For me, tidying up used to be overrated. I had better things to do, places to be and people to see. Now, I couldn’t think more opposite! There’s nothing that puts me in a better mood than my kitchen sparkling with no dishes in the sink. I guess that’s what adulting feels like when that’s what gets me most excited! All joking aside, I have seen how much my physical space has affected me mentally and this year, one of my goals was to stay more on top of this, especially living in a small condo and dealing with anxiety.

Here are my 5 Tips to Living Happier Through Acts of Cleaning…

1. Take 20 minutes, each morning before you start your day and 20 minutes before you settle in for the night to watch a movie or wind down and see what needs to be put away or cleaned. Something as simple as carving out time and making it a routine helps you get in the right mind set and also helps you avoid the dreaded “pile up” of housework. Soon, this becomes a habit you’ll always do! I love using the Scotch-Briteâ„¢ Heavy Duty Dishwand because the heavy duty scrubbers cut down my clean time as they’re so effective. There’s nothing worse than dishes piling up, so doing little by little as you go and finish each meal, prevents a bigger clean up job!

2. Say “thank you” whenever your partner/room-mate does a chore that you didnt have to do. Appreciating one another is encouraging to continue acts of service and respect for the shared space.

3. Clear off any clutter from surfaces you see the most. Seeing this visually can be stressful internally and you may not even know it’s stressing you out! When real life problems arise, you can feel more equipped to tackle them, because you have the mental capacity and sacred space (of your home) to process and feel safe. A messy space can really make your mind a mess. I’m a huge mental health advocate and can attest to this being a silent stressor in my life. I use Scotch-Brite®™ No-Scratch Scrub Sponges for our big granite counterspace and it just sparkles after I use it. So satisfying!

4. Do a task that’s typically not your territory (for me, I don’t usually taking out the trash) but when I do, it’s a welcome surprise for my husband (I know, the things we get excited about!). Surprise each other by taking care of something the other person said they were going to do. I know Neal wears a lot of black, so I clean his clothing and our pillows/furniture with the Scotch-Briteâ„¢ Lint Roller from our dog’s fur (she’s a Jack Russell and sheds a lot of tiny white hairs). These little things make him happy and he feels cared for!

5. Do what you have to do, so you can do what you want to do. Equip yourself with powerful cleaning tools like Scotch-Briteâ„¢ Brand Products that get the job done in an efficient way so you can get back to the things you want to be doing.

Thank You to Scotch-Briteâ„¢ Brand for partnering on this post and thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog! All opinions are my own.Â