Most of the time we don’t equate an organized home with strong mental health. We do not see how cleanliness can affect your participation in daily activities. However, being organized has got some very important benefits and you need to know about them. A lot of us overlook some of these things because they go beyond the obvious.
The benefits include less frustration, being able to find things faster, not wasting money purchasing duplicates of items you know you have but can’t find and a whole lot more. It doesn’t matter if you’re based in a Bariga ghetto or a swampy creek town in Port Harcourt.
Here are five mental health-boosting activities you’ll do more often when you have an organized home:
1) You’re more confident to entertain guests
Besides being “too busy,” one of the top reasons people avoid having company is because of a disorganized home. More specifically, another is the fear of being judged by guests for having a messy house. Socializing through entertaining people deepens friendships. You can get beyond the surface with this, and eventually become friendly with others. It also strengthens social ties and broadens your personal network. The benefits you can reap, in turn, are numerous.
A joint
study between Brigham Young University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that having a large social network directly boosts mental health and wellness. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic states that having and nurturing quality friendships can increase one’s sense of purpose and belonging. It can reduce stress, improve self-confidence and can even lead you to adopt healthier habits. These habits include better nutrition pattern and lower alcohol intake.
2) You’re more likely to engage in exercise
There is evidence, both scientific and anecdotal, that indicates that living in a disorganized environment zaps your motivation and steals your energy. Few activities require more motivation and energy than exercising. The problem is compounded by the fact that getting organized also requires motivation and energy.
For this reason, those who live in disorganized homes often find themselves in a vicious cycle of wishing they were organized. They keep on wishing they had the motivation or energy to make it happen. Thus, their environment gets progressively and exponentially more disorganized, leading them to feel even less motivated to exercise.
You have to muster up the courage and decide to spend your energy in organizing your space. It is up to you. You have the power to salvage the situation. Not only will you feel more energetic and able to exercise, you also won’t feel guilty about taking the time that you might otherwise have felt should be spent cleaning house to get out and enjoy some physical activity.
3) You’re more likely to spend quality time relaxing, and you’ll be able to relax more deeply
It’s tough to relax in a chaotic environment
. An organized living space is conducive to falling asleep faster at night. It’s also more conducive to stay awake all night or take the time to sit up and just relax. Plus, it’s tough to take a break and relax when you feel like you should be spending your time cleaning your messy house.
Although all your neighbors might have noisy “I pass my neighbor” generators, you can still save space and create your own haven.
Play Chess Challenges to boost your alertness
4) You’re more apt to engage in activities that are also good for your brain
The list of leisure activities that are good for your brain is a long one, and it includes things like reading, knitting, playing a musical instrument, playing soccer in the evening, dancing at a club, playing board games like ludo and cards. Not only do these activities sharpen your mental acuity, they also improve your mental health by relaxing you. They energize you and boost your self-esteem.
5) You’ll eat healthier
According to the Association for Psychological Science, having an organized workspace leads to healthier eating. The
study stated that people who worked in organized surroundings were twice as likely to choose an apple over a chocolate bar when in need of an energy-boosting snack.
While the study specifically examined a work environment, it’s not really a stretch to surmise that these findings may carry over into a living environment, too. Of course, when you think of healthy eating, you immediately think of the physical benefits of consuming quality food. However, there is a lot of evidence that healthy eating is good for your mental health. It can reduce instances and severity of mental illness, increase energy (which in turn boosts mood) and even raises your self-esteem.
Enough evidence from several studies shows a correlation between an organized home and better relationships between those who live in the space. It can reduce interpersonal tension and alleviate the stress that contributes to relationship breakdown. Even simply starting out by organizing one room, say, the garage, can set you down a path of improved mental health and better relationships with family and friends.
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This article was first published on 17th October 2017 and updated on December 30th, 2017 at 1:26 pm
godwinadoga
Adoga Godwin is an art teacher and motivational speaker who loves to help young people become better. He loves to explore the usage of unorthodox extracurricular methods in teaching. He writes at HIP HOP HEAD.
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