The Psychology of Spring Cleaning
By Rebeca Funes
When people think of spring, they usually think of rebirth and renewal, thus making it time to refresh and reset the home. This act of cleaning serves almost like a psychological reset, energizing moods and motivation alongside the natural boosts that come with spring.
Spring naturally brings a variety of psychological benefits that significantly enhance an individual’s mental wellbeing. The rise in sunlight, along with warmer and longer days, naturally increase serotonin levels and even act as a natural antidepressant, serotonin being a neurotransmitter and hormone responsible for regulating mood, sleep, digestion, etc. Not only that, but spring brings something called the “fresh start effect.”
The fresh start effect is when people experience an increase in motivation and commitment during the beginning of a time period. This phenomenon typically occurs during the transition to a new year or during the transition from season to season. This allows an individual to create new goals.
“People do spring cleaning because it feels like a fresh start. After being inside a lot during winter, they want to clean up, get rid of stuff they don’t need, and make their space feel more organized and less stressful. It also just helps people feel more productive and in a better mood,” said sophomore Leila Gardener.
This effect is one of the reasons behind spring cleaning. Not only does spring cleaning reducing anxiety, it also brings feelings of stability and boosts one’s mood. One of the major benefits of spring cleaning is decluttering.
A cluttered environment can increase stress and anxiety by constantly reminding the brain of unfinished tasks and can make one feel overwhelmed. By decluttering your space, your brain relaxes as if it were taking a deep breath. As a result, creativity, focus, and productivity improve. This can be especially beneficial for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“After spring cleaning, I feel more relaxed and less stressed because everything is cleaner and more organized. This makes me feel more comfortable. The change from winter also makes me feel refreshed because it gets warmer and everything starts to look more lively.” said Ricardo Camara, a junior at MLEC.
Decluttering can also help in alleviating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) symptoms. SAD is a type of depression that occurs in a seasonal pattern, most noticeably during the winter and fall months. Research has shown that the body may experience neurochemical changes that fluctuate between seasons. These changes influence a multitude of factors such as pleasure and motivation.
Spring naturally increases these neurochemicals with longer, warmer days. These changes, alongside spring cleaning, can help with SAD. A study, “No place like home: home tours correlate with daily patterns of mood and cortisol”, in 2010 showed that people who describe their homes as cluttered were more likely to fall into depression and fatigue compared to those who described their home as restful.
Not only that, but research has also shown that every hour of cleaning done each week is associated with a boost in happiness by 53%, according to Psychology Today. The brain sees cleaning up and organizing as a task, thus once completed, the brain releases a surge of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and hormone responsible for regulating reward, motivation, mood, etc. This can promote self-efficacy and create a sense of accomplishment.
Spring cleaning is a traditional act done worldwide. From giving a natural boost in mood through increasing dopamine and serotonin levels to helping the brain alleviate anxiety, spring cleaning is beneficial in various ways.
