There are several ways that keeping your living space clean and tidy can be an advantage for your mental, physical and emotional health, as well as your peace of mind. Some people understand the direct connection between keeping your home free of clutter and germs because they feel the stress associated with it. It’s true that people simply feel better when their environment is clean.
If you are someone who feels stressed out and has a hectic home environment due to the lack of cleanliness and orderliness, it can be helpful to understand why this directly impacts wellness as a whole. There is some powerful psychological research that has been done to make a connection between the two. We are going to go over some of the ways keeping your home clean affects your well-being.
1. De-cluttering your home will de-clutter your mind.
It’s no surprise that once you have cleaned out the clutter from your home, you will feel a huge difference in your state of mind and a big weight lifted off your shoulders. Not only is clutter visually distracting to us, but it serves as a constant reminder that we have a huge list of tasks and chores to get done. Once we get rid of the clutter and create an efficient system of organization, we feel a sense of mastery and control over our environment.
Life is full of things we simply cannot control. For example, if you were to lose your job unexpectedly, it would be stressful trying to maintain the quality of life you are used to, which is one of the many reasons you need income protection insurance. Being in control of our own living space is a great way to assert our dominance within our environment and clear our minds of unnecessary clutter.
2. Messy homes often lead to messy relationships.
A study that was published in the scientific journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that women who described their living situations as full of clutter or unfinished projects were much more likely to feel depressed, fatigued, and stressed out. When you are a parent or spouse, this can be a direct effect on your relationships.
Stress and fatigue naturally affect relationships, self-esteem, and overall well-being. When it comes to children, a direct correlation exists between a clean space and their ability to play, do homework and focus on tasks. Although kids usually complain about doing chores, they thrive much more in cleaner environments. When people are stressed out at any age, they are much more likely to lash out at one another, which can lead to behaviors that damage relationships.
3. Keeping your space clean helps to keep you motivated.
When you look around your home that is free of clutter, you feel accomplished. This one simple accomplishment will create a ripple effect within your life and motivate you to get other areas of your well-being sorted. If you have been stressed out and avoiding a big list of unfinished tasks, cleaning your space first can be an effective way to hit the ground running with the goals you hope to accomplish. Keeping your space clean on a regular basis will help you continue to be motivated in other areas of your life, such as financial security and physical fitness.
4. Your risk for mental health issues could be reduced.
Your mental health is directly affected by your living environment. Other than having a cleaner home, the relationship between your mental health and clean living space can help us reduce anxiety and other mental health issues. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the physical process of house cleaning and the end result of a clean house can drastically improve stress, anxiety, and depression.
