Have you ever thought that cleaning the kitchen could be therapeutic? No, we are not mad, it’s simply the truth. And while very few love cleaning, the reality is that in these days of mandatory confinement, psychologists have discovered that this common chore in our homes can contribute to lowering anxiety and stress levels.

But let’s face it, there’s nothing more relaxing and satisfying than a kitchen that’s clean and organized, right? In fact, Don’t you feel peace just by sweeping here and dusting there, organizing the dishes or the cabinets?

Well, according to psychologists, these sensations arise because clean, hygienic, and well-organized places have a psychological impact on us. Read on and you’ll understand why.

Fighting anxiety and calories

Just think about this. Where do you go every time you feel anxious? To the kitchen of course! And to be more specific, you go straight to the refrigerator to see if there’s anything tempting to calm you down.

But what if instead of going to the refrigerator and eating anxiously without control, you decide to clean? Ok, give us a chance to explain where this idea comes from.

Swati Mittal, consultant psychiatrist at Fortis Noida and Swastik Assist Homes, indicated in an article published in the magazine Revista AD that cleaning, aside from burning calories, is also good for our body because it releases endorphins, which are chemicals that connect us to wellness. “Therefore, activities such as cleaning, tidying, and organizing the home reduce anxiety and have a positive effect on our mental health. Also, it is a therapeutic activity because it reduces screen time by keeping you away from the TV or cell phone and allows you to spend more time with yourself,” says Dr. Swati Mittal. (see 10 tips to keep your kitchen germ free)

Tidy kitchen, happy mind

From the famous Marie Kondo (see Marie Kondo top 10 secrets to organize the kitchen: a dream come true) to Feng Shui purists, they all say that an organized environment affects our mental, physical and energetic state. And if we take this idea into a space of the home as important as the kitchen, then the benefit that can be generated is priceless.

In this sense, both decorators and psychologists point out that the act of organizing concentrates the mind in the present moment and frees it from harmful or toxic thoughts that bind it to suffering or worries. So, the popular saying “a busy mind is a happy mind” is no coincidence.

Order and cleanliness as synonyms of confidence

In this regard, psychiatrist Jinesh Shah explains that a clean kitchen or clean environments in the home increase confidence and provide a sense of satisfaction and motivation. “When everything around us is in order, then we are in order and can perform better.”

Similarly, expert decorators claim that having a messy kitchen decreases performance, which results in less time in it and a tendency to eat fast food. A clean, tidy, and illuminated kitchen is a space that invites you to create, and you don’t have to be a chef to understand this idea.

So, with this new focus on your head, the time you spend cleaning the kitchen won’t  be an unpleasant chore from now on. On the contrary, if you do it as a form of therapy, you’ll see that not only you’ll have a space that you want to enjoy, but you’ll also get a wonderful feeling of harmony, confidence and wellbeing (see  Our wellbeing begins in the kitchen) that you didn’t expect.