Spring Cleaning – Declutter Your Physical Space, Declutter Your Mind.

With the current state of social distancing, many of us have been spending a lot of time at home. In the midst of adjusting to the new “normal”, we are all being challenged in one way or another. A common feeling that has been experienced by many people right now is stress and anxiety.

The journal Mindfulness has published a study that has found that tidying up our physical environment can help people reduce anxiety.

There are two reasons behind that theory.

1. When we engage in a cleaning activity, whether it’s washing dishes or getting rid of stuff you no longer need, it can give us a sense of control. We may not be able to control the current health pandemic situation, but we do have control over our physical space.

2. When people are feeling anxious or stressed, their minds are operating at full capacity. We often hear people say: “I can’t think about anything right now. My mind is overloaded.” Visually, we also take in everything around us whether we are aware of seeing them or not.

When you focus on doing a task whether it’s washing a window or cleaning out a drawer or closet you often are so distracted by the uncomplicated menial task that you don’t think too hard about the other things/problems that are going on in your life.