The Surprising Science of Stress Cleaning: How Anxiety Affects Your Brain and Behaviours

Do you ever get that sudden, intense urge to put on your rubber gloves, scrub the bathroom tiles like you're on a mission, furiously wipe down surfaces, vacuuming every corner of the house, or decluttering your closet just to feel a little more in control when everything feels too overwhelming?

While it may seem puzzling at first, there is a neurological explanation for this behaviour, which we will explore today. And although it may feel like it gives you momentary relief, it may actually be making your anxiety and stress levels worse.

To understand stress cleaning, it’s essential to first understand what happens in the brain when you feel anxious.

Anxiety and the Brain

Anxiety activates the body’s stress response, often referred to as the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ system.

This system is controlled by the amygdala, a small, almond-shaped structure in the brain that acts as the body’s alarm centre. When the amygdala senses a potential threat - whether real or perceived - it triggers a cascade of stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline.

This physiological response prepares you to face danger: your heart rate increases, your breathing quickens, you may go sweaty, and your body becomes hyper-focused on survival. (More on how anxiety affects the body here.)

While this response is helpful in genuine life-threatening situations, chronic activation of the stress response – experienced with high levels of stress and anxiety disorders - can leave you feeling perpetually on edge, emotionally exhausted and overwhelmed.

So Why Does Cleaning Feel Good in the Moment?

The simple answer: the brain is restoring a sense of control.

Anxiety often brings feelings of helplessness or chaos, and cleaning provides a direct way to regain some sense of order. Stress cleaning offers temporary relief from anxiety by engaging specific mechanisms in the brain.

Tackling a cluttered drawer or wiping down countertops can create immediate, visible results, which signal to your brain that you have control over your environment. This can help calm the amygdala and dial down the intensity of the stress response.

Research consistently shows that a cluttered physical environment can significantly increase feelings of stress and overwhelm. There is a direct correlation between clutter and increased cortisol, which can lead to cognitive overload, decreased productivity and negatively impact mood and sleep.

By clearing clutter, you are also reducing visual and sensory stimuli that may be contributing to your anxious feelings. A cleaner space often feels calmer, which in turn signals to your brain that it is safe to relax.

Additionally, cleaning involves repetitive, rhythmic movements, such as scrubbing or sweeping. These motions engage the parasympathetic nervous system - the ‘rest and digest’ system—which helps counterbalance the body’s stress response. This is why cleaning can sometimes feel meditative, as these movements naturally promote relaxation and focus.

Another reason cleaning feels good is because completing a task (even something as small as washing a sink full of dishes) triggers a release of dopamine, the brain’s feel-good ‘reward’ chemical. This reward system reinforces the behaviour, making you feel accomplished and momentarily relieved of anxiety.

Is it Control or Avoidance?

While stress cleaning may feel productive, it’s also important to recognise when it is being used as a form of avoidance.

Behavioural avoidance is a common coping mechanism in anxiety, where individuals distract themselves from addressing the root cause of their stress. Cleaning can serve as a temporary escape from uncomfortable emotions or situations that feel too overwhelming to confront.

Procrastination is another way behavioural avoidance manifests and it can exacerbate anxiety over time. By delaying essential tasks or decisions, the underlying stressors often compound, leading to a greater sense of overwhelm. For example, you might clean the house to avoid preparing for an important presentation or making a difficult phone call.

While the cleaning may feel productive in the moment, the avoided task remains unresolved, perpetuating the cycle of anxiety. In the short term, this can provide relief. But over time it may prevent you from addressing the deeper issues that are driving your anxiety. Recognising this pattern is key to breaking free from it.

Differences Between Men and Women in Stress Cleaning

Research suggests that men and women may approach stress cleaning differently due to societal conditioning and neurological differences.

Women, for example, are often socialised to associate cleanliness with personal responsibility and societal approval. This can make stress cleaning feel not only like a coping mechanism, but also like a way to fulfil ingrained expectations.

Studies on the brain’s response to stress show that women are more likely to experience heightened activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region involved in emotional regulation and decision-making. This might explain why women often turn to stress cleaning as a way to regain emotional control.

Men, on the other hand, may engage in stress cleaning less frequently or for different reasons. Neurological research indicates that men are more likely to have a stress response dominated by the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism, whereas women tend to lean toward ‘tend and befriend’ behaviours.

Cleaning could fall into the ‘tend’ category, making it a more common stress-relief strategy for women. When men do engage in stress cleaning, it might be tied more to the goal-oriented nature of the task rather than for emotional regulation, as studies show men often experience a dopamine reward boost from task completion.

Societal expectations also play a role. Men may feel less pressure to maintain a pristine home, meaning they might not turn to cleaning as a primary way to manage stress. Instead, they might engage in other physical or goal-oriented activities like exercising or fixing things around the house.

Understanding these differences can help normalise individual coping styles and encourage both men and women to explore stress-relief strategies that align with their unique needs.

When stress cleaning becomes a problem

Stress cleaning becomes a problem when it shifts from being an occasional coping mechanism to a compulsive or detrimental behaviour. If cleaning starts to interfere with your daily life - consuming excessive amounts of time, causing distress when undone, or being driven by intrusive thoughts - it may signal a deeper issue.

For instance, people who feel unable to relax until everything is spotless may struggle with underlying perfectionism or control issues. Similarly, cleaning that is used to neutralise anxiety from specific fears, like contamination, might point toward obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

This kind of compulsive cleaning can reinforce anxiety rather than alleviate it, creating a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

Stress Cleaning and Obsessive Compulsive Behaviours

Stress cleaning can sometimes overlap with obsessive compulsive behaviours, or traits associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (OCD) and Obsessive Compulsive personality disorder (OCPD).

While occasional stress cleaning is normal, it becomes problematic when the behaviour starts to interfere with daily life or becomes a compulsive need rather than a choice.

People with OCD may feel driven to clean as a way to alleviate intrusive thoughts or reduce anxiety about perceived contamination or disorder.

In individuals with OCPD, perfectionism and a fixation with order can manifest as excessive cleaning. Unlike stress cleaning that is used as a temporary coping mechanism, these behaviours are often rigid, time-consuming and linked to an intense fear of imperfection or loss of control. For some, the inability to clean or maintain an immaculate environment can cause significant distress, making anxiety worse and creating a cycle of compulsive cleaning.

It’s important to recognise when stress cleaning shifts from being a helpful tool to a compulsive behaviour. If cleaning feels unavoidable, takes up excessive time or becomes a source of significant stress, it may be a sign of an underlying issue that requires professional support. Therapy can help address these patterns by identifying triggers, challenging perfectionist thinking, and developing healthier coping strategies.

Harnessing Stress Cleaning as a Healthy Coping Tool

Stress cleaning doesn’t have to be ‘good’ or ‘bad. It is all about how and why you are doing it. In some circumstances cleaning can be used as healthy outlet.

Here are some 4 tips to help make this behaviour work for you:

1. Set intentions

Before diving into cleaning, pause and ask yourself, “What am I feeling right now?” and “What am I avoiding?” This self-awareness can help you determine whether cleaning is a healthy outlet or a form of avoidance.

2. Set a timer

Setting yourself a time limit so you know you've got 15 minutes to clean and do as much as you can in that time.

3. Balance cleaning with reflection

If you find stress cleaning helpful, pair it with reflective practices like journaling or mindfulness to explore the underlying causes of your anxiety.

4. Use cleaning as a gateway to relaxation

Allow cleaning to be a stepping stone rather than the endpoint. For example, after tidying up, engage in other calming activities like having a bath, self-care, going for a walk or listening to a guided meditation.

If cleaning feels more like a necessity than a choice, or if it begins to strain relationships or hinder productivity, it may be time to seek professional support. Addressing the root causes of this behaviour through therapy or Hypnotherapy can help break the cycle and establish healthier coping mechanisms.

Seeking support

Solution Focused Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool for addressing the underlying causes of anxiety and stress cleaning behaviours. By combining relaxation techniques with guided visualisation, it helps to calm the overactive amygdala and shift your focus toward finding solutions and achieving positive outcomes.

This approach not only reduces anxiety but also empowers you to develop healthier coping mechanisms, leaving you better equipped to handle life’s challenges without relying excessively on stress cleaning.

If you are ready to develop healthier ways to manage anxiety, I’m here to help. Get in touch to arrange a free introductory call.

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