5 Unexpected Health Benefits Experts say you get from spring cleaning

We all know that Spring cleaning our home It’s good for us both mentally and physically. The same applies to donating unused or long distance items, especially in times of excessive consumption. However, starting a spring cleaning can be difficult.

Fortunately, there are many unexpected health benefits that can be harvested from a spring cleaning. “Confusion and mess can breed stress anxietyBut in a neat house there is easy and control.” True Self-Restoration.

We sought expert insights to know exactly how spring cleaning can help us with our health.

1. Reduce stress and anxiety

You don’t imagine it. There are things scattered around the countertops It’s stressful.

In fact, a Four years of research From 2001 to 2005, it was found that the UCLA Center could actually measure messy stress by its Center on Family Daily Life. In this study, we tested high levels of daytime cortisol in participants’ saliva. This can show a higher level of stress. Participants, particularly mothers, reported overwhelming clutter, were associated with increased cortisol during the day.

Veronica Calkins, LCSW, Clinical Director of Psychotherapy Pacific mental healthI agree that spring cleaning will stimulate more peace of mind. She says, “By reducing mess, we create a more calm and manageable environment that helps to calm the nervous system. Visual confusion can increase overwhelming emotions, while organized space promotes a sense of clarity and control.”

Cleaning up this spring may be an opportunity to reposition space in a more functional and comfortable way. Secondly, you may feel too uneasy in your home. Rani Gupta, LCSW, therapist Therapy with Rani In Portland, “Spring Cleaning offers the opportunity to set up your space in a way that reflects who you are and where you are now.”

If fresh flowers make you happy, you can use spring cleaning to make space for the vase, Gupta suggests. She adds, “We can create space for certain photographs, ceramics, prints, spices, food, drinks, books, textiles, jewelry, and other items that will help you feel more connected to your family and culture.”

2. Increases the sense of control

If your surroundings are confused, it is difficult to control your life. This can affect your mood. As Calkins puts it, “Making a sense of control is a key factor in feeling fulfilled, connected and respected. Control is important.”

Some data suggest that stress cleaning is a subconscious attempt to actually experience control. a 2015 study in current biology We asked the group of participants to be placed under stress and to clean the objects. Stressed participants were cleaned with longer and more repeated hand movements than non-stressed individuals. Researcher Martin Lang Leading research“As humans, our goal is to be able to predict and adapt what’s going on, so I think rituals are a way to control your environment.”

You don’t need to do any major reorganizations to control your space. “Kickstart a positive feedback loop” simply completes a small task, says Calkins. She says that if you feel competent in one area (such as organizing your closet), that small success can “continue to boost confidence and improve greater behavioral changes, moods, routines and boundaries.

3. I feel it has been achieved

Stress and anxiety aside, spring cleaning may help you focus on yourself and feel better. Think about how good you feel when you reach the bottom of your laundry basket. After all, that’s not a small thing. Calkins says that spring cleaning can greatly improve self-esteem and self-worth by building a sense of accomplishment. She calls for the mastery of this building.

As Calkins explains, the concept of building mastery stems from dialectical behavioral therapy, which she calls “a powerful intervention for depression and anxiety.” She goes on to say that spring cleaning is a direct exercise in building mastery, and that “overcoming obstacles like cleaning and tidying can significantly promote internal emotions of importance and value.”

Spring cleaning also offers the opportunity to create acts of kindness linked to a short-term boost in self-esteem. happiness. a 2018 Meta-analysis The article, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, concluded that “performing acts of kindness improves the well-being of actors.”

Gupta suggests creating a pile of “donations” when cleaning your closet. She said, “What I found is that giving old clothes can feel like an act of service. In an age of increasing financial stress, the act of donating old clothes in clean, good condition can contribute to feelings of gratitude and connection.”

4. Improves air quality

Carpets and other surfaces can last more than you notice. In other words, spring cleaning can also improve your body health. American Lung Association It warns that carpets and rugs may hold “dust mites, pet danders, cockroach allergens, particle contamination, lead, mold spores, pesticides, dirt and dust.”

Avoid touching carpet-like surfaces with your hands, but you are not clear. Walking across the floor can disrupt dust and allergens and send them into the air. Daidone advises that deep cleaning of carpets, rugs and upholstery items reduces these risks and “cleans indoor air with reduced allergies or asthma reactions.” an Air purifier It may help.

Daidone says that spring cleaning will also help you avoid the cold of your next summer. He explains that.”Disinfect high traffic zones It reduces bacterial and viral infections and keeps your home healthy from colds, flu and other illnesses. ”

5. Boost physical activity

Get up to clean your space and boost your energy and burn calories. “Deep cleaning of your carpet and other parts of your home is a great way to get your body moving and more regulated,” Gupta said. Movements on both sides are what you need to use both sides of your body at once, like if you are there. Crouch and lift Store objects on a shelf.

webmd People who average 150 pounds report that they can burn around 124 calories Vacuum cleaner It only takes 30 minutes. Stripping and I’ll remake your bed Burn more calories – weighing about 200 pounds and as you approach 125 pounds, you weigh up to 300 calories.

Do you need a motive to get off the couch? Gupta said, “I like to tell clients if they need a motivation to complete them. Deep CleaningImagine you’ve been scraping off any unpleasant or annoying thoughts and memories, especially from the past year. Paint the carpet deeply…and all your original thoughts stepped in there! ”

Conclusion

Spring cleaning is associated with everything from lower self-worth and stress to improving lung health. Just one deep clean thing can bring wonders for you. Given that rituals also provide comfort, maintaining a weekly cleaning schedule can lead to exponential increases in profits.