Spring is Here!
It is officially spring! After another long, pandemic winter, we know how excited everyone is to get outside and enjoy the warm weather and sunshine. In addition to enjoying the weather, you might be feeling the urge to open up all your windows and deep clean your house. “Spring cleaning” is sort of an unconscious, collective movement that has become nearly ritualized in the West. However, did you know that this ritual actually has numerous health benefits? It’s true! According to Cleveland Clinic, spring cleaning has been linked to an immune system boost and allergy symptom relief. The majority of health benefits, though, come from organizing and decluttering.
Health Benefits of Organizing and Decluttering
- Reduced Stress Levels: Decluttering and deep cleaning is proven to reduce stress levels and improve mental health. Just like 20 minutes of exercise, 20 minutes of cleaning and organizing is stress relieving in itself. Also, having your belongings organized helps reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed. Additional benefits are more movement in your daily routine, it gets you off social media, and away from the news for a little while.
- Improved Mood: Having a clean and organized space can actually improve your mood. A study from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin proved those who come home to a clean and clutter free house were happier and less fatigued than those who come home to a cluttered house. Additional research shows that having a clean home can make you feel happier, more satisfied, and more accomplished.
- Improved Concentration: Neuroscientists at Princeton University discovered that clutter makes your brain multi-task and makes concentration difficult. Whether it is your closet, kitchen or workspace, physical clutter in your surroundings competes for your attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress. Removing excess items and organizing your belongings reduces stress and allows you to focus on your tasks each day, whatever they may be!
- Increased Productivity: As a result of having improved concentration, having a clean and organized space also makes you more productive. Having an organization system helps you complete tasks more efficiently and the lack of clutter lowers your stress levels, both of which allow you to be more productive. This is especially true for those who are working from home!
- Improved Sleep: A new sleep study has found that people who sleep in cluttered rooms and are at high risk for developing sleeping problems. This includes having trouble falling asleep at night and experiencing rest disturbances. Having a clutter free an organized room helps you relax, unwind, and fall asleep easier. Not to mention, waking up to a clean home allows you to have a positive start to your day!
Tips for Spring Cleaning and Decluttering
- Do not try to complete everything in one day. Overwhelming yourself with too much cleaning and organizing can quickly have adverse effects and cause you more stress. Instead, break up your tasks by rooms or sections. For example, clean and declutter your kitchen one day, and then the laundry room, the garage, the closets, and each bedroom. For the average sized home, spring cleaning should take about a week!
- Create a checklist or find one online! Checklists helps keep you organized and on a schedule so you don’t get overwhelmed. Also, checking off your tasks each day will leave you feeling accomplished and relaxed.
- While it is easier to just drive everything to the dump or set it out on the curb, take the time to really go through your household and organize everything into specific piles. Decide what can be donated or recycled, and what actually needs to be thrown away. After another extremely tough year for many families, your donations will be greatly appreciated.
