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We’ve all been there – you’re stressed at work, you feel overwhelmed, and your procrastination manifests itself into cleaning the house to fuel some semblance of getting something done, even if it isn’t the project you’re supposed to be working on!
For many people, clutter and mess are a source of stress. It is widely believed that cleaning your living space can do wonders to calm a frazzled mind. If this sounds like you and giving your home a quick once-over when it fits your schedule simply makes you feel better, then happy cleaning to you!
But there is another side to this issue. Whilst cleaning can be seen as a normal – even a positive – method of coping with life, when does cleaning stop being something we do to feel organised, and instead become a compulsion?
There are many factors that can contribute to compulsive behaviours: poor mental health, i.e. depression, stress, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), grief, and many more. How can you tell, and what can you do, if you suspect your tendency to tidy has a deeper origin?
Put simply, if your need to clean seems to be causing disruptions in your day-to-day life, you might want to consider reaching out for help. This disruption could take the form of unwelcome thoughts, avoiding certain situations, finding it hard to concentrate, feeling exhausted, ashamed, lonely or anxious, or negative impacts on your relationships.
If you feel like you can’t do other important things,like eat, sleep or relax before you clean, you might find that cleaning is strongly linked with feelings of anxiety. As well as its obvious mental health aspects, anxiety also manifests in physical ways, including experiencing a raised heartrate, having body aches and pains, feeling sick, or feeling very stressed.We can feel anxious for a number of reasons – but it might be that your cleaning habit is a displacement activity distracting you from the real issue.
If you suspect this might be the case, there are positive steps you can take to create a better balance. Some suggestions include mindfulness and meditation, finding a new and engaging hobby, or spending more time outside - especially during the recent great weather we’ve been having! However, if this doesn’t seem to help, finding support and someone to talk to might be a positive next step.
Due to the global pandemic, there has been a general increase in people becoming more hygiene-aware. Even though this is a great thing, it has impacted people with varying severity. Studies indicate that the number of people displaying OCD symptoms increased significantly during theCovid-19 pandemic, and within that, handwashing compulsions were a major theme.
Hoarding behaviours have also been on the rise. Whilst hoarding, you might only realise you’re doing so when other people are in your space and mention clutter; not being able to tell that you’re hoarding(“clutter-blindness”) is also a common symptom.
On the other hand, you may be well aware that your hoarding is affecting your life – you simply find it hard or impossible to stop. One study has indicated that individuals who see their homes as cluttered experience high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. If you find it difficult to get rid of things that you own, even if they aren’t worth anything, or if even the thought of this makes you emotionally distressed, it might be time to seek help from your GP, or speak to HoardingUK.
While you may never have previously experienced anxiety-driven cleaning or hoarding behaviours, you may have found yourself gaining comfort or reassurance in these things over the past few years. Maybe this has been linked to a feeling of keeping yourself and your loved ones safe during an unprecedented and uncertain time when we all felt that we lacked control over our lives.
There is no doubt that Covid-19 has profoundly changed the way we live our lives, but with every challenge comes possible solutions,and charities like Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham are here to help you every step of the way.
If you live in Tower Hamlets, Newham or Redbridge and you feel that you may need some mental health support, please do contact us at connecting.communities@mithn.org.uk and we will request a navigator to contact you asap.
We’ve all been there – you’re stressed at work, you feel overwhelmed, and your procrastination manifests itself into cleaning the house to fuel some semblance of getting something done, even if it isn’t the project you’re supposed to be working on!
For many people, clutter and mess are a source of stress. It is widely believed that cleaning your living space can do wonders to calm a frazzled mind. If this sounds like you and giving your home a quick once-over when it fits your schedule simply makes you feel better, then happy cleaning to you!
But there is another side to this issue. Whilst cleaning can be seen as a normal – even a positive – method of coping with life, when does cleaning stop being something we do to feel organised, and instead become a compulsion?
There are many factors that can contribute to compulsive behaviours: poor mental health, i.e. depression, stress, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), grief, and many more. How can you tell, and what can you do, if you suspect your tendency to tidy has a deeper origin?
Put simply, if your need to clean seems to be causing disruptions in your day-to-day life, you might want to consider reaching out for help. This disruption could take the form of unwelcome thoughts, avoiding certain situations, finding it hard to concentrate, feeling exhausted, ashamed, lonely or anxious, or negative impacts on your relationships.
If you feel like you can’t do other important things,like eat, sleep or relax before you clean, you might find that cleaning is strongly linked with feelings of anxiety. As well as its obvious mental health aspects, anxiety also manifests in physical ways, including experiencing a raised heartrate, having body aches and pains, feeling sick, or feeling very stressed.We can feel anxious for a number of reasons – but it might be that your cleaning habit is a displacement activity distracting you from the real issue.
If you suspect this might be the case, there are positive steps you can take to create a better balance. Some suggestions include mindfulness and meditation, finding a new and engaging hobby, or spending more time outside - especially during the recent great weather we’ve been having! However, if this doesn’t seem to help, finding support and someone to talk to might be a positive next step.
Due to the global pandemic, there has been a general increase in people becoming more hygiene-aware. Even though this is a great thing, it has impacted people with varying severity. Studies indicate that the number of people displaying OCD symptoms increased significantly during theCovid-19 pandemic, and within that, handwashing compulsions were a major theme.
Hoarding behaviours have also been on the rise. Whilst hoarding, you might only realise you’re doing so when other people are in your space and mention clutter; not being able to tell that you’re hoarding(“clutter-blindness”) is also a common symptom.
On the other hand, you may be well aware that your hoarding is affecting your life – you simply find it hard or impossible to stop. One study has indicated that individuals who see their homes as cluttered experience high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. If you find it difficult to get rid of things that you own, even if they aren’t worth anything, or if even the thought of this makes you emotionally distressed, it might be time to seek help from your GP, or speak to HoardingUK.
While you may never have previously experienced anxiety-driven cleaning or hoarding behaviours, you may have found yourself gaining comfort or reassurance in these things over the past few years. Maybe this has been linked to a feeling of keeping yourself and your loved ones safe during an unprecedented and uncertain time when we all felt that we lacked control over our lives.
There is no doubt that Covid-19 has profoundly changed the way we live our lives, but with every challenge comes possible solutions,and charities like Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham are here to help you every step of the way.
If you live in Tower Hamlets, Newham or Redbridge and you feel that you may need some mental health support, please do contact us at connecting.communities@mithn.org.uk and we will request a navigator to contact you asap.
