Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning.
Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold winter. In many cultures, annual cleaning occurs at the end of the year, which may be in spring or winter, depending on the calendar. – Wikipedia
Spring Cleaning can be linked to religious cultures such as Jewish customs linking spring cleaning to Passover, Christian Faith shows churches being cleaned on Good Friday and Greek Orthodox Church clean house for a week leading up to lent.
Whether you are religious or not the first throws of Spring have us Humans wanting to throw open the windows and doors letting the warmer days in. There is a new energy as the first flowers appear and leaves start to burst from the bare branches of the trees.
How does Spring Cleaning improve our Health?
- It supports a strong immune system. Cleaning removes allergies triggered by dust, mould and mildew. Pollution in your home from central heating, log fires, candles, cleaning products etc.
- Reduces Stress, as it can divert your attention, allow, you an element of control. You can use calming natural scents such as Lavender. Practice mindfulness while cleaning.
- Can improve your Physical Health by burning calories, getting moving and your blood pumping around your body.
- Clean spaces improve your mood. Think of the better night sleep you have in a clean uncluttered bedroom, creating a tranquil oasis to retreat to after a busy day, using relaxing scents such as Lavender and Chamomile. Clutter affects our ability to focus, working from home, as many of us are doing at the moment, a clean uncluttered work area/office will free up mental space to get your work done.
- As part of a healthier lifestyle. Being healthy isn’t just about what you eat. Having a healthy lifestyle includes a clean and organised environment, this enables you to create a healthy diet, exercise routine and take care of your emotional health by making time for yourself and time with friends and family.
When do you start?
Depending on the time you have available:
- Purge in a day
- Set daily tasks over a week or month
Prepare
- Make a list
- Decide when, make a date in your diary.
- Get your favourite supplies together
- Make a cleaning playlist
Where do you start?
It doesn’t really matter but here are a couple of ideas:
- Start by getting your machines to work while you are cleaning i.e. bedding in the washing machine, load the dishwasher etc
- Upstairs -> downstairs
- Wet rooms first ie bathrooms and kitchen
To help you get started I have created a Spring Cleaning Checklist which you can download <<here>>.
What if you can’t get motivated?
My youngest son loved The Simpsons growing up, he would tell stories and talk about Bart, Lisa and Maggie like they were family!
I remember one episode in particular where Bart hadn’t revised for an important test that was taking place the next day and prayed to God before bed for a ‘snow day’ and that if he was granted this prayer he would study the whole of the next day……. Well, the snow came and Bart didn’t revise for the test, he played in the snow with his friends, you can guess the rest of the episode.
The reason for this story is that I can’t help thinking that the current situation in the UK/World is like our snow day. We can waste this time we have been given, worrying, wishing for another situation OR we can take advantage of it, make the most of it.
I don’t want to sound insensitive here, I understand people are going to be in financial turmoil or suffering with illness or worrying about vulnerable friends and family members, but if we can get these emotions under control and focus on what we can control and improve in our lives, we might come out of the other side of this crisis better off, emotionally at least! If you are having financial difficulties and aren’t sure where to start getting on top of these my Financial Health post from last week may help.
Last thought….
Remember, your home is supposed to be lived in and enjoyed, once you have a beautifully clean and organised home, it won’t stay that way for very long especially if you have children and animals BUT a little effort every day will help keep it looking its best and you feeling your best.
Want more?
If you would like to chat with me about your unique menopause transition, book a Wild Well-Being call and come away inspired and motivated to begin your journey to optimal health.