We’re all familiar with this picture: it’s mid-November and well into the school year. You have at least three major tests coming up, tons of homework to get done, and even more extracurricular activities to keep up with. And the state of your room is the icing on the cake: it’s a perfect reflection of your scatterbrained mindset, with textbooks strewn on the floor, the bed unmade, and your desk swallowed up by dozens of papers littered across its surface. But why would you prioritize cleaning your room when you can hardly take a break? Well, it turns out that cluttered workspaces have a myriad of negative effects on mental health.
The physical environment surrounding us significantly influences our emotions. For instance, cluttered and dirty spaces have been proven to increase levels of anxiety. This is because a dirty workspace sends the brain into overdrive, causing the senses to focus on what isn’t important and thereby increasing stress levels. In other words, when your workspace is messy, whether you realize it or not, you are distracted by all the chaos around you, which distracts you from accomplishing what you need to.
Consequently, a clean environment is essential to maintaining good mental health and managing stress. Studies have even shown that a clean room can lead to better quality sleep. Making the bed and having clean sheets has been linked to deeper and less disturbed sleep. Moreover, by tidying up every now and then, you could avoid having to clean overwhelmingly large messes in the future. We all want to be productive, but many of us are missing this essential component.
Easier said than done, right? Cleaning is no fun. Who wants to spend their weekend picking up the floor and doing laundry? But decluttering doesn’t have to be a chore. Make it seasonal and fun! Add a few fall scented candles to your desktop and stock up your wardrobe with fresh, fuzzy socks and warm clothes. Waking up every morning to a clean, welcoming environment will start your day off on the right note.
Now, some people have a problem with getting rid of, well, stuff. This is a common issue, especially when it comes to cleaning out the wardrobe. Sure, you haven’t worn those jeans in half a year, but what if you need them later? To tackle this hoarder mindset, some influencers have come up with a simple yet highly effective rule: When you look at an article of clothing, does it give you happiness? If the answer is yes, it’s a keeper. If not, it has got to go!
Seasonal cleaning may not be our favorite thing to do, but it has got to find its way to our to-do-lists to not only maintain but significantly boost our mental health. If you’re still not convinced, start small. Tackle the little things that have been bothering you, like those dirty socks on the floor and that old coffee mug on your desk. Even just a little bit of tidying can make a big difference when it comes to mental health!
