Three expert tips for cleaning your home – it can alleviate depression

There is a wealth of evidence that the cliché “a clear space equals a clear mind” is true. However, it can be a lot easier said than done.

It’s easy to roll our eyes at smug mental health advice that requires time and money that many of us simply don’t have. Yet, the rewards to be reaped from this task are staggering.

Cleaning and decluttering is proven to benefit physical health, give people a sense of control during chaotic times, improve your mood by reducing anxiety and fatigue, and improve concentration, especially if you have the winter blues right now.

However, messes left unchecked can exacerbate depression and fatigue, raise cortisol levels, reduce focus and lead to increased confusion.

Experts provided three tangible tips that can make the task feel less daunting and leave you feeling a whole lot better after.

READ MORE: Cleaning experts share tips to quickly ‘fake clean’ home when hosting guests

Three tips to make cleaning feel less overwhelming

1. Start small

Experts say that setting realistic expectations when cleaning is key.

“Most people put off cleaning because the task seems way too big to tackle,” expert Sherri Gordon told VeryWellMind. “But instead of expecting to get the entire house into order in one weekend, start small and do just a little bit each day.”

To do so, she recommends committing to doing one thing per day – whether cleaning your bathroom one day and going through your bedroom drawers the next – to make your tasks more managable. 

She adds: “The key is that you don’t make your to-do list bigger than what you can mentally handle or you will just increase your stress rather than reduce it.”

2. Set a timer

Similar to the previous tip, you can set out to achieve the task over a period of time by dedicating a certain amount of time to it per day to accomplish your goal. 

When determining where to start, she recommends starting in the bedroom to help improve your sleep. 

“This way, your cleaning will help you create a more peaceful environment that will help you sleep better that night,” she says.

They key with the first two tips is to be patient and trust the process.

“Even though setting a time for a few minutes may not seem like much time, you can accomplish a lot more than you might imagine,” she says. “You get what you can done and then you move on to something else.”

3. Ask and lean on others for help

When you’re struggling with your mental health, sometimes the hardest thing to do is ask for help. However, it is during your darkest hours that you need to lean on your support system more than ever.

As the cliché goes, “it takes a village.” So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, call a parent or a pal for a helping hand and built-in accountability partner.

“Sometimes you are at a point in your life where cleaning is just not something you can handle on your own,” she says. “Whatever your situation, if you know you cannot possibly accomplish everything that needs to be done without help, then you should consider involving others.”