topic Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡 in Home

Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

GingerPeach — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 22:15:37 GMT

Article from Better Homes & Gardens:

Good for Your Mood

There's a reason you feel happier when your house is clean. Here's the science behind how daily chores can make your mind and body healthier.

By Rachel Wermager

Few people look forward to household chores like washing dishes, folding laundry, or paying bills. But what if those tasks were beneficial for your to-do list and your wellbeing? As it turns out, daily chores can help you clear your head and feel more peaceful—but having the right mindset is key.

"When we are intentionally doing something in our life in a way that invites ease and peace, it is going to feel different than if we are doing something out of stress or obligation,” says Dr. Ariane Machin, Psychologist. “Taking a mindful approach to what we are doing elicits a ‘calming down’ of our body systems, enhances our oxygen flow, and contributes to us feeling more content.”

What exactly does practicing mindfulness look like? “The key is to train your mind and whole being to be in the moment, without judgment, which can be a great tool for stopping automatic, repetitive and unhelpful thoughts," says Erin Stair, M.D., M.P.H. She exercises mindfulness while she washes the dishes. “I use my five senses to do this, and by that, I mean I ask myself basic questions like: What am I feeling? Seeing? Hearing? Smelling? Tasting? Using the five senses is an easy way to train your mind to connect and 'embrace' the moment.”

Tackling small, easy chores can also improve your outlook on larger, more stressful tasks. That's because completing a simple task like vacuuming simultaneously distracts your brain from stressful thoughts and rewards it with a sense of accomplishment. “Your brain has a chance to reset itself, so that you can return to engaging activities feeling less stressed,” Jared Heatherman, M.D. says. “When the mind is less stressed, the body follows suit as well with measured decreases in heart rate and blood pressure.”

Ultimately, this means doing your daily chores is not only necessary, but also healthy for your mind and body. The next time you’re faced with dusting, folding laundry, or another chore you'd rather procrastinate on, consider the benefit of giving your mind a rest from everything else and focus only on the task at hand. The more you can find satisfaction in little jobs done well, the better your body and mind will feel.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood

Mermaid22 — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 22:09:48 GMT

I TOTALLY agree with this.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

Frau K — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 22:20:30 GMT

I also agree. I’ve been reading two books called Romancing the Ordinary and A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sara Ban Breathnatch. They are all about just this. Really enjoy them.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

Snowpuppy — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 23:09:53 GMT

I was just thinking nothing is more soothing to the soul than coming home frome an exhausting day at work, driving in 0 degree temps for the hour commute and then getting to my housekeeping chores!

Who comes up with this stuff?

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

software — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 23:12:59 GMT

That's how I was raised and how I raised my kids.

Chores were not thought of as "chores", if you know what I mean.

And I also taught my kids to live the same way in someone else's house if they spend the night (or more). Clean the bathroom after you use it (relatively speaking-swipe out the sink & tub if you used it) Make the bed, tidy up. Put your dishes in the dishwasher.

"Cleaning" is what you do to make your environment pleasing & satisfying.

We were not born into royalty.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

Drythe — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 23:20:10 GMT

@GingerPeach

Hello, hope you and Kiku are well!

I've been practicing Mindfulness for about a year using meditation.

Have not yet evolved to being able to use it with housekeeping, but it has helped me become more aware of the good, interesting, and sometimes amazing things which happen around us all the time.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

GingerPeach — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 23:53:46 GMT

Hope you all are well, too, @Drythe

Has Ralphie ventured out from under the bed? And did he get "tutored"? I forgot the date he was scheduled. Here's hoping all went very well (or will).

Kiku is naturally mindful. She fully concentrates (as do all dogs) on the tasks at hand, most of which consist of convincing me I've forgotten her treats yet again!

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

Drythe — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 00:01:55 GMT

@GingerPeach

What a clever girl, Kiku!

Thank you for asking, I’ll ask Ralphie to write to y’all tonight.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

AuntG — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 00:07:16 GMT

@Frau K wrote:
I also agree. I’ve been reading two books called Romancing the Ordinary and A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sara Ban Breathnatch. They are all about just this. Really enjoy them.
======
I should get these books @Frau K.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

Oznell — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 00:36:03 GMT

Great wisdom, @GingerPeach. I like to think of it as a companion to the "there is no job too small, etc". way of thinking. I also like the mentality of putting all one's mind, heart and soul into tasks, whatever tasks have been put in our way.

Thanks for such a positive article!

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

jeanlake — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 00:55:13 GMT

I like the idea of creating positive space for myself through mindfulness. Cleaning and meal prep around the holidays are hectic because of limited time. I viewed it as opportunities to listen to audio books - my special time. Amazing how much more pleasant it was to host this year.

In a restaurant today, I overheard a patron complain about the blustery weather. Our server said after spending time in Afghanistan, he never complains about weather. He had a choice in his attitude. Bravo to Nate, our server.

Now - I need to increase my 'steps' to 15K/day total. I think the only way I'll be able to do this is through Mindfulness.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

phoenixbrd — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 04:46:26 GMT

Current trend......mindfulness

Old School.........Zen

Esoteric..............Gurdjieff/4th Way

Yes, this practice will elevate your life and all activities.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

phoenixbrd — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 05:02:05 GMT

@Drythe This doesn't surprise me. I completed the MBSR (Mind Body Stress Reduction - Mindfulness on steroids) training through Insight. If you are on the west coast, I can highly recommend an amazing instructor (she is a medical MD who left her profession to concentrate on Mindfulness training).

@Drythe wrote:

@GingerPeach

Hello, hope you and Kiku are well!

I've been practicing Mindfulness for about a year using meditation.

Have not yet evolved to being able to use it with housekeeping, but it has helped me become more aware of the good, interesting, and sometimes amazing things which happen around us all the time.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

Drythe — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 07:07:21 GMT

@phoenixbrd wrote:
@Drythe This doesn't surprise me. I completed the MBSR (Mind Body Stress Reduction - Mindfulness on steroids) training through Insight. If you are on the west coast, I can highly recommend an amazing instructor (she is a medical MD who left her profession to concentrate on Mindfulness training).

@Drythe wrote:

@GingerPeach

Hello, hope you and Kiku are well!

I've been practicing Mindfulness for about a year using meditation.

Have not yet evolved to being able to use it with housekeeping, but it has helped me become more aware of the good, interesting, and sometimes amazing things which happen around us all the time.

@phoenixbrd

Thank you for thinking of me. I think I'm a bit away from from your level, but I will surely look into the MBSR (Mind Body Stress Reduction - Mindfulness on steroids) training through Insight. I'm a very poor sleeper, and hope among other things this study and practice will help with that.

I am on the West Coast, about as far away as I can be, not so far from the shore of NC. I'm not sure such training is available near me, you know how stogy we East Coasters are ...

I appreciate the thought, and the information.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

phoenixbrd — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 12:45:38 GMT

@Drythe The teacher that I took my training with is Christiane Wolf. A wonderful way to relax and facilitate sleep is doing a body scan before falling asleep. I believe she has free body scan meditations for varying minutes online on her website.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

Still Raining — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 15:13:03 GMT

Dusting a house of wood blinds absolutely put one in a trance. Like a rag doll. Nice.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

GingerPeach — Sat, 05 Jan 2019 20:04:37 GMT

@Drythe

If you're not already familiar with it, you might want to take a look at the magazine Mindful. Here's a picture of the current issue:

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

chrystaltree — Sun, 06 Jan 2019 15:35:45 GMT

To me that's all "buy my book" rubbish. Rather than "mindfully" cleaning the toilets, I just want to do those menial but necessary things as quickly and efficiently and mindlessly as I can so that I can get on to the things that really positively affect my life. Even back in my sahm days when we didn't have the conveniences and equipment that we have now; I never made a big deal of housework and chores. I just got through over those things so that I could get to the things that truly mattered in my life. The things that matter are the things that enhance my emotional and cognitive welbeing. But, that's just me.

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

FastDogWalker2 — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:52:43 GMT

Giggling!

Re: Being mindful while cleaning improves mood🏡

stevieb — Wed, 09 Jan 2019 01:36:35 GMT

@Snowpuppy wrote:
I was just thinking nothing is more soothing to the soul than coming home frome an exhausting day at work, driving in 0 degree temps for the hour commute and then getting to my housekeeping chores!

Who comes up with this stuff?

Seriously @Snowpuppy... The main mood enhnacer to chores is when they're done!!