Open up the windows of your house and mind and air it out! Spring is a symbolic time of renewal and rebirth and many people take it as an opportunity to deep clean their space. Spring cleaning is more than just decluttering; it’s about freeing ourselves from old habits and making room for new and positive opportunities. This means that spring cleaning isn’t just for cleaning our physical space, but our minds, too. There are many ways to “deep clean” to improve your mental health and overall wellbeing, and having a clean physical space is a great place to start.
Scrub Those Anxious Thoughts Out!
Cleaning can give people a sense of calm and control, which can lower levels of stress you may be feeling.
Boost Productivity & Provide Feelings of Accomplishment
The whole house has been deep cleaned, and it feels so good! Deep cleaning your house can be a wonderful stepping stone to a journey of productivity. You feel good when you accomplish a task, especially one as big as tackling a dirty or messy house. Allow yourself to feel proud of the work you’ve done, and completing just one task can propel you to want to do more.
Ways to Declutter your Mental Space
Journal or Meditate
If you’re having difficult feelings or are dealing with anxious thoughts, meditating and journaling are wonderful ways to cope with them. By writing them down on paper, you’re clearing out those unwanted thoughts and are making space for an improved attitude and creating better thought patterns for yourself. After you get all of your stress out on paper, take a couple of minutes to write down what about life you’re grateful for, what qualities you love about yourself, and ways you want to affirm yourself for a more positive attitude and outlook.
Spend Time Outdoors
If you’re under a lot of stress, go take a walk! Studies show that being out in nature can lower cortisol levels and blood pressure. Life can oftentimes be overstimulating and overwhelming, and nature is a wonderful place to reconnect to and ground yourself. Take in the sounds and sights of nature blooming around you.
Create a Self-Care Routine
Regardless of what self-care looks like for you, it’s crucial for our mental health to find a couple minutes out of everyday for ourselves. Having a consistent routine can help boost productivity and lower stress levels. Caring for yourself doesn’t have to take up a lot of time from your busy schedule, but these couple of minutes can have the biggest impact on our day. Drink a glass of water to start your morning, fluff up your skin and bodycare routine, and feed affirmations to yourself in the mirror!
Engage in Mindful Activities
All of the ways listed above are considered mindful activities, especially cleaning! The act of scrubbing, vacuuming, and moving furniture are all great ways to get you physically active and take your mind off of what’s causing you stress or anxiety. Take your time and be thorough when cleaning. Engage your senses with the smell of the soap, the feeling of the suds on your hands, the sound of the music or podcast (or maybe some peace and quiet). This will help bring you into the present moment. No need to focus on what needs to get done after cleaning. For that moment, all of your energy should be towards the task at hand. Get the music blasting, grab that broom, and get your body moving!
They say cleaning is a practice, not a project. The same thing can be said about taking care of ourselves. Creating healthy habits to keep our minds clean takes time. Start with cleaning off the coffee table or cleaning the dirty dishes in the sink, and take it one step at a time!
If you’re in need of medication management or mental health resources, Every Rose Psychiatry can help! Call us at (813) 922-1532 or use our text line (813) 421-4211.
Photo by SHVETS production.