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For a lot of people, having a good tidy or giving your house a deep clean is cathartic and can leave you feeling lighter. It’s easy to let the thought of cleaning get on top of you, putting it to the back of your mind or avoiding it until later, but more often than not, once you actually get round to it, it leaves you feeling a whole lot better.
As a company that specialise in commercial cleaning, of course we’d agree with this, but we’re not the only ones! Various studies have shown that cleaning is good for our mind and body, as we burn calories and endorphins are released. The Boston University School of Medicine conducted a study which showed that carrying out just 20 minutes of physical activity, of which cleaning can be included in, can have a positive impact on the feelings of depression. A Scottish Health Survey also found that the 3,000 people that stated they had anxiety or stress also found that by carrying out regular housework, these feelings could be cut by up to 20%.
How Cleaning Helps Mental Health
Believe it or not, having a clean environment and the process of cleaning itself, both have a positive impact on mental wellbeing. In 2010, a study was published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin which used techniques in linguistic analysis to measure the way people spoke about their homes. A correlation was found between people that described their homes as being ‘messy’ or ‘cluttered’ were more likely to be depressed or fatigued than those who had ‘restful’ homes. Researchers also found that those with cluttered homes had higher levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.
Does Cleaning Calm you Down?
Cleaning and tidying can definitely have a positive impact on your mental state, both during the day and throughout the night. The National Sleep Foundation found that people who regularly have clean bedding are 75% more likely to have regular restful sleep and that making your bed in a morning also has a positive effect on your quality of slumber. A clinical psychologist, Alicia H. Clark, Psy.D. states that “We want to be able to do something when we get anxious, and what we really want is to be in control and take action.” This is why simple tasks such as cleaning, washing the dishes and organising things in the home can make us feel calmer, as we take a minute to be more mindful and focus our awareness on the task.
Is it Strange to Enjoy Cleaning?
With all the mental and physical benefits that come with keeping your environment clean and tidy, it makes complete sense that people enjoy the process of cleaning. Many people prefer to have a sense of structure in their lives and a routine, which cleaning can be a part of. The process has a beginning, middle and end, which has a visible positive outcome, leaving you feeling a sense of accomplishment. Keeping on top of the cleaning also helps you in the long run, giving you more time to spend doing other things you enjoy, rather than having to catch up on a huge pile of washing or dirty pots and pans. Cleaning our physical space can also leave us feeling more clear in our mental state, as this sense of accomplishment gives us the confidence to tackle other projects or tasks.
How a Clean Environment can Benefit your Diet
By now, if you weren’t already a cleaning lover, we’re sure you’re a convert, but if you need any further encouragement to get out the Marigolds, then listen up. Regardless of whether you are at home or at work, a tidy environment will be of benefit to your mindset. Research found in the Psychological Science Journal showed that people who worked in a neat and tidy space for ten minutes, were then twice as likely to choose an apple over a chocolate bar when picking a snack, than those who work in a messy environment. This is likely to be due to the fact that your brain often craves comfort food in times of stress and having a chaotic and messy surrounding can create this stress.
Benefits of a Clean Office
Of course, it is easier to keep your home environment clean and tidy than it is your work, but where possible, you should keep your workspace clutter free to promote calm. If you find that the mess or uncleanliness of your workplace is preventing you from being productive, it may be worth considering using a commercial office cleaning company. If you feel that your workplace could do more to keep the environment clean, it might be worth suggesting to them that the office gets a deep clean, a service that many commercial cleaning companies provide at a time which least disrupts the staff.
If you would like more advice about cleaning or further information about the services included in commercial cleaning, we would be happy to help. Either give us a call or drop us an email at info@spotlesslyclean.com.