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Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
mental health weekly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1556-7583
pISSN - 1058-1103
DOI - 10.1002/mhw.32000
Subject(s) - mental health , feeling , affect (linguistics) , mood , psychology , clutter , anxiety , personality , social psychology , motley , applied psychology , psychiatry , engineering , communication , telecommunications , radar , linguistics , philosophy
Is cleaning good for your mental health? There are a few explanations for why cleanliness could help to lower stress and anxiety levels, says Vicky Motley, senior brand manager at Zoflora, Yahoo! Finance reported July 22. “Cleaning has been found to have positive effects on our mental health by helping us gain a sense of control over our environment, whilst being absorbed in the activity itself can also help calm your mind,” she said. “It has also been found to help improve mood and provide us with a sense of satisfaction.” Clearing the clutter can help ease stress too. A study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin revealed that women living in a cluttered home showed higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. “Several studies have found that having clutter in our homes can have a negative impact on our mental health, resulting in feelings of tension and uncertainty,” Motley explained. “Clutter can overstimulate the senses as it is often seen as unfinished business. As a result, large amounts of clutter can reduce our ability to concentrate on other tasks and affect our ability to focus,” she added.