Anxiety and Stress Relief with Spring Cleaning!

By: Ally Hoffman MA, LPC Associate Supervised by Melissa Barton MA, LPC-S

Looking to find anxiety and stress relief during these times? Have you been procrastinating on doing your spring cleaning? If you have not already partaken in this annual purge, now may be a good time! It seems like many people have taken advantage of their extra time at home working on organizing and cleaning out. If you haven’t, keep reading about how this can help you ease stress and increase self-care and healthy habits. Taking some time to tend to the clutter in your life is a great way to ease some unnecessary anxiety. There are many benefits to cleaning out your home. Our living spaces should be our own personal oasis; having a clean home can reduce stress, improve sleep, and make us more productive! The physical act of cleaning can be a great way to de-stress and turn your mind off for a bit. We can distract ourselves for a little while by focusing on mindless tasks such as cleaning dishes or wiping down counters or distract ourselves by cleaning out a junk drawer, closet, or pantry.

Your Physical Health Matters, Too!

Cleaning can also be good for your physical health; for example, regularly cleaning and tidying your home can reduce dust and other triggers for your allergies. Cleaning can also lead to feelings of accomplishment; though you might not always enjoy actually completing the task of de-cluttering or cleaning, that feeling of satisfaction afterward makes the chore totally worth it. Keeping things cleaner can also encourage you to engage in other positive habits, such as better sleep hygiene, healthy eating, and self-care.

Clean Your Mental Space for Healthy Habits

It may be a good time to consider cleaning out some of that internal clutter while you’re at it. Often, we need to let go of other things that are affecting our mental health. Consider reevaluating toxic relationships, unhealthy coping skills, and negative thinking patterns. Many times, we get stuck in our bad habits and forget that there is something we can do about it. Take some time for yourself and consider what other things may need moving on with. Are you still talking to that person in your life who always brings you down or engaging in activities that may provide short-term relief, but in actuality, are not really alleviating your stress and anxiety? This is a great time to check those habits and chuck them if necessary. So, pick up something new and healthy instead. Spring cleaning does not have to be just about the items in your closet or garage. Make sure that you are doing away with negativity in all aspects of your life. Do some weeding so that you can blossom! Tree blossoming in the springtime represents clear mental health and new healthy habits.

Weed Things Out to Reduce Stress!

Though we often hear about “Spring” cleaning, it is important that we are consistently checking with ourselves if there are things we can weed out, whether it be those clothes you haven’t worn in five years, or that one coping skill that you know is not good for you – don’t be afraid to let go. This is a huge part of self-care and you deserve to have a clutter-free life. I hope that you find this will reduce your stress and anxiety and provide a tranquil space and peace of mind. Stay safe and happy cleaning!

Begin Therapy for Anxiety and Stress Relief in Katy, TX:

If you are ready to talk about your anxiety, and ways to cope, one of the therapists at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch can help! We provide counseling and mental health services. To begin counseling in Katy, TX follow these three steps:

• Contact our office to set up an appointment or to learn more about anxiety therapy!
• Meet with one of our empathetic therapists
• Find ways to control your anxiety, today!

Other Therapy Services We Offer:

Here at The Counseling Center at Cinco Ranch, we offer counseling services for people of all ages in areas including counseling for kids, counseling for young adults, teen counseling, couples counseling, eating disorder treatment, men's issues, women's issues, anxiety treatment, depression therapy, trauma counseling, family therapy, and group counseling. Our therapists strive to post blogs regularly. We provide helpful information on a variety of mental health topics. To learn more about our therapists and counseling services, please reach out to the Counseling Center today!