Can Spring Cleaning Boost Health?

We completely understand if you’ve bundled up on the couch all winter. It’s been so cold that we’ve even seen snowfall in unexpected places like Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

But, now, it’s time to ease our way out of hibernation mode—and a little spring cleaning can help with that! Not only does it freshen your environment, but it also can improve your physical and mental health.

The Health Benefits

We get it. Maybe you’re not thrilled about chores, even when you use your broom as a microphone, but it might help to know that a little tidying up can burn calories.

How much you burn depends on the activity. For example, light gardening or washing your car can burn up to 200 calories per hour, while more strenuous tasks like hauling rocks can burn up to 600 calories. The same goes for indoor chores. Activities like vacuuming, dusting and turning your mattress can burn up to 250 calories per hour while working your core and arms.

But that’s not the only benefit—cleaning also can improve your mental health. Studies show that clutter can distract us, increase cortisol levels (especially in women) and negatively impact the whole family’s happiness and concentration.

Interviews with 2,000 parents found children study and behave better in clean rooms. In addition, a clean home made parents feel 80% more relaxed, 72% more productive and they liked their homes 45% more.

So, what can you do to get into that headspace?

How to Get Started

Maybe you want to clean, but haven’t started yet because you feel overwhelmed. Don’t worry—you don’t have to go as wild as Monica on Friends does. (She once cleaned her upright vacuum with a Dustbuster.)

You can start small by focusing on a single drawer or pile of junk mail. Some organizing pros also suggest starting in one room and not leaving it until the items are divided into groups.

Therapist and author KC Davis, for example, recommends gathering piles of the following five items in a room: trash, dishes, laundry, items with a home and items without a home.

The key is to divide everything into the categorized piles first without leaving the room. Once you’ve done that, you can put the items where they belong, throw them away or donate what you no longer want or need. That way, you can complete a whole room without leaving it—which is when most people get distracted.

And sure, spring cleaning might initially seem like a big task, but imagine what your home will look like afterward! Not only will you feel more relaxed, but you’ll have more storage space, know where everything is and you might even save money. Because let’s be honest—we’ve all purchased something only to realize we have the same item in a cabinet or the back of our closet. 😬

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