Before now, you probably wouldn’t even think of cleaning your bedroom until it was an absolute disaster.But now that we’re spending all this time IN, the amount of time spent cleaning has spiked.Turns out, when things start to feel out of control, cleaning is one of the best self-soothing things we can do.
“Humans crave structure and familiarity, especially during times of uncertainty,” says licensed clinical psychologist Jaime Zuckerman. “When we seek out ways to reduce feelings of helplessness, cleaning is one of the ways we might decide to do that.” In other words, disinfecting our home helps us filter out the larger, scarier picture, and helps us concentrate on something we actually have power over...as in,we’re scrubbing the pain away.
- Cleaning is a one-two punch of mindfulness and endorphins. Psychotherapist Maggie Vaughan says we might unconsciously start cleaning as a way to deliberately practice “mindfulness.” With all the chaos outside, focusing on the repeated and predictable motion of washing a dish gives us some clarity. Also, if you’re mopping hard enough, you might just get the same chemical benefits as exercise.
- The post-cleanup feeling of accomplishment is dope.We could all use a win right now, and with all the turmoil everywhere, the small victory of making your living room look catalog ready is a great boost. Psychologist Forrest Talley says “greater confidence encourages people to tackle other challenges in life that may have seemed too far a reach in the past.”So start sweeping and you’ll never know where that big broom confidence is going to take you.
Check out more info on the power of a good cleaning sessionHERE.
Source:HuffPost