Why Is Tidying Up Such a Stress Reliever? [Video]

Even without scientific evidence to back up this claim, I’m going to say it anyway, a messy home equals an untidy mind. There’s nothing that stresses me more than coming home to a cluttered house. When this happens, I go into full Monica Geller mode, get my cleaning gloves on, and start tidying up as I see my stress melt away.

How Clutter Affects Your Mental Health

It turns out your mom was trying to protect your mental health whenever she ordered you to clean the house. One study found that participants who perceived homes as cluttered have less healthy patterns of cortisol, aka the stress hormone. The researchers noted that participants felt more and more stressed as the days progressed in these cluttered homes.

Perhaps, this is why people feel so much comfort from decluttering methods like what Marie Kondo proposes.

How Cleaning Helps Vanish Stress

Based on the idea that clutter itself triggers stress, decluttering should bring us peace and calmness. While cleaning is often overwhelming at first, once you get into a routine, it’s easier to keep an organized home.

Make cleaning a mindful activity by being grateful for what you have is an excellent way to better your mental health and to reduce stress levels. Cleaning can also be a unique opportunity to improve your meditation practice. Not to mention, it’s a great exercise that helps improve happy hormones.

So, whether you’re detoxing your closet, or decluttering your home to make room for a meditation space. Creating a cleaning schedule can help you keep your clutter and stress levels at bay.