Perks of Cleaning My Room
The space we work and live in matters.
Back in simpler times when Covid wasn’t around, I was on vacation with a friend while on winter break. We shared a room together, and every morning I would make my bed. My friend would be in disbelief, and he pointed out to me that , “You are literally spending money to make your own bed.” He was right of course. Housekeeping would make our beds each day, but I didn’t care because I wanted to make my bed anyway.
I’m a clean and organized person. My bedroom is one of the most immaculate places on Earth. Someone once told me my bedroom looks like a hotel room since it didn’t look like anyone lived there. My friend’s comment got me thinking, why do I care about being tidy so much? In the grand scheme of things, making my bed every morning doesn’t really seem to matter. Or does it?
While thinking about this, I’ve come to three conclusions on the perks of cleaning my room.
A tidy house is a tidy life.
I’m an organized person because I enjoy organizing and I actually look forward to cleaning. This might sound crazy to some people. If you ask me, the problem is that cleaning is seen as a laborious chore and a waste of time, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
cleanliness = happiness and healthiness
Cleaning can be therapeutic for people’s mental health. When I organize things, it feels like I’m cleaning up space in my mind at the same time. Whether I’m vacuuming or washing the dishes, cleaning gives me time to pause and mull things over.
There’s a saying a tidy house is a tidy mind, and it’s actually backed by science. A study published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that women were more likely to be depressed or fatigued if they felt their living spaces were “cluttered” or full of “unfinished projects” (Ryback, 2016). According to a 2015 study by Lang et al., ritualized behavior (such as cleaning) can be a coping strategy to deal with anxiety. Regular housework can decrease stress by giving us control over our environment and channeling that anxiety into action.
Research also supports the fact that cleaning can improve people’s physical health. NiCole R. Keith, Ph.D., research scientist, and professor at Indiana University led a study which, “found that people with clean houses are healthier than people with messy houses… In fact, house cleanliness was even more of a predictor for physical health than neighborhood walkability” (Ryback, 2016). People who clean things up tend to be more active than people who let things clutter.
Clutter can also hinder productivity. Research done at Princeton University showed that clutter can overwhelm the visual cortex with task-irrelevant objects. This makes it harder to pay attention and focus on a particular task. Being clean and organized is a practical way to be more efficient.
The process of cleaning can make people happier and healthier! If that wasn’t rewarding enough, the outcome is extremely satisfying. Can you see why I looked forward to cleaning up after a house party?
Before I cleaned -.-
After I cleaned :)
Organization reflects our intentions.
For a class project, I had to analyze the ways designers organize their workspace. One thing I realized is that the way we organize things reflects our intentions and methods.
I interviewed the owner of a döner kebab food truck who said he intentionally organized his truck so that customers could see him slicing the meat while he prepared the food.
A barista working at Starbucks shared how the organized mess behind the counter is the beauty of it all. The intentional chaos at the bar allowed him to prepare multiple drinks at a time quickly and with care.
Another student shared how a photographer had to intentionally place her items (laptop, bag, food, drink, etc.) in a certain layout so she could focus while working.
All these people were intentional about organizing their workspace because it mattered to them. People clean and organize something if they care about it. Organization isn’t just something that’s nice to have; it allows us to fulfill our creativity and accomplish what’s meaningful in our lives. Cleaning is a form of self-care because it reflects our intentions to respect ourselves and others around us. When I clean my apartment, it’s because I want to create a space where my friends and I can feel comfortable and happy.
The world is messy, but you don’t have to be.
If this year has taught us anything, there’s a lot of things we can’t control in life. The only thing we can control is what we do with the time we have here and now.
Our lives are guided by the small habits we routinely do each day. My day starts when I make my bed. It’s my way of saying, “I’m ready". It begins my day with a productive habit and prepares me to take on all the small tasks I’ll have to do each day. This is why US Navy Admiral William McRaven says, “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed”. If we can’t handle cleaning up the mess that’s in our rooms, how we can be expected to clean up the problems life will throw at us?
In the movie Bruce Almighty, Morgan Freeman (a.k.a. God) says, “No matter how filthy something gets, you can always clean it right up.” Making the world a better place is about cleaning up one mess at a time. I make my bed even when I’m on vacation simply because I can.
Reference
Ryback, Ralph. “The Powerful Psychology Behind Cleanliness.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 11 July 2016, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-truisms-wellness/201607/the-powerful-psychology-behind-cleanliness
