Have you ever noticed that when your house is a mess, your mind feels just as chaotic? What about your office?
It’s hard to think when everything around you is visual chaos. And the opposite is true as well. Close your eyes; picture whatever room you’re in right now as clean and tidy – everything put away, surfaces clean, it smells fresh. Did you feel your body actually relax? Research proves a direct link between our environment and our mental state. Having a clean home isn’t just surface work – it has a deep impact on our mental well-being.
Here are the five primary mental health benefits of maintaining a clean home.
1) Reduced Stress and Anxiety
If your home is in disarray, it’s a constant reminder of “work to be done.” This continual stimuli to your brain of things to do is both conscious and subconscious. The result? Your brain is under a continual cognitive load which triggers the release of cortisol – the dreaded stress hormone. Conversely, a clean, organized home provides a sense of calm and a respite for your mind. You’ve heard the phrase, “your home is your refuge.” That’s especially true when it’s clean. It allows you to relax.
2) Enhanced Focus and Cognitive Function
Research from the Princeton Neuroscience Institute¹ found that a clean, organized environment allows your brain to process information more efficiently. Visual clutter competes for your brain’s attention, making it harder to concentrate and focus. A tidy space translates to a tidy, focused mind.
3) Improved Sleep Quality
Your bedroom should be a sanctuary for rest, but if it is cluttered, it can make it harder to unwind. Studies show that people who make their beds daily and keep their bedrooms tidy are more likely to get a restful night’s sleep. A clean environment creates a sense of calm and reduces anxiety. It makes perfect sense how that allows for better sleep, which we now know has one of the biggest impacts on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.
4) A Sense of Control and Accomplishment
Forget endless scrolling on social media – which only makes us feel worse in the end for how much time we wasted. Taking 15 minutes to tidy up the kitchen, fold laundry (or put it away), or wipe down the bathroom mirror gives you a true sense of accomplishment, triggering a release of dopamine.
5) Boosted Mood and Reduced Depression
A chaotic home can contribute to feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression. A clean environment, on the other hand, actually welcomes you home.
If you’ve experienced the benefits of maintaining a clean home – or maybe you are struggling with that – share your thoughts on this topic.
¹McMains, S., & Kastner, S. (2011). Interactions of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms in human visual cortex. The Journal of Neuroscience, 31(2), 587-597. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3766-10.2011.