Why Does Cleaning Relieve Stress?

Stress is typically defined as the mental, emotional, or physical tension that we experience when dealing with life’s demands.

It is important to find healthy ways to relieve stress, and cleaning is a great option!

Tension often leads to some undesirable features such as worry, strain, mental clutter, confusion, sadness and anxiety.

You then need to remove these negative emotions from your heart, mind and body in order to relax.

It will help you feel free and soar to greater heights.

There are many recommendations and activities suggested by experts and laypersons alike for relieving stress.

And one suggested activity to cleanse your heart, mind, and body of stress is the actual act of performing physical cleaning.

A few common factors between cleaning and stress relief

Cleaning and stress relief actually have a lot in common.

When we perform the act of cleaning, one dictionary states we are taking action to “make something or someone free of dirt, marks or mess, especially by washing, wiping or brushing.”

Similarly, when we seek to free ourselves from stress, we are taking action to “remove, erase, wipe out or forget worry, strain, mental clutter, confusion, sadness and anxiety.” 

When we perform physical cleaning, the results include order, efficiency, good hygiene, and beauty.

Similarly, when we clean stress from our lives, the end results include focus, concentration, direction, joy, calm and the ability to accomplish goals and dreams.

So, physical cleaning can aid with stress relief as the two seek to combat similar ills and yield similar results.

Physical cleaning can truly be utilized as a method to channel, control and erase stress from our daily lives.

Redirecting your thoughts

The activity of cleaning requires that you direct your thoughts on the objects you wish to organize or make free of dirt.

You need to determine what materials and steps to use.

How much effort do you need to exert?

Where you place objects to get the desired end result?

This endeavor to assess the situation first takes your mind off the worries that burden you.

Secondly, as you assess the situation you may find that the analysis and reasoning helps you solve your issues once your cleaning session has ended.

So, just as you successfully remove the dirt and stain from the objects you cleaned, through these same efforts you can identify the tools you need to remove the worry and strain from your mind.

This will prepare you to direct your thoughts on positive actions and successful outcomes.

Instead of feeling trapped in a maze you will see high above you a beautiful rainbow and head off to reach its end.

Redirecting your thoughts in this manner will help to bring you peace of mind.

With the removal of worry and strain, you can let go of doubt and fear.

This will ensure you are better prepared to handle any situation that may beset you.

Physical invigoration yields mental revitalization

For years experts have praised the benefits of physical exercise as a method of stress relief.

Because cleaning requires physical movement, it is an activity that can result in burning calories, increasing your heart rate, and freeing some endorphins.

As you clean you move from object to object or from room to room.

You may go up and downstairs.

You may have to use physical force, be flexible in movement, reach upward or even bend over.

If you are a music lover, start your favorite playlist – this will give you added motivation as you press through your cleaning activities.

Therefore, all the time you spend cleaning will be spent deploying energy!

This will invigorate you physically.

It is also quite likely to lift your spirits revitalizing your mind and emotions.

You will feel renewed, energized and ready to take on any challenge.

Your sadness and anxiety will be blown far away.

Now, you will be inspired to seek out joy and peace.

De-clutter your space; order your mind

When your home, workspace, car (and the like) are cluttered; you can often feel a sense of anxiety or confusion from the state of disarray.

You can’t find things you need when your personal space and belongings are cluttered.

The mess can get in the way of your ability to relax, be comfortable or effectively get work done.

And, you may even find that you cannot accommodate things or people you need to transport because of clutter.

You get stressed and don’t know where to begin.

Well, just reach for items one at a time and slowly de-clutter and de-stress.

Improve the condition of your personal environment by getting rid of disorders and complications.

Organizing your belongings and personal effects will bring order to your surroundings.

As you operate in an organized environment you will be influenced to bring order to your mind.

When your mind becomes focused, you will find that your concentration greatly improves.

Your vision is bright as you are able to see light at the end of the tunnel straight ahead.

Before you know it, you will be centered and clear on your commitments and priorities.

You will operate in a logical, efficient and comprehensible manner – ordering your steps, settling your emotions, developing commitments, becoming more reliable, actively communicating, functioning at the optimal level of your abilities, and preparing to soar as you strive to achieve your life’s goals.

Reap the life-changing benefits of cleaning your inner being

Cleaning is work and can be tedious or challenging.

But, cleaning is necessary as it helps you to protect the environment, ensuring that the state of its condition meets the specifications that organisms and matter need to continue to produce, multiply and ward off extinction.

Still, cleaning can contribute even more to your life well beyond the physical health, hygiene and sustenance factors.

Notably, cleaning can serve as an outlet for mental and emotional well-being and endurance through its ability to relieve stress.

Your participation in cleaning activities can culminate in the stimulation and regulation of your mental and emotional welfare.

This seemingly simple and even routine activity can positively redirect your thoughts, revitalize your mental state and order your mind removing pressure and tension.

The activity involved with cleaning up your physical being and surroundings can lend itself to helping you clean up your inner being; ridding it of stress and strain.

And, by simply partaking in everyday cleaning efforts, you can build your mental and emotional resistance and reap life-changing benefits such as increased attentiveness, overflowing serenity, positive positioning, clear vision, the will to win and an abundance of exuberance.

Why not give it a try?

Clean your surroundings, release stress, free your mind, open your heart and enjoy life!