The Connection Between a Clean Space and Self-Care
February is a time typically surrounded by pink and red items, celebrating love for those around us, but what about love for ourselves?
Self-love is a positive psychology concept that focuses on having respect for yourself, recognizing your personal worth and prioritizing your physical and mental wellbeing.
Practicing self-love and self-care during this time of year is important, as many are still experiencing the mood shift known as the ”winter blues.” The “winter blues” is a general feeling of sadness that accompanies the darkening of days during the winter months. For some, this can impact daily functioning and perhaps feelings about themselves.
One way to improve your mood and battle those winter blues (or negative mental health throughout the rest of the year) is to give yourself a clean home.
Over the last several decades, research has shown that keeping your home clean and tidy can directly impact your mental health. Clutter is a primary stressor in these situations, leading to higher stress levels, tension, irritability, and confusion. (Bodrij et al. Online). The physical clutter leads to visual overstimulation and takes up space in our minds that can distract us from our tasks.
Research has even found that cleaning itself can have a positive effect on mental health, helping you feel more in control over your environment and your mind. The repetitive actions involved in tidying up and cleaning can provide a sense of calm and a meditative state that can help you find peace (Gordon).
Cleanliness also impacts physical health, which can then improve mental health. People who live in clean homes tend to have fewer physical illnesses due to cleaner living spaces and better air quality within the home.
When you have a clean space, you feel better about your environment, and often yourself.
Works Cited
We want to promote positivity in our community and provide support to those who need it. We understand that cleaning when you aren’t feeling at your best can feel like a monumental task, so we are here to help with that. We’ll help you get your space deeply cleaned, and then do maintenance cleanings following it so that you can spend your time becoming your healthiest self.
Bodrij, F. Fenne, et al. “The casual effect of household chaos on stress and caregiving: An experimental study.” Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. Volume 8, no. November 2021, 2021. ScienceDirect, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666497621000643?via%3Dihub. Accessed 6 January 2025.
Gordon, Sherri. “The Connection Between Cleanliness and Mental Health.” VeryWell Mind, 24 April 2024, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666497621000643?via%3Dihub. Accessed 6 January 2025.
