Does a Clean House Reduce Stress?

Although it is a necessary part of our existence, many of us look at cleaning any part of our house as being a chore. It's an event that is going to eat up time that could be otherwise spent with our families –or even better, relaxing before the dim glow of our television. Unless you are a self-professed neat freak, you can likely think of 100 other things that you would rather be doing instead of cleaning a toilet.

However, much like a low-impact workout at the gym or stroll in the park on a mild autumn day, cleaning the house can be a fantastic way to manage stress or unwind in the face of being restless.

This article will examine four ways cleaning a house just might help you to unwind!

Cleaning house can establish control. If you’re feeling like something in your life is not quite within your boundaries of control, cleaning house is a great way to reign in one corner of your life. Whether it’s doing the dishes or washing and folding the laundry, cleaning house can make you feel as though you were able to get your arms around a couple of things that might have been out of control. You may find that gaining control by completing one chore will lead you to another area of your home to gain the upper hand in yet another area within your grasp.

Cleaning house can be physically freeing. Got a bit of pent-up frustration? Get out the vacuum cleaner. No—not the robot that does the work for you. The robot may amuse you or fascinate you for a few minutes, but it likely will not ease your mind. A vacuum cleaner makes a ton of noise and sucks up every microscopic fiber of dust. After a few minutes of shoving furniture around and sucking up that piece of popcorn that’s been laying behind the sofa for more than a week, you will feel a sense of physical satisfaction that can sometimes only be achieved by way of a workout in the gym.

Are you one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have any carpet concerns? Break out the mop and get going. By the time you finish the exhausting task of mopping your floor, you should feel as though you just worked out at the gym –or at least experienced a modest warm-up.

Cleaning a house can be therapeutic. Cleaning a home can be therapeutic and mentally refreshing. That’s right! I already mentioned that cleaning house can be therapeutic, but consider this, if you tend to get occupied or even suffers the fate of overthinking through a problem or issue at hand, by the time you finish multiple tasks associated with cleaning your home or restoring a bit of order, you will more than likely have rid yourself of the worry at hand, arrived at a tentative solution or you well may have a multitude of solutions at your fingertips to choose from as you proceed to the next step. Either way, your house will be clean, and ideally, you will be a bit further in your problem-solving/resolution process.

According to one study, during the 2020 pandemic, one of the many coping strategies that people used to get through the pandemic was doing mundane chores like cleaning and washing. Though professional therapy services are a recommendation for those with more intense needs, the study demonstrates that cleaning a house is one of many ways people attempt to navigate even the most difficult situations.

Cleaning house can create new beginnings. One of the tasks or activities that I find which helps me to unwind most is to clean out a closet. How often? Clearly, this is not an everyday task but is one that can have the greatest impact. Once or twice per year is typically adequate. This author finds that cleaning out closets can be symbolic of making a fresh start and fresh starts can create a renewed feeling of relief and relaxation. If you have not cleaned out your closet in the last year, consider doing so the next time you feel restless or simply need to unwind. Not only will you feel a sense of release but also, it’s a great opportunity and way to donate those items you no longer need to those who could benefit most.

These are just a few ways and reasons cleaning house can help you to unwind.