As the first leaves bud and blades of grass start to peek through the soil, we might start to think
about how we can freshen up our own surroundings. What better way to revitalize our spaces
than with a good old-fashioned spring cleaning? A clean and organized environment can help
you feel calmer, more focused, and even reduce stress. But let’s face it, after a long, cozy winter, the mere thought of cleaning might feel like trying to climb a mountain. That’s okay, though! Let’s talk about how cleaning can benefit your mental well-being, and how we can make it a more manageable task.
The Mental Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is more than just a way to make your space look pretty– it is also a form of
self-care and can have a big impact on how you feel and think. Here are a few ways cleaning can
help boost your mental health:
- Reduces stress and anxiety: A cluttered space often means having a cluttered mind. When your environment is full of mess, it can add to your sense of stress and overwhelm. Living life is already challenging enough as it is– adding a sink full of dirty dishes and a pile of laundry on the bedroom floor can make your daily anxieties feel worse. Tackling small cleaning tasks can help create a calming environment and reduce those visual stress triggers.
- Boosts mood: While feelings of depression can add to the challenge of cleaning, a messy space can also contribute to feelings of sadness and overwhelm. When you take small steps to tidy up, it can be a much-needed reminder that you are capable and in control.
- Enhances focus: The level of clutter in your environment directly affects your ability to concentrate. Excess distractions can overwhelm your brain, making it harder to process essential information and complete tasks efficiently. This is especially important for individuals with ADHD or other attention-related challenges. Keeping a tidy space minimizes distractions, allowing your brain to focus more effectively and improve productivity.
- Encourages mindfulness: Mindfulness is a state of mind in which one is conscious of the present moment and nonjudgmental towards their feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. This term is most often associated with activities like meditation or yoga, but any activity can be used as a mindfulness tool, including cleaning! Focusing on the task at hand, like scrubbing a sink or vacuuming the floor, helps you stay present and allows you to let your ruminations and anxieties fall to the wayside.
- Encourages physical activity: Spending long hours sitting can lead to stiffness and fatigue, making it essential to incorporate movement into your day. Cleaning provides a productive way to stay active while improving your living space. Tasks like vacuuming, scrubbing, and organizing engage different muscle groups, promoting flexibility and circulation. Plus, it helps boost energy levels and keeps you feeling refreshed—all while creating a cleaner, more organized home. Talk about a win-win!
How to Make Cleaning Manageable (and Even Fun!)
While cleaning can have positive effects on mental health, certain mental health challenges can
make it feel like an uphill battle. Depression often brings on low energy and reduced motivation,
making it difficult to maintain personal and environmental hygiene. Those with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may struggle with executive functioning skills,
such as planning, organizing and time management, which can make it challenging to prioritize
and complete cleaning tasks. Meanwhile, those who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may experience intrusive thoughts related to contamination or orderliness, which can lead to compulsive cleaning and reorganizing. These behaviors, while meant to ease anxiety, can sometimes interfere significantly with work, relationships, and overall well-being. Understanding these challenges can help foster self-compassion and encourage the development of strategies that make cleaning more manageable.
Here are some tips that may help you overcome mental barriers to cleaning and make it feel
more manageable (and, dare I say, fun?):
- Start small: Don’t aim for perfection– just aim for progress! If cleaning feels
overwhelming, begin by tackling one thing at a time. For example, commit to washing
just one dish every time you walk past your sink. Many people feel resistant to cleaning
because of how clutter and “dirtiness” build up over time, so it eventually becomes an
insurmountable task to make your entire home “clean.” However, if you focus on making
small wins over time, your motivation to clean will grow, leading to an increase in your
self-confidence to tackle even bigger tasks.
- “Gamify” it: ADHD has been found to be linked to lower levels of dopamine, or a less
efficient dopamine system. This is one reason why people with ADHD may find it difficult
to stay committed to cleaning tasks– cleaning lacks immediate rewards, which can
make it feel unmotivating and unpleasurable to some. “Gamification” involves
incorporating elements of play, challenge, and rewards to a task, similar to what can be
found in many games. Some ways cleaning can be “gamified” include:
- Breaking tasks into smaller chunks: This can reduce the amount of sustained concentration required for one task, which is something that people with ADHD often struggle with (e.g., break cleaning the bathroom down into wiping the sink, scrubbing the toilet, sweeping the floor, taking out the trash, etc.).
- Adding urgency and challenge: Set a timer for your tasks and race against the clock (e.g., wash all the dishes in 5 minutes)! Another version of this involves playing a song you love and trying to complete the chore before the song ends.
- Provide external structure: Create a tangible checklist of cleaning tasks and check items off the list as you complete them. This can provide a visual indicator of progress, which is helpful in sustaining motivation.
- Incorporate rewards: Just as you might earn coins or points for completing a level of your favorite video game, you can plan your own reward for finishing your “cleaning quest.”
- Set realistic limits: OCD can sometimes lead to repetitive cleaning cycles that interfere
with daily life and overall well-being. To prevent this, establish clear, achievable limits for
yourself. For example, you might decide “I will only clean for 30 minutes and then stop” or “I will wipe the counter only once.” Setting these specific boundaries can help you stay
focused and maintain control, reducing the risk of getting caught in a cycle of
perfectionism and obsessive thoughts. By practicing self-awareness and sticking to
predetermined limits, you can keep cleaning a productive task rather than an
overwhelming compulsion.
Spring cleaning is not about creating the perfect, spotless home– it’s about making your space
work for you. Taking small, intentional steps to tidy up will eventually lead to the creation of a
space that supports your well-being and adds to your sense of peace. Whether you wash one
dish or declutter an entire room, any effort you make is ultimately a win!
If you struggle with a mental health challenge that makes cleaning feel especially difficult, it may
be helpful to seek tailored, professional support. Remember, even a smidgen of progress can
make a substantial difference in how you feel. So, here’s to having a fun and fulfilling spring