The cleanliness of my house has a direct correlation to my mental health, but not in the way you might think. I have a pristine house because I’m always using cleaning as a method to stay calm. My friends always joke that they can tell how high my anxiety is based on how many times I’ve reorganized my furniture in the past week.
And I’m not the only one who cleans as a form of self-help.
Cleaning is a ritual for many. In fact, when everything seems out of control, many people look to cleaning as a way to regain some control of their lives.
Cleaning provides comfort in routine. You set out to do one task with a clear endpoint — whether that’s going through your closet at the end of winter, washing your dishes, color-coding your books, or sweeping your cat’s litter up at the end of the day. You have a clear goal set and you’ll more than likely see a visual improvement once you’re done with that work.
Also, you often use repetitive methods or actions when you clean. When you sweep, you brush the broom forward and back, forward and back. When you fold your clothes, you fold, then fold again, then fold again. Then, tuck it away where it belongs. And suddenly, your house is cleaned after hundreds of repeated, mindless actions that put your home and your mind at ease.
If you’re not in love with cleaning, I might sound a bit insane. But trust me on this – cleaning can do wonders for your mental health! Here are some ways to spring clean for your mental health this year.
Oosouji
This Japanese term simply means ‘big cleaning.’ By using this method, you’re not only physically cleaning your home, but you’re also cleansing it of negative energy.
Begin your oosouji cleaning at the top of your house and work your way down. You must always start your oosouji ritual at the entrance of each room you’re cleaning and work your way clockwise around the room until you end where you started. While cleaning, you should try to remove all the stains from your furniture and get rid of anything you don’t need. This will cleanse your home of negative or unwanted energy.
FlyLady
This method consists of breaking all your tasks into small, bite-sized pieces, so as not to overwhelm you and in order to make cleaning a way of life.
Stylist explains that the FlyLady “technique starts with ‘baby steps,’ some 31 small things that can be done around the house every week in order to build up your decluttering habit. Each task should take no longer than 15 minutes to do.” You should never spend more than 15 minutes on any task, and you should separate your home into different zones so you can take one week every month to declutter each zone mindfully and carefully.
The KonMari Method
We’ve all heard of Marie Kondo and her legendary cleaning methods by now. This cleaning method is meant to fill your home with everything that sparks joy in your life.
In order to begin the KonMari method, you must imagine what you want your life to look like. Get a vision of it in your head and work towards that vision. If you own something that doesn’t correlate to the vision or spark joy, get rid of it. In order to properly tidy, you should go through everything by category. Put all of your clothes on the bed, pick them up, and ask if they spark joy. Place all of your books in a pile and ask the same question. The order to tidy everything is: clothes, books, papers, Komo (miscellaneous items), and sentimental items.
Khaneh-tekani
Spring cleaning (khane-tekani) before #Nowruz circa 1969. Wishing all in #Iran a safe New Year, despite the tragic #CoronavirusOutbreak. pic.twitter.com/nTpkhONAxM
— Reza H. Akbari (@rezahakbari) March 18, 2020
This Iranian term translates to “shaking down the house” and consists of cleaning anything we didn’t get to during the year. So that large pile of forgotten clothes or the closet that no one goes into will get ‘shaken down.’
Start this method by washing your rugs and carpets, shaking and sweeping away dirt on every surface, cleaning your windows and cupboards, and wiping down your walls. If you’d like to go the extra mile, you can also burn sandalwood to freshen the air. Some practice khaneh-tekani by buying new housewares and plants to welcome spring and the renewal of nature into their homes.
The Minimalist Game
Why not make cleaning a game? That’s what Ryan Nicodemus and Joshua Fields Millburn of The Minimalists did.
The minimalist game is easy to play. On the first day of every month, throw out one item. On the second, throw out two. Continue this method, corresponding the date of the month to the number of items you throw out that day. By the end of a 31-day month, you will have given away 496 items. While that sounds like a huge number, I’m sure we could all stand to play this game for a month!
Döstädning
Ah yes – “Swedish death cleansing”. Döstädning is the method of purging our homes so that our families won’t be overburdened with our belongings after we pass away. Comforting and loving!
While we might not be passing away any time soon, it never hurts to start somewhere. Begin by ridding yourself of the big bag of Goodwill donations or one of your 10 frying pans. Continue your clean-out by getting rid of anything hurtful or embarrassing for you or your family. Sort your clothes into four piles: love and wear all the time, like and want to keep, donate, and trash. As you go through your belongings, gift them to whomever might want them. Sort through your photographs and memories and throw away any duplicates or moments you might like forgotten. And finally, keep one box just for yourself.
Feng Shui
We all need a bit of Taoism in our lives, and Feng Shui is one of the best ways to infuse that into our homes.
Make certain to clean with intention and don’t give things away just to get rid of them. After you’ve eliminated anything that doesn’t bring you joy, clean each room, individually, and pay attention to what you want that room to reflect. You can also arrange your room to provide the best Feng Shui as well!
Have you tried any of these cleaning methods before? What is your favorite? Comment below!
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