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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Katherine Roth

A mop, a broom and a calmer mind. Why some find mental health benefits in everyday tasks

Be Well-Zen of Cleaning - (Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Amid spring cleaning season, it can be easy to dismiss housework as drudgery, so dreaded or anxiety-inducing that it's best delegated to others if at all possible.

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. These tasks can encourage mindfulness or permit the mind to wander, all while producing a concrete sense of achievement in accomplishing the basic tasks of daily life.

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