We’ve all heard of the research that shows how lighting and certain colours can affect our mood – such as how bright lighting can improve depression and anxiety and the colour green tends to calm and soothe us – but what about whether an unclean or messy home can affect our mood or state of mind?
Is there a link between an unclean home and some mental health illnesses?
A messy, unruly, chaotic and unclean home may be a symptom of some mental health illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, health experts say, or it could in fact, be a contributor.
Depression is often predicted by genetic factors combined with stressful situations, and while there are those who may be genetically predisposed to suffering from depression with or without the presence of a stressful situation, there are some for whom the combination of both, can trigger episodes of depression. Health experts agree that an untidy home can encourage feeling of stress, and so they are inclined to define a chaotic and unclean home as being a potentially stressful situation, meaning that this, combined with genetic factors, could lead to depression for the home owner and/or its inhabitants.
How tidying up can impact upon your mood and motivation:
Consider how untidy or cluttered your hallway is. When the first thing that you see when you walk in the door after a hard day at work, is a whole bunch of shoes, bags, post and other items lying all over the floor or bundled untidily onto shelves, how does it make you feel? Most of us would find this displeasing at the very least, and it probably encourages us to just kick our shoes off and toss our bag down on top of what’s already lying there, adding to the mess and the stress! If your hallway was uncluttered and clean, you’d feel far more motivated to keep it that way, and your mood as you enter your home, would be far more positive, even if you’ve had a crappy day from hell.
Research has also shown that owners of a tidy home, are far more likely to want to invite friends, family and neighbours around for drinks, dinner and other activities, which generally affects our mood in a positive way (perhaps depending on how much you like your guests!).
Comfortable chairs set in a clean and inviting environment, can also help encourage members of your household to sit and chat together, which is something that many family units don’t take the time to do these days.
Getting on with our chores and not putting them off, is also a great way to boost your mood. Whether it’s the sense of achievement once you’ve completed the tasks, the burst of energy that encourages the production of mood lifting serotonins, or the pleasure at having your home become liveable once again, it’s an undeniable fact that our mood lifts after a cleaning session.
How hiring professional help to clean your home, can help improve your mood
If an unclean home is contributing towards, or encouraging your feelings of stress, anxiety or depression, but you simply can’t find the motivation to do anything about it, the quicker you do, the quicker you’ll start to feel better. So why not hire a professional cleaning company to blitz the place while you’re out, and come home to a clean and happy environment! The sooner your home feels clean and tidy, the sooner your mood will improve, and that’s good news for you, and doubtless for your friends and family, too!
