Cleaning and organizing your home is not just for when guests come to visit you. More and more mental health experts say that tidiness good for our mental well-being. In fact, when we're in a cluttered environment, we might find it hard to concentrate and work, as worrying about the clutter takes up space in our brains.

I have a friend who once told me she couldn't get any work done if she didn't first tidy up and clean her room. At the time, we were both writing our Bachelor's theses, so productivity was a big concern for us both. 

I didn't quite understand her at the time, because for me, cleaning before finishing tasks seemed like procrastinating. Only now, almost 10 years later, I finally get it: I, too, can't work efficiently if my working space resembles a pigsty. It's just too distracting!

Robin Raflo Hurtado, LCSW, explains that we feel "distracted because [our] senses are in overdrive to process [our] surroundings, and like time is being wasted (inability to find things, etc.)." And this isn't just a problem with pedantic people; it happens to most of us, apparently!

For example, 9 in 10 Americans say they feel better when they have a clean home. 66% believe that they're in a better mood, and 63% claim they're more productive. Brian Sansoni, the Senior Vice President of Communications and Outreach at the American Cleaning Institute says that cleaning is so much more than what it used to be. "We see that cleaning is caring," he notes.

What does "Cleaning is caring" mean, exactly? Well, according to the queen of tidying up Marie Kondo herself, it brings well-being to every aspect of our lives. "Organization not only supports self-care, it is self-care," she proclaims. Organization, according to her, "keeps us grounded through all of life's surprises, and it empowers us to live that life fully."

Professional organizer Mary Cornetta even likens tidying up to drinking enough water and sleeping 8 hours a day or more. That's how important it is to our self-care. She gives examples of how an organized home helps her in small ways every day. When the countertops are clean, for example, she makes more home-cooked meals. When her workout clothes are in order, she finds it easier to go to the gym or go for a run.

Okay, okay, we get it: tidying up and organizing your things in a neat way is really good for us. But how do we find the energy and the mental focus to actually do it? It can be hard to take some time out of your day when you've got work, meals, physical exercise, and want to have some downtime to relax by the end of the day. 

Cornetta has a few suggestions about making your everyday routine more clutter-free. For starters, she makes her bed right after waking up. She says it sets the tone for her day and her space: "It's like mentally clicking something productive off your list early in the day," she writes for Apartment Therapy.

This next tip is for folks who like to spend some time getting ready every morning and go through their skincare, makeup, and hair routines. Cornetta likes to put all of her products away once she's done with them. It only takes one or two minutes but can make a huge difference in how your bathroom sink looks.

Once you're back home from work, there are two things you can implement to have a tidier home. Cornetta takes from five to 10 minutes to load the dishwasher, put away leftovers, take the trash out, wipe surfaces, collect dog toys from the ground, etc.

Then, she preps what she can for the next day. That includes choosing an outfit, packing lunch, and even making a to-do list for tomorrow. "When I do, it makes me feel like I'm on top of things and that I care about future me. In other words, it feels a lot like self-care," she explains.

There are also three things Cornetta does weekly: sort out bills and mail, tidy the kitchen, and do the laundry. If any of these seem like too much of a chore, she recommends giving yourself "a bribe" during or after. For doing the tasks she hates, she sometimes pours herself a glass of wine or picks up a fancy coffee (both "bribes" for the appropriate times of day, of course) to not make it as tedious.

"Remember, self-care isn't always glamorous. Usually, it's doing the dirty work that results in a healthier, better version of yourself," she concludes. If you've been inspired to get up and get some organization done, great, our dear Pandas! But if you feel like you need some more motivation, be sure to check out or other collections of perfectly organized things here, here and here!