Happy House, Happy Mind, Healthy You
Decluttering and tidying your home has health benefits. There are tons of reasons why a happy house will foster a happy mind and a healthy body.
Research provided by Gumtree shows that almost three quarters of Brits say that having clutter in their lives makes them feel stressed and disorganised. The good news is that when you start to tame your clutter, you can immediately feel the positive impact it has on your life.
- Health benefits of tidying up
- Confidence booster
- The science behind decluttering
- Lose weight
- Enhanced productivity
- Better sleep
- Less injuries
Health benefits of tidying up
Keeping your home clean and tidy can prove a vital method to making sure everyone in your house is as healthy as they can be. Vacuuming, sweeping and dusting will limit the dust, pollutants and germs lurking in the corners.
Also, make sure to take care of any pet dander. Not only will you limit the chance of bacteria spreading, but you can also reduce how susceptible you, your family and visitors are to allergies, because, simply put, all the allergens will be swept away.
Jennifer McDonnell, MD, from Rush University Medical Center makes clear that things often left uncontrolled such as dust and pet dander can be powerful asthma triggers, particularly in children.
By disinfecting key areas such as the bathroom and kitchen where hygiene is key you can stop cross-contamination of surfaces and stop any bacteria multiplying or indeed spreading around the house.
Confidence Booster
Confidence can be key to our mental health. If we feel happy in our surroundings, we are more likely to feel happy in our life in general. If you have guests or visitors, presenting them with a spotless, tidy house, can give you a great social boost, and knowing that you have an organised home waiting for you can give you that little extra motivation at work. You will also feel prepared for spontaneous visits and never panic at the prospect of inviting someone in.
Plus, you’ll easily gain your visitors’ respect! Showing you have taken care and energy to make your home welcoming will make guests feel honoured and happy to share your place with you.
The science behind decluttering
A study at the University of California, Los Angeles took a look at stress levels in relation to the home environment. Measuring cortisol, a stress hormone, in the saliva of research participants, researchers found that higher levels of cortisol were present in people who described their homes through words such as “mess” and “chaotic”.
In contrast, lower cortisol was found in those people whose homes were organised. So keeping a tidy home really does have an impact on your body!
Lose Weight
Yes, decluttering does help you lose weight. It’s a fact. Depending on the activity, you could be smashing the calorie count.
- Scrubbing the bath intensely for 15 minutes will burn up to 100 calories!
- Loading, unloading and hanging up the washing can burn up to 78 calories.
- A week of washing up? That’ll be around 560 calories, if you’re doing 15 minutes an evening.
- Three hours of ironing spread over a week can burn another 420 calories!
- What about a good old mop and sweep? That’ll be another 145 calories.
- Making beds? 65 calories for 4 beds.
If you ever need more motivation to tidy, re-read those stats, or even better, check out our in depth article on how decluttering can help you lose weight.
Enhanced productivity
If you know where everything is in your home and there is less clutter stopping you from getting to it, your productivity will hit new heights. An organised home environment makes everything easier. The space will feel less burdened and knowing where everything is will make you feel less anxious. You will no longer be overwhelmed by the clutter that’s crowding out the essentials.
The biggest positive factor is that a tidy house saves you time! You won’t spend ages looking for things, nor will you find it hard to make space for new purchases. Treat your household like a business, remove everything holding you back. Efficiency at home can easily transfer to the rest of your life and help you reach your goals!
Better sleep
This one is an interesting benefit of decluttering. It goes hand in hand with the decluttered home lowering anxiety. People who make their beds everyday are 19% more likely to sleep well according to the National Sleep Foundation. Try it!
Also, in another survey it was found that 75% of people slept better on clean sheets, so remember to change these regularly. It doesn’t take long and will keep your bedroom hygienic and comfortable.
Less injuries
Around one in four over 65s have a fall each year, causing 2.8 million A and E visits. Keeping a clear floorspace and minimizing obstacles in the form of unnecessary clutter can be the key to preventing these.
Get your kids to pick up their toys after they have finished playing – we all know how painful stepping on a piece of Lego can be. Keep things clean and if you have mopped the floor, make sure it dries and does not leave any slippery residues.
