Some Psychological Benefits of a Big Spring Cleaning Mission

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Have you noticed that spring cleaning, tidying up, decluttering, and general-purpose home maintenance have become pretty popular in recent years?

Whether it’s Marie Kondo’s “Life Changing Magic of Tidying up,” or various approaches to minimalism, there’s a growing awareness of the fact that sorting out your home can actually feel pretty good and cathartic in all sorts of ways, and not just because the air is cleaner without household mold.

Here are just a few of the psychological benefits of a big spring cleaning mission.

Benefit #1:  A Sense of Accomplishment

If your home has been – or felt like – a frustrating, cluttered mess for some time, there’s a good chance that somewhere along the way you ended up feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and maybe even helpless in the face of the situation.

A messy home environment is often mirrored in an overall period of stagnation in general. It’s not necessarily that having a disorganised home causes you to become more passive and stagnant in life, but these sorts of things do frequently seem to go together.

Overhauling your home and undertaking an ambitious spring cleaning process can really help to free up energy and motivation, and can give you a significant boost that can, in turn, help you to get back on track with living your life in the current direction you want it to move in. 

At the same time, finally getting your home tidied up can give you a real sense of accomplishment, as well as a renewed belief in your own capabilities.

Benefit #2: A Fresh Start and More Mental RAM

There’s something really powerful about the idea of getting a fresh start – and, as human beings, we all tend to gravitate towards various rituals and routines that help to give us the sense of a fresh start on a regular basis.

What are New Year’s celebrations and resolutions about, after all, other than the promise of a fresh start?

Giving your home a good spring cleaning can help to give you that same sense of having a fresh start, while simultaneously freeing up a lot of mental energy, and giving you the inspiration that you may be looking for to make changes in other areas of your life.

Benefit #3:  A More Clear Sense of Focus

When you’re going through your home deciding which belongs to hold onto and which ones to get rid of, you naturally end up coming face-to-face with questions like “what do I find meaningful?” And “what makes me happy?”

Marie Kondo’s “Konmari Method” famously asks people to hold onto belongings that cause them to feel a “spark of joy” when held in their hands. Whether or not you want to go with that method, exactly, getting rid of clutter in your home environment can really allow you to better appreciate your belongings and your living space.

It can also help to remind you of what you really value and find most important in life.