It’s common to want to start spring cleaning your home as the temperatures warm up and the flowers bloom.
“Spring is considered the season of renewal, both in nature and in consumer or popular culture,” says Marni Amsellem, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Smart Health Psychology, of the desire to press reset. “After a long winter we are eager to shed layers and activate. It feels good to do this in our homes as well.” We’re naturally in harmony with the seasonal shifts occurring around us. “People’s energy can really be a lot lower during the winter time,” says Dr. Dawn Potter, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in Cleveland, Ohio, in an episode of Cleveland Clinic’s Health Essentials podcast. “And we can see a corresponding surge of increased energy in the springtime: Days are brighter, days are warmer, people are getting outside more and they feel more energized by that exposure to sunlight.” But the need to improve the aesthetic and functionality of our homes extends beyond the seasons. It may also be an evergreen coping mechanism for daily stress and anxiety. “Cleaning and organizing can help us feel mastery over our immediate worlds,” says Amsellem.
As spring rolls in, here’s an extended look at the mental health benefits of spring cleaning, according to experts.
Sense of control
For a lot of people, cleaning one’s home allows for a significant mental health benefit: it allows for a sense of control over one’s environment. “A lot of people do find cleaning to be very satisfying, but also to be a very good way of managing stress or anxiety,” explains Potter. “When they are faced with other problems that maybe they can’t address at the time, or they’re just kind of overwhelmed, they find that cleaning helps them restore a sense of control.” Amsellem agrees, “When so much of life feels beyond our control, maintaining order and cleanliness at home is one way for us to exert some mastery over our environments, which can extend into our overall feeling of mastery.”
It’s routine
Routines and rituals are incredibly powerful parts of our lives. This means, making cleaning part of your daily life, whatever this looks like, will play a part in a healthier lifestyle. “There’s a peace of mind from having an aesthetically pleasing place to wake up in and return to at the end of your workday, or if you’re working from home, just to have your workday feel smooth and organized and put together,” explains Potter. Amsellem explains, regularly keeping a clean home, and also nourishing your space, is a long-practiced tradition globally. “Many cultures have long-established values of keeping order and cleanliness at home,” she says. “The practice of keeping a clean home, as well as doing a deeper cleanse, is one way to both promote calm as well as to energize.”
It’s calming and energizing
No matter the task, household chores are a mindful act. They can help you clear your head and unplug from the virtual world while getting in touch with your own space. And all of your hard work can have a positive effect. “Walking into a clean and orderly room can feel both invigorating and calming, whereas walking into a cluttered space can feel exhausting and overwhelming,” says Amsellem. So much of this has to do with the visual feedback we receive after cleaning organizing – the results are immediate and tangible. “We know that we have taken charge and consequently feel more in charge,” she says. On the other hand, clutter is overwhelming and hectic. “We can lose focus, get lost, and feel a sense of powerlessness,” says Amsellem of the effects of untidiness. “These emotions can impact our mental health in other ways and affect how we see ourselves more generally, such as detracting from our sense of self-efficacy and confidence.”
Happy spring cleaning!
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