Why Cleaning Can (Really) Do Us Good

Improved well-being

I know, I know. For many of us, cleaning the house is a big chore, especially if you’re a woman (hello mental burden 😅)! However, cleaning is also a way of relaxing and contributing to your well-being. I promise, I’m not making this up! The fact is that psychologist Elaine Aron explained that the messier the home, the more it reflects a cluttered mind. In fact, it can even lead to Diogenes syndrome, which is a real pathology...

Cleaning and organizing have a calming effect, as they give us a sense of control and accomplishment, which reduce stress and anxiety, as psychologist Sherrie Bourg Carter explains. By taking care of our living space, we send a positive message to our subconscious that we deserve to live in a healthy and pleasant environment.

“Tidying should essentially be about restoring the balance between human beings, their possessions and the home they live in” - The queen of tidying, Marie Kondo

Better concentration

I’ve already talked about meditation activities at Wengood. In fact, I said that vacuuming was a good way of increasing concentration. I know it sounds strange, but it’s very beneficial, because repetitive tasks have a great meditative power that allows the mind to refocus. And concentration allows us to clear our minds and be firmly fixed in the present moment. It’s a principle of meditation! And generally, when we’re cleaning, we’re really into what we’re doing, to make sure that everything’s really clean.

“When we’re completely absorbed in an activity, our sense of time, space and ourselves disappears. We enter a state of deep concentration and satisfaction.” - Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

We clear our minds and thus calm ourselves by getting rid of the thoughts that go round and round in our heads. Neuropsychologist Donald Hebb has also shown that repeating an activity strengthens the associated neuronal connections, making it easier to concentrate. In other words, the more we do a chore, the easier it becomes to concentrate on it.

👋 You may be interested in this article: What are the symptoms of depression?

A good way to keep moving

Cleaning isn’t just a necessary chore for well-being and meditation. It’s also a great way to get your body moving and challenge yourself. Doing the housework every day could reduce cardiovascular risks and inflammatory conditions. A study conducted by the University of California in San Diego showed this to be true! People who spend at least 30 minutes a day on moderate household activities have a 28% lower risk of mortality than sedentary people 🤯.

What’s more, as clinical psychologist Alice Boyes points out, physical activity of any kind is one of the most effective ways of reducing stress and anxiety. By moving around to clean our house, we can reduce our negative emotions! Discover the 333 rule for anxiety.

Telling yourself all this is a good way of reconciling with housework, or even turning it into a real form of therapy. Well, as long as the mental load is well distributed, men need to know about all the benefits of housework too 😜!

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