{"id":54058,"date":"2026-05-21T07:33:37","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T23:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=54058"},"modified":"2026-05-21T07:33:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T23:33:37","slug":"how-doing-housework-can-declutter-both-your-home-and-your-mind-what-the-experts-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=54058","title":{"rendered":"How doing housework can declutter both your home and your mind. What the experts say"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Amid spring cleaning season, it can be tempting to dismiss housework<\/span> as drudgery, so dreaded or anxiety-inducing that it is best delegated to others if at all possible.<\/div>\n
But experts from Zen monks to psychologists say there are mental health benefits to be found in such manual chores as sweeping, mopping and clearing away clutter<\/span>. These tasks can encourage mindfulness or permit the mind to wander, all while producing a sense of achievement in accomplishing the basic tasks of daily life.<\/div>\n

As one Zen saying goes: \u201cBefore enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.\u201d<\/p>\n

What the monks know<\/h3>\n

Zen apprentices, or unsui<\/em> monks, spend much of their time cleaning and tidying.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sweep dust to remove worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments,\u201d Shoukei Matsumoto, a Buddhist monk living in Kyoto, Japan, wrote in his book A Monk\u2019s Guide to a Clean House and Mind<\/em> (2018). \u201cThe time we spend carefully cleaning out every nook and cranny of the temple grounds is extremely fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Shoukei<\/div>
Shoukei Matsumoto is a monk and author of the 2018 book A Monk\u2019s Guide to a Clean House and Mind. Photo: chartwellspeakers.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Holly Schiff, a clinical psychologist based in the US state of Connecticut, confirms that the process of cleaning can be calming and almost meditative.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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