Mindful Monday: Clean Spaces, Clear Minds
Research on clutter, cleanliness, and stress shows us something fascinating: our environment isn’t just a backdrop to daily life—it actively shapes how our brains and bodies feel and function.
A friendly reminder: research is a guide, not a rulebook. Your child wasn’t in these studies. Their brain is beautifully unique. If what you read here matches what you notice in your home, wonderful—you’ve got language and strategies to lean on. If not, tuck it away as background knowledge and keep getting curious about what does help.
1. Chaos, Stress, and Caring for Kids
Summary: In one study, young women cared for infants in two environments: one neat and one intentionally cluttered. While their mood and responsiveness stayed about the same, their bodies told another story—women in the cluttered homes showed higher physical stress levels (measured biologically).
Why it matters for the Functioning Brain:
Even when we don’t feel more stressed in messy spaces, our bodies may be carrying an extra load. For parents, this means clutter can raise baseline stress—making it harder to stay calm, patient, and responsive. For kid’s that means “unexplained” meltdowns and stress.
My Notes:
This isn’t about having a spotless home.
It’s all about finding what level of order helps your child’s nervous system (and yours) feel supported rather than maxed out.
2. Visual Clutter and the Brain’s Focus
Summary: Researchers looked at how clutter affects the brain’s visual cortex. They found that when unrelated objects filled the visual field, the brain had a harder time focusing on the actual task—performance slowed and attention wavered.
Why it matters:
A cluttered desk or playroom doesn’t just look messy—it can literally hijack visual attention. For kids, that means more difficulty finishing homework or staying on task. For parents, more frustration when “simple” things take longer than expected.
My Notes:
Try small, strategic decluttering.
Clear one surface before starting a task. Put away the five items most likely to distract your child.
Tiny shifts can free up big brainpower.
3. Cleaning as a Calming Practice
Summary: Studies have shown that cleaning itself can reduce stress by giving us a sense of control, engaging us in repetitive movement, and even fostering mindfulness. In one experiment, people who washed dishes mindfully (really smelling the soap, feeling the warm water) reported a 27% drop in nervousness and a 25% bump in mental inspiration.
Why it matters for the Functioning Brain:
Cleaning isn’t just a chore—it can be a brain-regulating activity. When kids (or parents) connect cleaning to calm, it becomes a life skill, not a punishment.
My Notes:
Invite kids into cleaning not as “fixing a mess” but as “resetting our brains.”
Pair it with music and fun for more impact.
4. Brain Imaging: Order and Reward
Summary: Brain scans from a variety of research shows that clean, organized spaces activate the brain’s reward center—releasing dopamine (feel-good motivation chemistry). Messy spaces, on the other hand, are tied to higher cortisol (stress hormone) and can interfere with decision-making and focus.
Why it matters for the Functioning Brain:
Brains like order. Tidy spaces don’t just look nice—they actually feel better neurologically. That said, “tidy” doesn’t have to mean minimal or magazine-perfect. It means an environment where the brain doesn’t have to fight constant stress signals.
My Notes:
Let your family’s needs and brains define “order.”
Maybe it’s one toy bin cleared at night and closing the playroom door.
Maybe it’s clean counters but messy closets.
The goal isn’t perfection—it’s creating a space where brains can breathe.
Putting It Together: Rethinking Clean
Clutter quietly increases stress.
Visual chaos competes for attention.
Cleaning can be a built-in regulation tool.
Organized spaces light up the brain’s motivation system.
But here’s the most important piece: clean doesn’t mean perfect. The point is not to add pressure. It’s to help your family find sustainable rhythms and systems that lower stress, boost focus, and feel doable long-term.
Bottom Line
Cleanliness isn’t about impressing guests or meeting unrealistic standards. Facebook, influencer homes and Pinterest are not real life.
It’s about supporting brains—yours and your child’s. The right level of order can lower stress, free up attention, and even bring a sense of calm.
Start small, notice what makes your family’s brains feel best, and build habits from there.
It’s not busywork, it’s brain work.
Warmly,
Tara Roehl, MS, CCC-SLP 💛
P.S. Paid subscribers—tomorrow I’ll be sharing more practical tips and family-friendly strategies for cleaning and organizing—ideas that go beyond “just tidy up” to help you build sustainable routines that actually stick. Think small shifts, brain-friendly hacks, and ways to make cleaning less of a battle and more of a lifelong skill.