are cleaning, appreciate the small things. For example, if you wash dishes by hand, you might enjoy the warmth of the water or the smell of the soap. Sweeping floors can be cathartic; it is satisfying to gather all the dust bunnies and scoop them right out of your home!

About the Author:

Marianne Pierce provides comprehensive marketing solutions for busy entrepreneurs. She is always open to sharing her experience and giving advice to local businesses by uncovering all the engaging content that converts viewers into customers.