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news-medical.net
news
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Investigating-the-Link-between-Cleaning-a…
In an examination of ritualized behavior in anxiogenic situations (that causing anxiety), researchers studied 62 undergraduate students cleaning behaviors assigned to either a high-anxiety or low-anxiety group. The researchers found that induced anxiety increased the likelihood of repetitive and rigid activities. Notably, however, these activities were not redundant. This study emphasized a novel link between anxiety and ritualized behavior, such as cleaning. [...] Cleaning results in good mental health through several mechanisms. The absence of clutter can reduce the overstimulation produced by too many visual stimuli, enabling increased focus and the ability to concentrate. In addition, cleaning can enhance mood, particularly when engaged in mindful activity whilst doing the cleaning activity – moreover, the active cleaning itself can result in environmental certainty and controllability, thereby reducing anxiety.
## References:
## Further Reading [...] Cleaning is considered to be a form of stress relief, among other activities such as mindfulness and exercise practices. Research has demonstrated that cleaning can yield several positive effects on mental health. Among them, a sense of control and a calming effect caused by the engagement of cognitive capacity in a repetitive activity is the most notable.
## The Link Between Cleaning, Physical Health, and Mood
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verywellmind.com
article
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-mental-health-and-cleaning-are-connected-509…
Research has shown that living in a cluttered environment increases stress. In the study, young women cared for an infant in either a normal or cluttered environment. While chaos didn't seem to affect mood or responsiveness, physical stress levels were still higher for women in the cluttered homes. Such findings suggest that parents should consider how cleanliness and clutter in the home may impact their stress levels. [...] 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 [...] A study by the University of Connecticut found that in times of high stress, people default to repetitive behaviors like cleaning because it gives them a sense of control during a chaotic time. Other research has found that decluttering can help older adults retain a sense of control over their life as they age.
What's more, clutter and disorganization can be really distracting, making it hard to focus or complete other projects. You can start to feel stuck in a rut.
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elevaterecoveryhomes.com
article
https://elevaterecoveryhomes.com/cleaning-as-self-care
Your home reflects your mental state. When your space is cluttered, your mind feels the same way. Research shows that messy environments increase stress hormones, make it harder to focus, and contribute to anxiety and depression. But cleaning isn’t just about having a tidy house – it’s an act of self-care that directly impacts your emotional well-being. Understanding this connection can change how you think about household chores and give you a practical tool for managing your mental health. [...] A study looked at how 60 women described their homes – those who described their spaces as “cluttered” or full of “unfinished projects” had higher rates of depression than those who described their homes as “restorative” and “restful”. While mess doesn’t directly cause depression, it can worsen symptoms.
### How does cleaning reduce anxiety? [...] 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.
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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
official
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11925691
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 [...] of the manipulation check items (how clean the visualized experience felt and how much it involved touching oneself), only clean feelings significantly predicted lower anxiety (β = −0.1215, _SE_ = 0.0353, _t_(295) = −3.437, _p_ = .0007) and lower tension (β = −0.1693, _SE_ = 0.0344, _t_(299) = −4.924, _p_ = 1.41e−06), whereas touch involvement did not significantly predict anxiety (β = 0.0550, _SE_ = 0.0375, _t_(295) = 1.469, _p_ = .1429) and predicted higher tension (β = 0.0759, _SE_ = 0.0369, [...] . Trougakos, Chawla, McCarthy (2020). Working in a pandemic: Exploring the impact of COVID-19 health anxiety on work, family, and health outcomes. _Journal of Applied Psychology_, 105(11), 1234–1245. doi: 10.1037/apl0000739 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
. Tybur, Lieberman, Kurzban, DeScioli (2013). Disgust: Evolved function and structure. _Psychological Review_, 120(1), 65–84. doi: 10.1037/a0030778 [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
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medrxiv.org
article
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.11.25325655v1.full.pdf
365 Conclusion 366 This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between depression risk and 367 personal hygiene practices among university students, revealing critical insights into the mental 368 and physical health of this demographic. Gender and accommodation type were significant 369 determinants; females displayed superior personal cleanliness habits, whilst students living in 370 privately managed lodgings showed a reduced incidence of depression and higher hygiene [...] 1 is comprised of four items that are related to personal cleanliness practices 265 (brushing teeth, bathing, wearing clean clothes and changing underwear), Factor 2 was associated 266 with four items that were related to hand hygiene practice dimension, and Factor 3 was composed 267 of another four items that reflected a dimension focused on keeping the surrounding clean. From 268 table 7, we found that factor 1 had a factor loading ranging from 0.59 to 0.64 with a Cronbach’s 269 alpha of 0.75 [...] 269 alpha of 0.75 and relatively a low uniqueness value (0.56 to 0.58), factor 2 had loadings from 0.45 270 to 0.60, an alpha of 0.72 and uniqueness value ranging from 0.53 to 0.69, and factor 3, reflecting 271 surrounding cleanliness with loadings between 0.50 and 0.67, an alpha of 0.72 and uniqueness 272 value of 0.53 to 0.72. Overall, a factor loading ≥ 0.45 tells us that each item is well associated with 273 the respective factors. Most of the item’s uniqueness values fell below 0.70 in the
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innerbody.com
article
https://www.innerbody.com/impacts-of-personal-hygiene-on-your-health
Poor hygiene relates to mental health in two ways. First, an unclean appearance can cause social and professional isolation. Feelings of loneliness and failure caused by this isolation can harm your mental health and lead to chronic depression or social anxiety. [...] What many people don’t often consider is how personal hygiene can affect numerous aspects of your life. It may improve health and limit the risk of illness or disease. It can also make you feel better about yourself, improve your work life, and make you more confident and approachable in social settings.
The effects go beyond physical health and socializing. Poor hygiene can cause or exacerbate depression or anxiety problems and make a person isolate themselves. [...] In some cases, the progression of poor hygiene and mental health issues gets reversed. People with depression may cease caring about hygiene practices. In these instances, the lack of cleanliness is a symptom of a mental disorder, not its cause.
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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 [...] 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 [...] yet to complete. Keeping clutter and mess at a minimum will have a positive effect on your focus, stress and mental health.
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nec.org
article
https://www.nec.org/good-hygiene-and-mental-health
A good personal hygiene routine can help alleviate stress and anxiety. Simple acts like a warm shower can put you into a calmer frame of mind. If you're up to it, you can even incorporate some simple breathing exercises into your shower routine for an extra boost of relaxation and calm!
1. Good hygiene improves sleep quality. [...] Feeling fresh and clean can lead to feeling more confident. When you feel confident, you are more likely to participate in social situations, decreasing isolation. Humans aren't meant to be alone; interacting with others can help improve your mental health as well!
1. Good hygiene reduces stress and anxiety. [...] Did you know hygiene doesn't just mean showering and brushing your hair? You can have good hygiene with your sleep and nighttime routine, too! Good sleep hygiene, including changing into clean clothes before bed and brushing your teeth, can improve mental health by decreasing stress, irritability, and depression.
When good hygiene doesn't help