How cleaning affects the internal state
In short, positive. Gretchen Rubin, author of the bestselling psychological self-help book The Happiness Project, points out that the external order promotes inner peace. The path to harmony with oneself Rubin advises to start with cleaning the desktop. Research showthat the author was not mistaken in her feelings: disorder and blockages everywhere create chaos not only in the house, but also in the head.
The number of visual triggers is growing, but the flow of incoming information that the brain is able to absorb is not unlimited. As a result, living in a cluttered home can lead to reduced concentration and low productivity.
In another study, the authors found connection between domestic disorder and the level of cortisol in the body of women. Participants who used the words “garbage,” “clutter,” “junk,” and “clutter” to describe their home were more likely to experience depressive moods during the day. The levels of the stress hormone in such respondents were higher than in those who described their homes as calm and free spaces.
Men were not included in the study, but they can also use tidying up to restore internal balance. For example, cleaning can turn into a good workout. Especially the general one – with the rearrangement of cabinets and sofas. Exercise stress helps reduce stress and reduce anxiety. Cleaning is also a process with a visible result, which means it motivates people for whom it is important to immediately sum up the results of their efforts.
Cleaning can bring satisfaction even to those who do not like to get their hands dirty and wet. You just need to exclude subjectively unpleasant elements from this process. For example, wipe the dust, disassemble a chair or bedside table littered with clothes, and entrust the cleanliness of the floors to Dreame D10 Plus. This robot vacuum cleaner with mop functions will take over the cleaning of carpets and get into the dark corners under the bed. At the same time, it will not wake up a child sleeping in the room and will not interfere with listening to music in the background: Dreame D10 Plus is an efficient and almost silent assistant. You won’t have to spend a lot of time and effort cleaning the device itself either: a special brush will save the smart vacuum cleaner from tangled hair on the rollers, and a voluminous dustbin can hold up to 2.5 liters of dust. This is enough for a month of daily cleaning.
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How to achieve harmony in the house and thoughts: 5 easy steps
1. Get rid of the excess
An empty jar is useful as a candlestick, a shoe box should be left for seedlings, and ten-year-old jeans can be made into shorts for a summer residence. Thrift is good in moderation: such “contributions” to the trash will not bring happiness to either you or your home. The problem of clutter is very common. For example, 75% of familiesparticipants in a study on the relationship between cortisol levels and clutter used garages exclusively for storage.
Household “detox” will unload both the apartment and head. And it will also make the cleaning process easier: the fewer boxes, caskets and bags around, the less you have to mess with them, wiping the dust and washing the floors. If it’s hard to say goodbye to things alone, make fun out of this difficult ritual. For example, to free up the hangers and clean out the closets, invite your friends over and have a dress up party. Relatives will tell you exactly what to get rid of. Perhaps you can attach a couple of shoes or jackets to the audience that are small for you, large or simply do not fit into the general wardrobe. And even unnecessary things can be taken for recycling. After decluttering, evaluate the vacated space and try to enjoy the effect of the work done.
2. Pick the right inventory
Throw away old rags and replace them with nice-looking and tactile ones. Be aware that gauze and old T-shirts roll up and leave marks. In addition, special microfiber cloths absorb more dirt – cleaning time can be reduced with them, as well as the number of rinses. Buy nice, comfortable gloves and choose the right scented detergent. Get rid of the heavy corded vacuum cleaner and unreliable mops.
Let putting things in order brings pleasure already at the level of preparation. “Your” smells and colors are a source of inspiration and good mood. And do not forget to allocate a special corner in the apartment for inventory. If you don’t stumble across the cleaning attributes everywhere, the process itself may be a little less annoying.
3. Create a nice background
Music, podcasts, books, and maybe audio series – the content for parallel consumption today is so diverse that there is something interesting for everyone. The main thing is to correctly correlate the rhythms. For example, for a brisk clean-up workout with lunges, tilts and rearrangements, sets for zumba and electronic parties are suitable. And for meditative ironing or window washing, you can choose the sounds of nature or an interesting lecture.
By the way, music is actively used for therapy. depressionit can also reduce stress and help fight insomnia. So turn on your favorite tunes in the background – and boring rituals will turn into an anti-stress session. And while you put things in order, you can sing and dance.
4. Make cleaning a habit
And approach the Buddhist monks: for them spiritual purity inextricably associated with cleanliness in the environment. Therefore, cleaning, as well as the improvement of the spirit and meditation, is daily in Buddhism. But if you are not very patient, small life hacks will help to form a good habit. For example, to facilitate logistics, place neat dusting cloths around the house – they will wean you from the thought “I’ll clean it up later”. You force the whole apartment with empty circles – just get rid of the extra ones. If everyone in the house has only one cup, then they will have to be washed regularly.
Another way is to free all surfaces as much as possible. Remove unnecessary photos, souvenirs, bottles and wires. When chronic blockages disappear from tables and shelves, every little thing that accidentally lingers on them will begin to catch your eye.
Another life hack is to clean every day on a timer. It will take 15-20 minutes to get started. As soon as the release bell rings, you can put away the rags and brushes and say goodbye to cleaning until tomorrow.
When you take on routine cleaning, do not forget to connect the Dreame D10 Plus to it. In 20 minutes, a washing robot vacuum cleaner will have time to clean the floor in a small apartment. One full charge is enough for a whole week of such rituals. In large houses, you can set the Dreame D10 Plus to a specific room or area for cleaning. For example, on Monday, the robot will take care of the kitchen and corridor, and on Tuesday, the living room with difficult carpets.
After the first day of work, your cleaning partner will master the layout of the house and just as quickly learn to avoid stairs, thresholds and other dangerous locations. And the stylish charging module and the discreet design of the vacuum cleaner itself will help the device to easily fit into any interior.
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5. Learn to focus on the process
Close your eyes. Imagine that water is pouring onto your hands. Feel the sensations of this contact in your fingers and palms. Now remember what your favorite cup feels like. Mentally twist it in your hands. Compare feelings. It looks like a guide to meditation. But it’s actually a training script mindfulness while washing dishes.
Mindfulness (in Russian sources this technique is called “mindfulness”) is the practice of a nonjudgmental attitude to reality. Step back from what is happening and become an involved observer. With regular and correct execution of the technique, you can pump stress resistance and self-esteem, and also – raise productivity and improve memory.
Of course, mindfulness training doesn’t have to be done while washing the dishes—any daily ritual will do to start. For example, start with coffee or tea – try to focus on the taste, aroma and warmth from the cup in your hands. Do not seek to drive away thoughts – let them flow wherever they please. When you learn to deeply enjoy your favorite drink, move on to less pleasant routine tasks. For example, mindfulness is convenient to practice while washing windows, cleaning carpets or tiles in the bathroom. Monotonous actions will help you focus and catch the right sensations.