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verywellmind.com
article
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-mental-health-and-cleaning-are-connected-509…
Additionally, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America indicates that the physical activity of cleaning coupled with the end result of a cleaner home helps reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Cleaning can also reduce fatigue and improve concentration.
### Cleanliness and Focus [...] So, if you're feeling the urge to clean and declutter when you're stressed, your mind and body are probably looking for a way to bring some order to your environment.
### Cleanliness and Mood
Aside from the benefits of having a cleaner home, the relationship between a clean house and mental health can help you reduce your anxiety. [...] Clutter and mess can create more stress and anxiety, but by cleaning, organizing, and reducing the clutter, people are able to take control of their environment and create a more relaxing environment that helps them focus better on the more pressing issues in their lives.
## Benefits of Cleanliness and Decluttering
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conscioushealthcenter.com
article
https://conscioushealthcenter.com/how-a-clear-home-helps-mental-health
Reduced Stress: An organized space can reduce the anxiety of misplaced items or forgotten tasks.
Boosted Productivity: Less time spent searching for items or feeling overwhelmed means more time to be productive.
Enhanced Creativity: A clean environment can stimulate the mind, allowing for a better flow of ideas.
Sense of Achievement: Completing organizational tasks provides instant gratification and pride.
## Practical Tips for a Tidy Space [...] A clean and clear home can help you reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus, and even enhance your sense of well-being. A clutter-free environment often translates to a clutter-free mind, making it easier for you to manage your mental health.
##### I’m overwhelmed with the thought of creating an organized space. Where should I start? [...] While a clear home alone can’t cure mental health conditions, it can be a helpful component of a comprehensive mental health treatment plan. An organized environment can alleviate stressors that contribute to symptoms of depression and anxiety.
##### How does the ‘One In, One Out’ rule work?
The ‘One In, One Out’ rule means that for every new item you bring into your space, you should consider letting go of one existing item. This helps to maintain a balanced, uncluttered environment.
O
oxfordcbt.co.uk
article
https://www.oxfordcbt.co.uk/stress-management-cleaning
Clutter and mess can be linked to negative emotions like confusion and tension. Whereas a clean and tidy home leads to positive emotions such as a sense of calm and well-being. By sorting and organising the clutter and mess around you, you can reduce any stress or anxiety you may be feeling and this will help you feel like you are taking control of your life. The physical activity of cleaning combined with the result of a cleaner home helps reduce stress, feelings of anxiety, and depressive [...] 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 [...] Can cleaning help you reduce stress? There are lots of different ways that we can manage our stress. We each have our routine that we reach for when we feel overwhelmed. Some may try yoga, or mindfulness exercises, maybe even head to the hairdressers or for a massage. For others, dusting shelves, wiping down the kitchen or organising is their way to deal with stress. Cleaning is just as beneficial for our mental health as mindfulness related activities. For some people, coming home to a clean
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elevaterecoveryhomes.com
article
https://elevaterecoveryhomes.com/cleaning-as-self-care
When life feels uncertain, cleaning is a tangible action you can manage – it can restore a sense of agency when everything else feels chaotic.
## The Mental Health Benefits of Cleaning
### Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Cluttered spaces can contribute to feelings of overwhelm and anxiety—when your environment is disorganized, your mind tends to feel the same way, and by systematically cleaning and organizing, you can create a sense of order and control, reducing stress levels. [...] ## The Science Behind Clean Spaces and Mental Health
Numerous studies have demonstrated the connection between a clean environment and improved mental health – one study found that individuals who described their homes as cluttered experienced higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, throughout the day.
Your brain responds to your environment. When you’re surrounded by mess, your mind struggles to process information and make decisions. [...] A clean space supports a clear mind. And a clear mind supports recovery.
### The Bottom Line
The connection between a clean space and mental well-being is undeniable – by understanding the psychological impact of our surroundings, we can harness the therapeutic benefits of a tidy environment.
Cleaning isn’t just about having a nice-looking home. It’s about:
Managing stress and anxiety
Creating a sense of control
Building confidence
Providing a safe haven
Supporting your mental health
M
mhanational.org
article
https://mhanational.org/resources/creating-a-healthy-home-environment
Keeping your living space clean is shown to promote calmness and a sense of control over your day-to-day life. Your home environment doesn’t need to be spotless, but clutter can be harmful to your mental state – contributing to depression, trouble focusing, confusion, and stress. Not only can clutter be distracting, but it has been shown to actually make it harder for your brain to think clearly. Neatness also provides predictability, which can cut down on brain fatigue and anxiety. Less time [...] reduce signs of anxiety and depression. [...] anxiety. Less time looking for lost items or getting distracted is always a good thing.
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dartmouth.edu
research
https://www.dartmouth.edu/wellness/docs/healthy_home_environment.pdf
feel the water, and absorb the experience – reported a 27% reduction in nervousness, along with a 25% improvement in mental inspiration.3 Once your space feels clean, think about organization. How can you maximize your space and be intentional about organizing to avoid future clutter and mess? Having a clean and organized space can help you feel in control and calm.4 Get rid of unneeded belongings. Periodically going through your place to fnd items to donate or get rid of can go a long way [...] can help reduce signs of anxiety and depression.8 WHAT CAN I DO TO CREATE COMFORT? Notice how you feel in diferent parts of your home. What spaces feel the most comfortable and why? Consider how you can include those elements in other areas of your home that don’t have the same energy. [...] – contributing to depression, trouble focusing, confusion, and stress.1 Not only can clutter be distracting, but it has been shown to actually make it harder for your brain to think clearly.2 Neatness also provides predictability, which can cut down on brain fatigue and anxiety. Less time looking for lost items or getting distracted is always a good thing. WHAT CAN I DO TO CREATE A TIDY SPACE? Start small. If beginning to improve your space feels overwhelming, choose one area to start. Consider
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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
official
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11925691
As part of the behavioral immune system (Schaller, 2015), cleaning behavior serves adaptive biological functions by separating physical threats (e.g., infectious pathogens) from the body. It reduces threat-related anxiety, especially when the threat is highly salient, as in times of a global pandemic (e.g., COVID-19; Trougakos et al., 2020). Beyond biological functions, however, an emerging perspective suggests that cleaning behavior involves physical acts of separation that serve higher-order [...] Visually simulated experience of cleaning behavior reduced residual anxiety from a stress-inducing physical scene. The manipulation involved mere visual simulation, with effect sizes (_d_ s = 0.205 and 0.141) in the expected small range by traditional standards (J. Cohen, 1988) and comparable with those in contemporary preregistered between-subjects research (Schäfer & Schwarz, 2019). The effect was observed and replicated on a pictorial measure of anxiety derived from basic emotional [...] ## found that (a) concrete visual simulation of cleaning behavior alleviated residual anxiety from a stress-inducing physical scene, an effect distinct from touch, and (b) actual cleaning behavior enhanced adaptive cardiovascular reactivity to a highly stressful context of social performance/evaluation, which provides the first physiological evidence for the attenuation of stress-related effects by cleaning. Overall, actual cleaning and simulated cleaning attenuate effects of physical or
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columbiadoctors.org
news
https://www.columbiadoctors.org/news/reduce-stress-through-decluttering
“When our living environment becomes unmanageable for a period of time, it can be a symptom of depression or anxiety,” says Michael Carollo, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at Columbia University.
We asked Dr. Carollo to explain how clutter can impact mental health—and how activities like spring cleaning can help.
## How does clutter affect our mental health?
Some research has suggested that extensive clutter can have a negative impact on well-being. [...] Whether someone is dealing with depression or is simply overwhelmed, we often use a technique called behavioral activation, which involves purposefully engaging in achievable activities to improve mood. This approach has been borne out in research; one study even suggests that cleaning can help alleviate stress, even when the stressor has nothing to do with the clutter. Spring cleaning is a great example of behavioral activation. [...] When we evaluate someone’s mental health, we typically include appearance within an overall assessment of their ability to perform activities of daily living. If someone presents as noticeably disheveled or does not appear to be engaging in normal grooming, that could indicate the person may be struggling in many areas, including their home environment, driven by depression, anxiety, or some other mental health disorder.
## Where does spring cleaning fit into stress reduction?