There has long been an established connection between cleaning and self-care, and the value is not so much in the cleaning actions themselves, but the feeling we get when our homes are clean and tidy.
Even if you hate cleaning and would rather pay a professional company to come in and do it for you (and why not, many people do), you might still reap some benefits of a clean home, that can only be gained from, well, cleaning your home! Actually, whoever cleans your home, there is still the opportunity for it to help you feel good, since it’s the results that matter, not necessarily the effort:
The psychological benefits of a clean home
The spaces in which we spend a lot of our time, i.e., our home, are almost like extensions of ourselves, and when our outer world is tidy and in order, our inner world also feels as if it’s nourished and has been well tended to. Dirty, cluttered and disorganized homes can have the exact opposite effect, and make us feel anxious, overwhelmed and apathetic.
We only have to think back to a time when we came home from a busy, stressful day at the office, only to find the sink full of dirty dishes and clothes strewn all over the bedroom floor, to know what that feels like. Unable to relax and unwind due to the mess and nagging knowledge that some cleaning is in order; we also find it difficult to focus and may even end up neglecting the home even more due to a lack of motivation and energy.
Cleaning helps to give us a sense of control not just over our domain, but over our entire lives, and a sense of accomplishment, too. In turn, this helps us to better cope with the trials and tribulations life can throw at us, and even the repetitive and simplistic action of house cleaning, can make it easier for our minds to enter into a focused and meditative state, alleviating any worries or anxieties that we’re experiencing in that moment.
Life can throw many things at us, and often without warning, but in our living spaces, it’s much easier to assert our will and feel more in control of our personal destiny.
Cleaning as self-care
Reclaiming our health and sanity is often as simple as cleaning and tidying our homes on a regular basis, or having a professional cleaning service do it for us. And while you might think that such small, insignificant actions can’t possibly have such an effect on you, have you tried doing a spot of cleaning and thinking about how it makes you feel, both while you’re doing it and afterwards? Sometimes, all we need to offer ourselves self-care, is a series of micro-moments that help us to restore and nourish ourselves, whether that be through cleaning, yoga or spending time doing a hobby.
By ensuring that your home is free from clutter, clean and feels calming, you can claim back some mental space to relax or unwind, and if you don’t have the time to clean yourself, simply hire someone else to come in and do it for you – the effect on your wellbeing will be the same.
