With COVID-19 still at an increasingly high in number of cases, remaining safe and healthy is a top priority for everyone. We all know that taking proper precautions – continuous hand washing, wearing face coverings in public, using hand sanitizers when soap and water are not readily available, etc. – taking steps such as these can help safeguard our health. However, there is also another type of health we all have to help keep safe during these times: mental health. It’s the health most at risk during quarantine and using some of multiple outlets that exist can help keep you sane. One method? Tidying your home! Yes, maintaining a clean space promotes wellbeing. A Clean Home = Clean Mind.
How A Clean Home Can Help You
Studies have shown that a cluttered home (the total opposite of a clean home) can have negative effects on everyone, including increasing our levels of the stress hormone cortisone. This happens when the mind perceives clutter as “unfinished business” and releases cortisone into the body. Higher levels of stress when it comes to cleaning can mess with our sense of focus when too much “unfinished business” is around. On the other hand, a clean home can actually help improve our ability to concentrate on present tasks.
In a time where we feel the most powerless over our surroundings, cleaning can help provide some sense of control. Achieving a clean home not only gives you control over your environment, but also releases feel-good hormones (Endorphins) and will leave you feeling like you’ve accomplished your goals! So, Messy Home = Messy Mind.
Tips for Tidying
If you’re ready to help keep well through a clean home, look no further than right below. Here are some important tips for tidying your living space:
Tidy-Tip 1: Choose Your Space
A clean home doesn’t start (or end well) with tackling the entire place at once. This would only stress you out even more than you already are, which is the opposite of what we want to accomplish with cleaning. First tip: choose a space in your home and stick to it.
Whether it’d be the living room, kitchen or bedroom closet, select one room/space at time and focus on getting that area cleaned. Doing so will not only help you narrow down your target areas, but also help you maintain a clean home without overwhelming you in the process.
Tidy-Tip 2: Discard, Discard, Discard
Have some shoes that are spending more time in your (not so clean) home than outside? Or what about a sweater you haven’t worn in years, but kept just in case Miami reaches below-zero temperatures? And how about that chair you once thought was a great fit with your décor but now simply acts as a messy bin where all your worn clothes end-up at the end of the day? Discard!
Anything you have not used or plan on using should be out of your home. This includes clothing, toys, furniture and even food! Any canned or preserved foods that you know you will not be eating in the near future should be donated to a food bank for those less fortunate. And this also includes clothing, toys, furniture and the like! Discarding will help you reduce clutter and possibly help someone else in need. Less Clutter = Clean Home.
Tidy-Tip 3: Make it Part of Your Daily Routine!
Achieving a clean home is a lot easier when you incorporate regular upkeeping into your daily activity log. Think you don’t have the time? It’s easy! Simply take 15 minutes of your day to tidy your home. That’s it! These 15 minutes could be spent on minuscule everyday tasks that would become aggravating issues if left untouched. For example, take 15 minutes to make your bed every morning and tidy your bedroom, or 15 minutes to reorganize your closet (especially after finishing laundry). How about 15 minutes to wipe down kitchen counters and dining room tables?
Taking a small amount of time in your day to help maintain a clean home will help tremendously. It also doesn’t have to always be the same areas, change it up! Tackle your closet one day with the next day being your bathroom. And while you’re at it, get the family involved. Making cleaning a part of your children’s daily routine will help them not only pick-up good habits early on, but also teach them responsibility (and make it fun). A Clean Home = A Happy Home!
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