Cleaning Your Way to Happiness

Photo by Todd Baker
 

This post is written by monthly contributor Cortney of Praiseworthy.

Is cleanliness the key--the key to happiness, the key to sanity, the key to all that is right in the world?

Ha! I sure hope not. Because if it is, then I am in big trouble! But maybe it is the beginning, maybe it is the catalyst, or maybe it is the icing on the cake. What do you think?

I recently enjoyed the interview with Mandi Ehman here on Steady Mom in which she credited a neat and tidy home as the one practical thing that makes the biggest difference in her day.

As I have struggled to be a steady mom, I too have found that cleanliness can be my source of strength--not because keeping a clean house is one of my strong traits, but because when I make an effort to be clean and organized, the state of my home becomes a strength to me.

If I walk into my bathroom and my clothes from the day before are lying in a pile amid an assortment of bottles and brushes and bobby pins on the counter, that view is doubled in the reflection of the mirror and my day begins with a vision of disorder. 

If I walk into the kitchen and the sink is full of dishes and the counter covered in everything from books to crumbs to gardening gloves, then the task of preparing breakfast grows into a series of pesky chores.
 
But if I walk into any room in my home where it is clean and put in order, I feel free to breathe in and enjoy the purpose for being there--completing a task seems more fulfilling, people are more enjoyable, and I am simply happier.

This is not a new concept. As a matter of fact, it is one that people are talking about and experiencing every day.

In my quest to understand it a little better, I did an online search that led me through a series of blogs and websites all about this topic...and then it led me right back here to Steady Mom!

Photo by Wonderlane

I began with the words “cleanliness” and “happiness” in my search engine. Third on the list of results was “Cleanliness is Next to Happiness: Greater Good.” That caught my eye.

With one quick click I found this article by Christine Carter in which she says, “But I’ve also noticed something else: When everything has its place, when all the stuff around me is in order, I feel calm... I am more parts slob than neat-nick; orderliness just doesn’t come all that easily to me.  But still, I feel a thousand times better when things are in their place.”
 
“Me too!” I thought. “Amen!”
 
But wait, right there at the end of that paragraph she has a link to Gretchen Rubin’s lists of happiness tips. Gretchen Rubin...I’ve heard that name before!

I click on the link and see a photo I recognize. I read, “I love a calm environment, and making the bed is one of the quickest, easiest steps to keeping our bedroom orderly. Also, I get a real feeling of accomplishment from having completed this small task. It’s nice to start the day feeling that I’ve crossed something – however minor – off my list. It starts me off feeling productive, disciplined, and efficient.”
 
And then I found myself back here, to the place where I was first introduced to Gretchen Rubin in her interview on what makes her a steady mom. In that interview she states that “outer order contributes to inner calm.”
 
So here is the point: Being clean and organized simply helps you feel good.

Organization can strengthen your ability to live life the more fully. I found other articles and research that supports this truth, some centered around causes and cures for depression.

But what it comes down to is helping yourself feel better, be happy, and live your best life. Even if cleaning isn’t your strength, being clean can strengthen you, and steady you.

**Do you agree? Does a clean house help you feel steadier?**

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Cortney is a young mother of two who seeks to bring beauty and love to her family through various creative outlets: photography, writing, sewing, cooking and entertaining to name a few. You can discover more of Cortney's creative ideas at her blog, Praiseworthy.