Mopping the floor every day keeps the blues away?
Categories: Just for moms, Money & work, In the news
According to some scientists at University College London, 20 minutes of housework can reduce your risk of anxiety and depression.No, really. They're serious.
I'm guessing these scientists have never been sleep deprived by new parenthood to the point where just peeking into the laundry room causes them to burst into tears.
When I was making the transition from professional career woman to SAHM, housework nearly undid me. Suddenly, instead of challenging my brain daily with a variety of intellectual tasks, I was folding underwear and rescuing toys from the dust bunnies under the couch. Sure, I did those things when I worked outside of the home too, but they were chores, not my career. The side effect of staying home with your kids means that your kids are home all day to mess it up, and finding balance can be tough.
I understand where these scientists are coming from. Housework is physical activity and exercise does keep the blues away. Though my house is never spotless (understatement of the year), I've also noticed that when things are relatively organized, my mental health is better.
So if you're looking for a pick-me-up, scientists say that sweeping your kitchen, vacuuming, or any other type of housework will do. But when I'm looking for a pick-me-up, the last place you'll find me is the laundry room. Because even science can't convince me that folding laundry is good for my health.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Meagan 4-21-2008 @ 1:37PM
I think both you... and the article you're referencing, may be missing the point. I'm not exactly a neat freak (in fact I'm pretty much a slob) but I've found that cleaning does make me feel better when I'm down, or just better in general if I'm not feeling down. This isn't because it's "physical activity" as the article suggests, although I'm sure that helps, it's because usually when I'm feeling depressed or stressed out it's because I've got so many things going on that I feel helpless, worried, out of control. By picking things up, by cleaning my space even a little, I can actually see physical evidence that I DO have some control over my life.
If just looking at a pile of laundry makes you cry, just popping it in the machine might make you feel worlds better, once you get past WANTING to cry at the mere thought of it. Of course, as I've mentioned before I don't have kids yet so I realize I'm not talking about the absolute exhaustion that comes from being a parent, but in every day kid-free life often times the thought of doing things is more tiring than actually doing them.
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Carrie 4-21-2008 @ 3:22PM
20 minutes but no more lol!
There are a few studies that show that the more housework a person does the more depression they report.
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