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healthcentral.com
article
https://www.healthcentral.com/mental-health/benefits-of-cleaning
# How And Why Cleaning Can Improve Your Mental Health
If you’re stressed or anxious, doing household chores like organizing drawers, washing dishes, or mopping floors, can boost your mood and reduce your anxiety. Here's a look at the connection and some expert advice to help you get started if you're feeling stuck.
By
Nancy Josephson Liff
(Image: iStock) [...] Washing dishes, mopping floors, and yes, ironing can be calming—especially when conducted in a mindful way.
A 2015 study conducted by student and faculty researchers at Florida State University found that mindful student dishwashers—those who focused on the smell of the soap, the warmth of the water, and the feel of the dishes—experienced a 27% decrease in nervousness and a 25% hike in mental inspiration, while the control group received no benefits.³ [...] Research suggests that cleaning—or a lack of it—may be linked often linked to mental health. On the one hand, doing household chores can serve as a productive distraction—a way to take your mind off of pressing concerns—and at least temporarily help you stop worrying about problems you can’t control. On the other hand, unmade beds, a sink full of dirty dishes, even cluttered and disorganized countertops and cabinets, may simply suggest you’re super-busy. But they can also signal mental
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bedthreads.com
research
https://bedthreads.com/blogs/journal/best-therapeutic-household-chores-mental…
Sure, household chores are often met with dismay rather than happiness, but getting out a mop or duster can actually help relieve stress,
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momwell.com
article
https://www.momwell.com/blog/why-does-a-messy-house-give-me-anxiety
The anxiety you feel about a messy house usually comes from the invisible load behind each task, not the surface chore itself.
Reframing care tasks as functional, cyclical, and morally neutral relieves the pressure to reach a permanent state of done.
Laziness is a morally charged label, and an inability to start a task often points to something beneath the surface like overwhelm, neurodivergence, or task-initiation struggles. [...] KC said that if we want to overcome anxiety and shame around having imperfect homes, we have to reframe our thinking about care tasks.
We tend to think of household tasks as moral—there’s a sense of superiority in having a clean home. This leads to thinking that there is something wrong with us if our house is messy—that we are lazy or inefficient. [...] A messy house often gives you anxiety not because of the visible mess itself, but because of the invisible load behind it, all the planning and decisions a single chore really requires. Add cultural messages that a clean home makes a good mom, and a pile of laundry can feel like proof you are failing. You are not lazy. Try reframing care tasks as functional, cyclical, and morally neutral, and let yourself rest before everything is done.
## Listen to Episode 136 · with KC Davis
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foundationsft.com
article
https://foundationsft.com/cleaning
The British Journal of Sports Medicine reported that only twenty minutes of physical activity was enough to decrease stress levels! Over 3,000 people surveyed reported that regular housework was enough to decrease anxiety and stress levels. While cleaning isn’t a cure-all, that percentage can really help boost your energy and calm your nerves. [...] If you dread cleaning, there’s actually a bright side according to psychological research. A recent study discovered that cleaning up messes actually can have a positive impact on your mental health and happiness.
So, if you want to destress, pick up your broom! Here’s why…
### Spring Cleaning For Your Mind [...] Many of us try to do our best to keep up with household chores and cleaning. But, no matter how hard we try, it seems like clutter always finds a way to creep back in our lives. Between work, after-school activities, playdates and everything in between, it’s easy to understand how clutter can sneak back in so easily.
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psychologytoday.com
article
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/202208/8-surprising-psych…
A small study from Florida State University explored whether the chore of dishwashing, done mindfully, could reduce stress. Using a group of 51 students, they discovered that dishwashers who were instructed to be mindful when washing dishes—focusing on the smell of the soap, the warmth of the water, and the feel of the dishes—reported a decrease in nervousness by 27 percent and an increase in mental inspiration (see #1) by 25 percent. [...] Chores that reduce clutter can also reduce stress. Various studies have indicated that clutter can be linked to higher cortisol—a stress hormone—and can also interfere with focusing. I love the title of author Gretchen Rubin's book: Outer Order, Inner Calm. That about sums it up. So if you’ve been yearning to clean out that junk drawer, do it. You’ll feel better.
8. Chores are an opportunity for “me time.” [...] Although the control group didn’t experience the benefits reported above, I wonder if just finishing a necessary chore in itself relieves some stress. It's a good feeling to cross something off your to-do list or improve your living space. More research, please.
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reddit.com
article
https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/comments/184dcbm/is_household_chores_is_good_…
Absolutely. A clean space does wonders for mental health; and the chores themselves can help get my mind off of things that are not positive.
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oxfordcbt.co.uk
article
https://www.oxfordcbt.co.uk/stress-management-cleaning
Whether you think of cleaning as a meditative task, or an energetic throw yourself into it task. Either way, any form of exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins send messages to your brain that changes your perception of pain and will trigger positive emotions in your body. Regular exercise has been proven to reduce stress and reduce anxiety, along with preventing depression. Cleaning will also have these effects on your body and mental health as long as these chores require some physical [...] ## How to Incorporate Cleaning Into Your Life
1 Start small and do a little bit each day. The thought of having to clean your house from top to bottom in one day can be daunting and will only add to any stress or anxiety you are feeling. Don’t make your to-do list bigger than what you can handle mentally. To begin with, choose one thing to do today, and then something else tomorrow and so on. You won’t then be faced with a daunting feeling when you come to cleaning. [...] 2 Try to get others involved including your partner or children. It shouldn’t be left to you at the end of a working day to have to tidy up toys or books etc. Teach the children about looking after their things and keeping their bedroom clean. Talk to your partner about which tasks each of you will take so it is clear whose responsibility is what.