Experts Cite Mental Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning Chores

Amid the annual ritual of spring cleaning, experts from diverse fields are highlighting the often-overlooked mental health benefits embedded in routine household chores. Rather than dismissing tasks like sweeping, mopping, and decluttering as mere drudgery, psychologists and spiritual practitioners suggest these activities can foster mindfulness, reduce anxiety, and provide a tangible sense of accomplishment.

Clinical psychologist Holly Schiff, based in Greenwich, Connecticut, explains that repetitive, physical activities like cleaning can be regulating for the nervous system because they are predictable and structured, offering a clear endpoint. This process gives people a feeling of control and grounding, she notes. The immediate visibility of results can also be uniquely satisfying compared to more abstract cognitive or emotional tasks.

This perspective finds a parallel in Zen Buddhist practice, where cleaning is considered a core spiritual discipline. Shoukei Matsumoto, a Buddhist monk in Kyoto, Japan, writes that for monastic apprentices, cleaning is a way to sweep away worldly desires and free oneself from attachments. He describes the time spent carefully cleaning as...