After a long week at work, cleaning is often the last thing on our minds. However, whether your home is clean and tidy or a complete mess has a huge bearing on your mood, productivity and mental well-being. Mess and clutter can cause stress, lead to arguments with loved ones and have an impact on our social lives, too. So with the help of cleaning and laundry expert Dr. Beckmann, here are 5 IDEAL reasons to be more tidy.
IT MESSES WITH OUR MOOD
The level of mess and clutter around the home is a key dictator of our mood. It’s felt by most that mess leads to unproductiveness, or worse still, feeling unhappy. And it’s a vicious cycle; anxiety or depression can lead to a messy, cluttered home and a cluttered home can lead to depression and more anxiety. Unsurprisingly, a messy home can make us feel stressed. A study carried out at the University of California found that women who described their home environment as chaotic or messy had higher levels of cortisol (a hormone released in response to stress).
IT STOPS US FROM SOCIALISING
Moreover, an untidy house can at times impede our willingness to socialise. When the house is filled with dirty underwear, pizza boxes scattered across the floor and a bin which hasn’t been taken out for some time, it’s unlikely you’ll be wanting to host any friends at your place.
IT CAUSES ARGUMENTS
Mess causes arguments, as we’re sure you’re aware through cold, hard experience. According to the Office for National Statistics, even as recently as 2016, women shoulder the responsibility of ‘unpaid work’, on average carrying out 60% more of the household tasks than men. That can lead do simmering resentment about a domestic dereliction of duty, in turn causing defensiveness and counter-accusations to fly. Tension is bound to follow.
CLEANING CAN BE EXERCISE
The physical act of cleaning can offer a cheap, efficient workout when done with enthusiasm. Individual cleaning tasks such as vacuuming, ironing and gardening can burn between 150 and 300 calories – that’s equivalent to a Zumba class, but you also get a clean house as part of the deal. Two birds, one stone, indeed. So if you’re looking to do a big clean in one day, you could, in theory, be set to burn over 2000 calories. Core tasks for burning the most calories include washing up, cleaning windows and mopping and sweeping.
YOU’LL LIVE MORE PRODUCTIVELY
‘Tidy home, tidy mind’ might be a mantra worth practicing. According to some psychologists, the way we keep our environment reflects our state of mind, which in turn impacts our productivity. People surrounded by tidy spaces tend to get more done, whereas clutter and disorganisation in the home act as visual distractions, meaning we are less productive. To make matters worse, mess breeds mess, as we are less likely to find the motivation to clean up when surrounded by clutter.
