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apartmenttherapy.com
article
https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/stress-cleaning-solutions-37396967
For many people, cleaning, organizing, and decluttering can help reduce anxiety. “The act of cleaning can distract them by keeping them busy and task-oriented,” says Rachel Goldberg, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles. “It [also] helps them feel a sense of control.” [...] Decluttering is a good way to improve your overall mental health. A clean environment can make you feel less anxious, which can help reduce your desire to stress clean.
Rosado advises utilizing the “one in, one out” method. The strategy is simple: for every one thing you bring into your home, one thing must go. So if you buy a new centerpiece, you can get rid of the one gathering dust in storage. [...] ### Shift your mindset
Finally, Rosado recommends implementing the “refocus” strategy, which means you “refocus from perfectionism to productivity.” In other words, adopt a more flexible mentality regarding cleaning and organizing your home.
“Productivity emphasizes effectiveness and efficiency rather than perfection,” she explains. “Instead of fixating on the end results, focus on completing tasks in a timely and satisfactory manner.”
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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 [...] 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 [...] ## 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.
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verywellmind.com
article
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-mental-health-and-cleaning-are-connected-509…
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 [...] 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 [...] In fact, for some people, the simple sight of a clean and organized home can help them unwind and de-stress even after an overwhelming day.
Evidence suggests that having a messy, cluttered environment can create stress and interfere with your ability to concentrate, at least for some people. The actual act of cleaning and decluttering can boost your mood, help you move your body more, improve focus, and help you feel more in control of your surroundings.
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columbiadoctors.org
news
https://www.columbiadoctors.org/news/reduce-stress-through-decluttering
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. [...] Cleaning and organizing our space may feel overwhelming in the moment, but it’s actually something we have the ability to control, assuming there are no physical limitations or other similar issues preventing us from doing so.
## How do you help clients figure out what stuff to toss or give away?
Many people feel stuck when it comes to deciding what to part with. They may hold onto things that don’t have any practical or sentimental value because of anxiety or fear of moving on. [...] In behavioral activation, we help our clients identify objectively achievable tasks (this will often include cleaning or straightening up) and help them differentiate these actions from the stressors and tasks that the individual finds overwhelming. We also help them chunk down any large, overwhelming task into smaller, more manageable steps.
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facebook.com
news
https://www.facebook.com/therabox/posts/stress-tip-when-your-thoughts-feel-cl…
Studies have shown that spending even just 10-15 minutes on a simple cleaning task, can instantly help improve your mood and calm anxiety. So
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rightasrain.uwmedicine.org
article
https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/life/leisure/cleaning-and-mental-health
The one really important thing to remember during your cleaning and sorting: Be kind and patient with yourself. Especially when it comes to those really dark and difficult times, it’s important to allow yourself a little grace and stop carrying all the guilt and shame about not having the perfect space.
“Keep your expectations reasonable and your goals small,” says Burns. “And when all else fails, toss things into the nearest obliging closet. You'll get to it later ... you always do.” [...] This means that to reduce anxiety and improve your well-being, it’s important to figure out the stressors in your life and environment that you do have control over and how you can work on them so that your overall anxiety can go down. Which is where Browning thinks that something like tidying your house can come into play. [...] "You know, fold and put away the laundry that’s been on the couch — your anxiety level drops at least a little bit, even if there's still plenty of existential crisis to indulge in,” says Browning.
Acknowledging that you can’t control everything but that you can address some small things (like your living space) is a move in a positive direction for your well-being and stress management. After all, it feels good to fix something and cross something off your list, even if it's small.
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momwell.com
article
https://www.momwell.com/blog/why-does-a-messy-house-give-me-anxiety
### How do I start cleaning when the mess feels too overwhelming?
Davis's 5 Things Tidying Method helps you cut through the noise by recognizing that any mess contains only five things: trash, dishes, laundry, things that have a place but are out of place, and things without a place. Work through the list, starting with trash. Breaking a big mess into tiny pieces makes it easier to prioritize and leaves you time left over to rest.
Erica Djossa
Written by
Erica Djossa [...] Shifting our thinking around care tasks to cyclical also relieves some of the pressure to get tasks “done.” For example, laundry isn’t done or not done—it’s a cycle. There are clothes on our bodies, clothes in hampers, clothes in the washer, and clothes that need to be put away. It’s unrealistic to think of it as a task with an end. You’re not a “bad mom” if laundry is at a certain stage of the cycle.
## Practical Ways to Approach Cleaning as Functional [...] She recommends working through that list, starting with the trash, when tackling a messy space. Teaching children this method also helps them learn how to clean up. Breaking a big mess into tiny pieces makes it easier to tackle and prioritize.
Using this method can help us contain our cleaning to manageable tasks so that we can let ourselves have time left over, for rest, for our own mental health, and for time to reset.
## Why Prioritizing Ourselves is Important