Why spring cleaning is good for your mental health It’ll release endorphins – the happy hormone. Spring is on its way, with lighter mornings and brighter skies, and daylight saving (when we turn the clocks forward one hour) beginning on Sunday March 29. Around about now, thoughts turn to spring cleaning – especially as we are all spending a lot more time at home. At Platinum Skies, each of our developments have an onsite lifestyle manager who ensures each of the communal and living areas are kept clean and tidy, alongside a team of professional cleaners. Our lifestyle managers have a duty of care which includes daily checks on the residents wellbeing. All maintenance is kept up to date and any additional help around the residents home including care packages can be arranged via the Platinum Skies team. Due to the current government guidelines our lifestyle managers have provided cleaning equipment for each resident to use at any time and have provided clear signage for instructions on hand washing and cleanliness. As we have introduced many new preventative measures at all of our developments, every person who comes into, or exits a Platinum Skies development, has to follow our strict policy of sanitising their hands. Find out additional measures we have implemented here: https://platinumskies.co.uk/2020/03/16/coronavirus-update/ So with time on our hands and products in the cupboard, a spring clean is on the to-do list. But it’s about more than just sprucing up your home. It can help your mental health, too. Decided to follow the #coronavirus trend of #Springcleaning .. 4 trash bags later this place is looking sharp! pic.twitter.com/oGwGRqK4ZF— Nathaniel Wehr (@WildNateure) March 22, 2020 Psychologist Natasha Tiwari explains: “The visual distraction of mess and clutter, combined with the inner eye’s vision of a dirty environment, leads to a cognitive overload on the brain which will add up to anxiety and stress.” So if you’re wondering whether it’s time to get scrubbing the oven or vacuuming under the bed, here’s why it can help your mood. It lowers the stress hormone cortisol“When we can see how we’ve cleansed a space, this leads to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the bloodstream, leading to an increased sense of calm and wellbeing,” says Tiwari. “This leads to better sleep, better relationships and even stronger immunity.” View this post on Instagram If there is ever a perfect time for spring cleaning, it’s now! Most of us have a little extra time on our hands, and it might make us feel good to scrub away…at the very least we can control how clean our homes are. I decided to make a pretty cleaning tracker page, using pages from an old horizontal planner. Check out my new video to see how I created it! ✨ . . . . . . #thehappyplanner #happyplanner #cleaningtracker #decluttering #plannercommunity #cleaningplanner #springcleaning #bulletjournal #happyplannertrackers #plannertracker #cleaningschedule #embracethediscs #planahappylife A post shared by Mary Ellen Houston (@planningwithbumble) on Mar 20, 2020 at 7:27am PDT It’s all about energy flowEnergy therapist Dolores Andrew-Gavin says that we should see cleaning our homes as synonymous with cleaning our mindset. “We can look at cleaning and de-cluttering as an act of cleaning both our environment and our mental and emotional body,” says Dolores. “Chances are, if we work from a cluttered room and can’t find anything we will feel overwhelmed and stuck because our energy can’t flow. Slowly yet surely I've gotten a lot done in the bedroom. Already moved this book shelf out of here and to its new home. #Springcleaning pic.twitter.com/FWAPGueGSi— RottenRose (@TC_RottenRose) March 23, 2020 “When we actively clean and de-clutter it gives us more energy because it lifts stress from our body. If we add music and movement to our cleaning routine it makes it fun, it’s good for our physical health and we will release happy hormones. It’s an excellent stress buster.” Cleaning the bedroom will help with sleep and relaxationThe bedroom needs to be a place you can retreat to and find your inner calm. So get under the bed with that vacuum and dust down the dressing table and shelves. “To create a room that helps you enjoy the best night’s sleep take a look at your space,” says Robert Lancaster-Gaye, co-founder of linen specialists Tielle Love Luxury. That means clean linen on the bed every seven days (especially if you’re spending your working day in the bedroom too!). “Getting into the habit of making it each day can give you a sense of achievement. Clean, fresh-smelling sheets are a treat to relax the senses.,” he adds. “But they’re also vital to our health. During sleep we perspire and body oils seep into our bedding. Change your linen once a week to keep sheets fresh and use protectors to extend the life of your mattress and pillows.” It’s more than a chore, it’s a ritual Spiritual teacher Sarupa Shah says that just like cooking, cleaning is a ritual that gives us purpose and a distraction. That also means we can sometimes have a ‘eureka’ moment while doing it. “The act of physical cleaning gives you respite from your emotions,” she says. “It doesn’t resolve how you feel, but gives you a breather, so I recommend it to my clients a lot.” You could spark some joyAnyone who’s heard of tidying guru Marie Kondo will know her catchphrase “spark joy”. Her ethos is that if something doesn’t spark joy, it has to go. View this post on Instagram As you tidy, remember to ask yourself, “Does it spark joy?” This will help you determine if you want to keep or donate the item in question. Illustration by @ilariapops via certified KonMari Consultant @montseorganiza. A post shared by Marie Kondo (@mariekondo) on Feb 9, 2020 at 10:30am PST This might be hard at the moment while you can’t take the things you don’t want to the dump or charity shop, but it’s a good benchmark for some tidying up. You might even find some joy in old ‘treasure’. #COVID19Ontario can be forced spring cleaning. I finally cleared out my ‘office’. These were the treasures I found…. I think I need to purge more often…. #BorderlineHoarder pic.twitter.com/QJxQy7A9rx— Canadian Yeti (@ACanadianYeti) March 22, 2020
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