Cleaning My House Is Therapeutic
By: Sigourney Humus
Tags: Self Improvement, Lifestyle, Cleaning, Life Lessons, Anxiety

Cleaning my house is so therapeutic.

I never used to be like this. When I was single my apartment was a dump. Cleaning was something I just never got to. It just wasn't a priority. When I met my wife she was in shock the first time she came over and saw my place.

I can't really blame her, I think there was mold in the sink.

In some ways, I haven't really changed. I don’t clean because it is important to me, I clean because it reduces my anxiety.

Our home is 1100 square feet. Splitting that between 5 people means that my house can get messy really quick. With 3 kids it doesn't take much. Sometimes I clean something and it is dirty again in 5 minutes.

Just the amount of clothes we go through is insane. I could do a load every day and never quite stay on top of it, but that’s fine with me. Whatever needs to be done, I’m down for it.

Vacuuming, dishes, cleaning toilets, you name it. It’s my jam. It just feels amazing. It feels like everything just slows down and I can focus.

I suffer from intense anxiety on a daily basis.

My life has several invading stressors that are impossible to shake. I am constantly inundated with anxiety-inducing problems that must be dealt with. It never seems to end. Every day I have a new problem that must be faced.

Much of this is due to the unique health issues of my children. I have twin boys who were born too early and have many complications that are still affecting them three years later.

One of my boys is likely going to suffer from his health issues for the rest of his life. He is constantly in and out of the hospital, as they try to improve his health.

Then there is my seven-year-old daughter. She wasn’t born with any health issues but this year she has developed her own set of health problems. She has been diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and has been losing her vision over the last few months.

On top of that, our finances are a mess. It is almost impossible to maintain a job while enduring long hospital stays with my kids. I am constantly trying to find a way to keep us floating on the little bit we have. It is exhausting.

But cleaning is the perfect distraction and most of the time, it is exactly what I need to help me through the day.

Cleaning creates space.

So much of my life feels cluttered and overwhelmed. But when I clean I feel like I am creating space in my life to relax. It gives us room to manage our life more effectively.

When I clean up my twin’s toys it creates space for them to play. Honestly, it is a mess again in a few moments but I don’t care. That’s not even the point. Our life is hard and when my boys play it distracts them from everything else.

It is something I can control.

When there is nothing I can do to fix our problems I clean.

I can’t heal my kids, I can’t solve our money crisis, I can’t make everything better. But I can clean. I can make my house look pretty damn amazing. It gives me a purpose for a while.

I find myself thinking, at least I can control this.

Everyone benefits.

When our house is clean it reduces everyone's anxiety. We can just focus on being a family and nothing else matters. My wife and kids need space to relax and slow down. A clean house sets the mood.

It happens on a subconscious level. My kids could never articulate that they can relax more effectively when the house is clean, but my wife and I can feel the difference.

There is always more to do.

No matter how often I clean there is always something else to do. It is a constantly cycling chore and I love it. Cleaning is a therapy that is always available for my anxiety.

If you hate cleaning I get it. This probably sounds terrible to a lot of people.