Imagine this: it’s a slow day for you and you’ve decided to make an elaborate lunch as a treat yo self moment. The result is an feast for your palate…and a load of dirty dishes for your sink.
Many of us would save the dishes for later. I mean, we’ve already spent so much energy on making the meal? Why bother?
Is cleaning actually better for us?
Forbes Health published an article in 2022 titled the “Mental Health Benefits of a Clean Home.” In the article, the author lays out five mental health benefits to cleaning.
- Sense of order and control
- Familiarity and consistency
- Released endorphins
- Improved focus
- Regulated emotions
A study led by associate professor NiCole R. Keith, Ph.D., at Indiana University showed that people with a cleaner home are healthier.
People are made with a desire for order. It manifests differently for various people, but every single person you meet will have a “certain way” of doing things, like how they clean the floors or store their clothes.
There is a reason that many people love watching organization and cleaning videos on social media. They’re remarkably satisfying and they emit a sense of peace.
Ralph Ryback, M.D., shares an explanation of why humans love organization in his article on Psychology Today.
“The human body is made up of tens of thousands of integrated biological and neurochemical systems, all of which are organized. Many of our cells operate on strict schedules or circadian rhythms. Even at the atomic level, we are well-regulated and well-organized. Without this organization, our bodies would collapse into chaos.
It wouldn’t be surprising, then, if the reason we crave symmetry and cleanliness in our homes is to mirror the organization within our very own bodies. Neatness and order support health — and oppose chaos.”
Why is it important?
A clean home gives a sense of satisfaction and even pride. When you’ve cleaned something, it satisfies the interior desire within all of us to take care of something. This desire is even more prominent in women, who have a natural desire to “nest” or take care of things.
Fine Homes and Living published an article that mentions cleaning can be a stress reliever.
“When you take the time to clean and declutter your surroundings, you’ll likely feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, which can help boost your mood and reduce feelings of stress and overwhelm.”
Cleaning things up is helpful in a practical way. When I go to clean my room, I’m typically reminded of the various things I need to get done. For instance, the UPS return I need to drop off or the stained sweater that needs to be spot cleaned.
It helps to keep our lives ordered and grounded. By continually cleaning up our places of comfort, we get back in touch with our realities.
Some people might tend to avoid cleaning up because they struggle to face their reality.
This might sound extreme, but someone who ignores a messy room or dirty countertop is most likely ignoring other realities in their life that actually need attention. If you’re in the habit of ignoring things and escaping from reality with things as small as dirty dishes, then you might just be trying to escape from larger, difficult realities in your life such as a stressful work environment or tense family ties.
Deciding to clean may sound like a non-exciting decision. However, by forcing our will to do the things we dislike over and over and over again, we develop the “muscle” that helps us choose to do things we dislike.
Where to start
The easiest way to begin is by starting small. I’m talking as small as putting the notebook on your desk back into the drawer where it belongs.
The key though is to grow, starting small and then growing into larger cleaning tasks. If you content yourself with only doing the small, easy cleaning tasks, you’ll allow yourself to remain comfortable with the bare minimum.
Perhaps you could make a rule for yourself. Every time you leave a room or a space, clean up one thing. Once you’ve gotten good at that, you could up the rule to always leaving a room totally clean.
Find a way to clean that works for you
Everyone has their own way of doing things. Some people like to clean up the dishes as they cook, while others prefer leaving them for the end.
Figure out what works for you. It’s not going to be the same as everyone else, but that’s alright! At the end of the day, you’re the one who is doing the cleaning, so do it in the way that’s best for you.
My encouragement would be to stick to whatever you’ve decided. If there’s a certain time of day that you have dedicated to cleaning, stick to that time and don’t let yourself get away with it.
No one can make excuses for us better than ourselves! Hold yourself to your resolutions and you will feel so much more confident!
Conclusion
Remember, no one is perfect, and life happens.
This is what I tell myself constantly. There are days when life happens and you haven’t done anything. That is perfectly normal and all right!
Take care of what you have and take pride in it. A home is a gift, so make it beautiful and treat it like you’re grateful.
