Can Spring Cleaning Your House Improve Mental Wellbeing?

When your physical and mental space is cluttered, stress takes over. With spring around the corner, it is the perfect time to declutter your home or office, but did you know this can improve your mental health as well?

Jaya Jaya Myra, a former immunologist turned mind-body wellness expert and bestselling author highlights the importance of decluttering your physical space in order to improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Physical clutter equals mental clutter: it’s impossible to have a clear head when your space is dirty or unorganized. When someone wants to learn meditation or mindfulness, one of the first things people have to do is clean their house and keep their primary living space organized and clutter-free. Eliminating external clutter makes it much easier to meditate and be mindful, and it will also improve your mood, reduce stress, anxiety, and more.

Here are spring cleaning tips to help reduce stress and anxiety brought on by clutter.

Start Small

Maybe it’s your desk or the room you spend the most time in. Commit to keeping your primary work or living area clean and clutter-free. Once you do this it will become easier to tackle those other places that need more work.

Prioritize Positive Emotions

If something you have doesn't make you feel good, for any reason, get rid of it to make space for something that does. This could be a piece of art, furniture, clothes, dishes, or just about anything. The stuff we have becomes a trigger for different emotional states, so when you choose to only have things around that evoke happiness or contentment, you create that in your life.

Breathe

Even cleaning your space can be daunting, so take a moment to breathe deeply and focus on the space you want to create for yourself. Breathing is connected to good mental health and lowering stress levels, so take a deep breath or ten before you start. It will help you focus and get motivated.

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