Spring is in the air, which means that it’s a perfect time to reset and renew your environment with a good cleaning.

If you’re not excited to get started on the annual ritual of spring cleaning, you’re not alone. For many of us, cleaning ranks right up there with that other rite of spring—taxes. But there’s plenty of evidence that cleaning and organizing our home and work spaces is good for our mental and physical health.

Studies have found correlations between mental wellness and clutter. In fact, researchers at the University of Mexico investigated the “dark side of home” when clutter has a negative impact on subjects’ reported wellbeing.

Good for the Mind

The Cleveland Clinic reports that cleaning and organizing our spaces can help create a feeling of accomplishment, work out stress, and promote feelings of peace. In addition to lifting our mood, a clean space at home and work can prevent workday distractions and contribute to better focus and motivation.

That’s especially important if you or someone in your family has a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Eliminating clutter and staying on top of daily chores like doing the dishes can create a sense of routine and order that supports our sense of control.

Clutter and messiness can signal a larger problem, like depression, especially if your disorganization is accompanied by symptoms of high stress, or anxiety. Researchers have found an association between clutter in the home and higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, that can lead to a cycle of higher anxiety, more clutter, and even more anxiety.

Mess-induced stress can lead to financial problems (such as misplacing household bills) or dysfunctional relationships, especially if you and your significant other have differing standards of cleanliness and order.

And the Body

Spring cleaning and decluttering can have positive physical health rewards as well. Keeping surfaces dust-free can eliminate pollen and dirt that aggravate allergies. By keeping that excessive clutter at bay, you might prevent trip and fall hazards, too. It’s not bad exercise either—Harvard Health says that 30-minute heart-pumping activities like moving boxes or furniture can burn between 170 and 294 calories. Washing windows, vacuuming, or scrubbing surfaces count as physical activity, too.

Ready, set, clean!

Convinced you should start spring cleaning? Here are 3 tips to get started:

01

Start small

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” is an adage attributed to the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu and it could equally apply to a house seemingly filled with a thousand piles of clutter hidden in drawers, closets, and cupboards.

• If spring cleaning seems overwhelming, break the big job into smaller pieces
• Work on one closet at a time, for example
• Or, if that seems too much, break it into an even smaller bite: a single drawer or shelf, or one side of the garage
• You might find the results so rewarding that you’ll be inspired to keep at it

02

Keep, donate or toss?

When tackling a de-cluttering project, it’s helpful to adopt a simple game plan from the get-go.

Set up three bags or boxes, each as a designated repository for items that are intended to “keep,” “donate” to charity or “toss” in the trash.

Pick up each item and make a determination:

1. Is this something I want to keep or wear again?
2. Could someone else benefit from it more, a possible donation?
3. Or, should it go directly to the trash?

If you are tackling a kid’s room or closet, this is a great way to teach a youngster (or significant other) the value of mindful ownership of material goods and sharing with others who might benefit from what we no longer need or want.

03

Keep time

• If you’re dreading a spring-cleaning task, set a time for 15, 30 or 60 minutes—whatever seems bearable—and get started for a set time limit
• Knowing you won’t be cleaning the whole day away might also act as an incentive to be efficient as possible within your set time

There are other ways to make spring cleaning a breeze—turn on some music or join forces with a friend. Just make sure you set aside time to enjoy your cleaner space and happier mindset.