A Cleaning Routine to Fight Anxiety

If you're anything like me, cleaning can be a marvelous way to keep your thoughts from spinning out and, instead, focus on tidying, wiping, and vacuuming your problems away. There are specific chores I like to do to ease my anxious thoughts; everyone has that one space that needs to be clean in order for the house to feel put-together, and well—I have several.

First things first—my bathroom. The counter top has to be spotless; I don't want dust, crud, and old toothpaste lingering around, especially in the sink where I wash my face. I also need the floor to be squeaky clean, so ol' swiffer does a fantastic job at this. I then give the shower a good, deep clean complete with rubber gloves and the rough side of the classic green-and-yellow sponge. Once the shower walls and tub are rinsed clean with scalding hot water, I spray and wipe down my toilet inside and out until I nearly pass out from the fumes (not really, but you know). Having a clean bathroom changes your whole outlook on life, I swear.

Who else loves vacuuming? I love the look of the carpet as you move the vacuum up and down, side to side, backwards and forwards; it's rhythmic and so satisfying to watch the once matted down carpet fibers spring back to life after being rid of dirt, hair, and god knows what else. I love vacuuming the living room because that is where I can see the biggest difference post-vacuum—it's a feeling of euphoria, I tell you. If I'm feeling really fancy, I'll put on the hose attachment and go ham on the corners and crevices around the living room, furniture, windows—everything. It feels amazing to see all the gunk and filth get sucked away and out of sight in an instant.

I knew I was an adult when the sound of a running dishwasher brought me peace. Stacking and organizing a pile of dirty dishes, shutting the dishwasher door, and pressing "on" is one of the simple joys of life. As it's running, I like to wipe down the kitchen counters to eliminate every crumb and juice spill, then follow with a good swiffering of the kitchen floor. Just doing those three things gives me an amazing feeling of calm.

Back in my bedroom, I like to do an inventory of all my clothes and see what I can donate. I don't have many clothes to begin with, so it's not difficult to sort through my few stacks of clothes to see what doesn't fit, I haven't worn, or has been sitting there since 1938 (approximately). Once I have a nice little stack, I place them in a garbage bag and into my trunk to take to my local good will shop the following day. It feels good to give back, and even better to have less clutter in your space.

Whatever cleaning you do to help get your mind off of the million things jumbling around in your head, do what you need to do. Cleaning can be a pain, but with the right motivation and mind set, it can become a simple task to make you feel better about yourself and your space. Sitting around feeling anxious or depressed feels even worse when there's a stack of dirty clothes on the floor and your shower that hasn't been cleaned in a month sits gathering soapscum. Grab a sponge, put on some music, and work on getting your room, apartment, house—hell, just one counter—clean and clutter-free. You'd be surprised how much one simple chore around the house can help clear and ease an anxious mind.