Rage Cleaning...
... but make it fun!
#Mental Pillar
Oh I know with certainty that I’m far from alone on this one. Tbh, age has taught me that I’m always far from alone!!
When I’m in an anxious spiral, I clean. I think it helps soothe me as it’s a distraction from my intrusive thoughts and, bonus, I end up with a clean, tidy space. Clean space, calm mind!? Or not… on the reverse, I also find that cleaning can cause me a lot of anxiety due to my perfectionism behaviours - the fear of not doing it "perfectly”.
The apartment has been great for me as it’s a lot more manageable! I felt a lot more anxious about this in our house, which we bought with the intention of renovating. The process took a lot longer than expected (as these things do!), and so we never really gave it the love and time it deserved. I also find that my perfectionist behaviours can very often paralyse my action, especially if the task at hand is a big one - “if I can’t do it “perfectly”, then I won’t do it at all”.
When we moved out of our house, we did a ginormous clean out (thankful for a small space, as there is quite literally zero space for “junk”), which has massively helped with my headspace. Clutter has been found to overwhelm the brain, increasing cortisol levels, and dayum this is REAL.
Overall, I think cleaning your space can be a wonderfully therapeutic task and, tbh, it's a non-negotiable one that you (should) do regularly, so best make it enjoyable!
The key, for me, is knowing when to STOP, as I do feel that it can definitely border on OCD at times!
Here are some techniques I’ve recently implemented that I’m already finding useful:
listen to music when cleaning / tidying - how can I be stressed when I’m listening to music I love?! Music for sure lights a fire in me (it’s my love language), and makes the task at hand a lot more enjoyable. It’s also a fun distraction from any negative thoughts I may be experiencing
set a timer - again, knowing when to STOP I think is key for me, so it’s useful having a set time that I force myself to stick to - no exceptions! I tend to use the washing machine / dishwasher timer - that way, when the cycle is done, so am I!
set a weekly schedule - having strict, set cleaning times / days during the week. For example: I get my cleaning done during my breaks on WFH days - on Mondays, I dust, vacuum, and mop the living areas, and on Wednesdays, I do the same for the bathroom and bedrooms. Tbh, I’m still trying to work out the best schedule for me (and that may change with time), but that sounds like a good plan for now, right!? My husband was the one who suggested having a schedule the other night when I opened up to him about my struggles
hire a cleaner to help out (if your means allow for it) - in the new house, depending on our needs, I’d like to get someone in once a fortnight to help with a deep clean. It can seem like a big expense, but it’s something that’s very important to me. I’m also the one who spends the most time at home, so if it means cutting back on other expenses, then I will make that work
and last, but not least: leaving the space if I’m feeling overwhelmed. Going for a walk and getting some fresh air is my drug of choice - IMO, there aren’t a lot “pickles” that this can’t fix
Simply sparking joy,
Salty
P.S. Here’s a silly selfie of me wearing my new glasses that I got today! No prescription lenses, as I don’t quite need them, but I fell immediately in love with these frames and did get the blue light blocker lenses, so I’m very keen to see how they go - particularly with my night time use. Will report back obvi.