Our home is the reflection of our identity. It is our shelter, our haven, where we can be ourselves. How we keep it, clean or messy, orderly or cluttered. How we organise our things reveals a lot about us. It is vital not only to how we function but to our well-being as well. A clean home has physical and mental health benefits you can’t ignore. However, a cluttered and messy house can create stress and anxiety.
So, does having a clean home make you feel happier and improve your diet and mood? The experts have answered.
Does a clean home make you feel happier?
According to the study of Saxbe and Repetti, women were more likely to be in a depressed mood, fatigued and stressed when they described their homes as cluttered or packed with unfinished projects. It also indicates that women with messy and stressful homes have high cortisol.
Yes, a clean and decluttered home can make us feel happier. Eliminate unnecessary items in your home and retain only the things that ‘spark joy’, as Marie Kondo says.
An organised and clean home is pleasing to the eyes, makes us calm and relaxed and helps us reduce stress. Cleaning and decluttering are brilliant ways of improving one’s mental health.
Does a clean home improve diet?
Are you wondering how a clean home can reduce your waistline and improve your diet? A study by Vartanian, Kernan and Wansink shows that a cluttered, chaotic environment, like a messy kitchen, can influence snacking behaviour and can create a vulnerability to making unhealthy food choices. In the research, they set up two kitchens with cookies, crackers, and carrots, one messy and one organised. Participants in a messy kitchen consumed more cookies, nearly thrice as many calories as those participants in an organised kitchen.
How to integrate cleaning into your life?
Cleaning or even thinking about cleaning can be overwhelming. However, knowing the health benefits, cleaning is worth trying.
Start Small
According to Psychologist Jordan Peterson, if you put your mind to it, there are many things you can take charge of. He suggests starting with something small, simple and easy to do- like making your bed, for if you succeed in doing that for a few days, he said maybe tackle tidying up your room.
Do one thing each day rather than cleaning the whole house in one go, and before you know it, your home will be cleaner, less chaotic and less stressful.
Involve your family
Talk to your family about the benefits of a clean home. A load of cleaning will divide, and the chores will be easier. Plan and give responsibilities to each member of the family. Be creative in making the cleaning fun, especially when involving your kids in the cleaning tasks.
Hire a cleaner
Hire a regular cleaner if it fits the budget. Professional cleaners have the experience, can achieve the desired result, and can save time and for your safety, especially when cleaning difficult areas of your house, like windows or exterior features.
So, want to feel happier and healthier? Having a clean home is a simple solution that goes a long way.
References:
Saxbe, Darby & Repetti, Rena. (2009). No Place Like Home: Home Tours Correlate With Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol. Personality & social psychology bulletin. 36. 71-81. 10.1177/0146167209352864.
Vartanian, L. R., Kernan, K. M., & Wansink, B. (2017). Clutter, Chaos, and Overconsumption: The Role of Mind-Set in Stressful and Chaotic Food Environments. Environment and Behavior, 49(2), 215–223.