I don’t know about you but when I feel stressed, uneasy, or anxious I seem to gain a sense of cathartic calm through cleaning. I could spend hours sorting through my cupboards, drawers, shelves, and all the nooks and crannies around the house, reordering and reorganising the various bits and bobs which we’ve stored throughout the years.
Never mind stress-busting, I’m dust-busting whilst filling numerous bin bags with outdated this, that and the other. I’m relentless when it comes to clearing clutter and I’ll often ask myself ‘will this item ever be used?’ and if the answer is no then it’s passed onto the local charity shop or skipped entirely. I cannot cope with clutter and yet our house seems to get full of clutter in a very short space of time.
In an ideal world, I’d like to live in a minimalist style house but in reality, I have two children, a dog, and a husband who finds it rather difficult to part with his past purchases. Thus I compromise by living in a tidy, well-organised, house with a LOT of storage to house the endless toys, gadgets, and gizmos that we somehow seem to collect.
I can’t cope with sitting in an untidy room, if I see something that needs cleaning then it needs to be and right away. I do however turn a blind eye to my cupboards (as what you can’t see and all that…) though still tend to scour through the storage every couple of months to ensure they don’t overflow with outgrown clothes, broken toys, or such-like.
Following a blocked sink, I spent two hours this weekend clearing and cleaning out our bathroom cupboards and boy what a difference it has made. I filled almost three bin bags full of outdated and unwanted cosmetics, lotions, and potions and even binned the bathroom bin as it had gone a little rusty around the base! By the time I had finished my cleaning spree, I not only had clear, clean cupboards but I had a clear, clean mind.
Cleaning (as explained in Aroma Care’s recent blog post) is a great way to improve ones mental health as it improves focus, raises endorphins, improves sleep, and offers a great sense of self-achievement. Not only do I feel a lot better for clearing the clutter and making space in the cupboards, but it also looks a whole lot better and I’m now itching to start clearing and cleaning yet more storage spaces in preparation for our upcoming DIY endeavours.
Hurrah for cleaning! The kids and the husband may not notice nor care as to how tidy/ untidy the house may or may not be, but I for one believe that an organised, tidy, clean and clear house makes for an organised, tidy, clean and clear mind.
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