When things are far beyond our control (like the irritating number of people who still don’t take the pandemic seriously), we resort to rituals like cleaning to comfort ourselves.

As for what exactly makes cleaning such an effective stress reliever during times like this, it goes something like this:

Cleaning provides us with a sense of control over our environment.

Anxiety begins to brew when you perceive a threat—in this case, a horrific, contagious disease that is spreading rapidly around the world. But for anxiety to be a problem, you need to both perceive a threat and feel uncertain about your ability to deal with it effectively.

Humans crave structure and familiarity, especially in uncertain times, and when we look for ways to reduce feelings of helplessness, cleaning is one of the ways we may decide to do so.

We tend to stick to patterns we are familiar with, especially during stressful times. This is largely because the brain takes mental shortcuts to conserve its energy during times like these.

It is easier to rely on already existing patterns of behavior than to consume the additional cognitive functions required to stop, take stock of one’s situation and surroundings, and make a conscious decision to adopt a new behavior.

Cleaning helps us filter out the bigger picture, which is extremely uncertain, because it gives us something we can control—even something as small as organizing books by color.

We know the end result and we know how to get there, which is a very comforting thought.

The act of cleaning offers up a soothing one-two punch of mindfulness and endorphins.

Cleaning is a form of ritual, or repetitive and predictable behavior (think: scrubbing or sweeping movements).

People like to be able to predict things and know what is about to happen. From a survival perspective, predictability allows us to plan and better protect ourselves from potential threats. During times of heightened chaos, such as a pandemic, our preference for cleanliness tends to increase.

It ended up being an informal mindfulness practice. In this state, you are usually able to observe outside thoughts, worries, and fears, and reactivity and distress are reduced. It’s not that we intentionally choose to practice mindfulness this way, but it may be an unconscious reason why we tend to cleanse during times of high anxiety.

Plus, when you scrub hard or vacuum quickly, cleaning acts as a mini-exercise and brings the same neurochemical benefits of exercise. In addition to reducing stress hormones, exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood enhancers and pain relievers.

The post-cleanup feelings of accomplishment can spill over into other areas of our lives.

The pun is entirely intentional. When you tackle and conquer a challenging cleaning project (for example, overhauling your cluttered closet), you’re more likely to feel empowered to tackle other areas of your life that are daunting or out of control.

Regardless of the coping mechanism, this is a universal principle. Greater confidence encourages people to tackle other challenges in life that may have seemed out of reach in the past.

Of course, it helps if you consciously apply the sense of accomplishment that comes with cleaning. This requires you to reflect on whether you can control the anxious situation, take reasonable steps to deal with the problem, and successfully find an effective solution.

Going overboard in the cleaning department, though, can stress you out more.

If you clean to avoid internal discomfort like worry or sadness, those feelings will only be temporarily alleviated by your decluttering habits.

However, once you stop cleaning or start messing with your newly cleaned space, your anxiety rebounds, but this time, it’s a little higher than before.

This is because you’ve just told yourself that you can’t handle these feelings, that they are too scary and uncomfortable, so you need to avoid them in order to feel better. The fact that a previous cleanse can soothe these feelings will compel you to use this practice the next time your nausea starts to get worse.

Cleaning is a healthy way to clear your mind, gain new perspective, and let go of worries. But it shouldn’t be used to hide problems.

If you cleanse primarily when you feel anxious about problems you’re facing, and rarely take action to resolve them, that means cleansing is an avoidance response rather than a temporary way to relieve anxiety in order to be effective soon. Solve your problem.

Here’s how to use cleaning to de-stress and better cope with your emotions.

To make sure your cleaning routine continues to relieve stress and doesn’t turn into an escape strategy, experts recommend setting boundaries and being honest with yourself when things start to go wrong.

Try setting aside a defined time for cleaning, such as first thing in the morning. Morning cleanup sets the stage for a true new beginning, inspires hope and promotes a sense of well-being. By clearing away environmental distractions, the brain feels calmer and freer to focus on other tasks.

Make sure to limit the time you spend cleaning, and once the allotted time is up, move on to the rest of the day.

The mental health benefits of cleaning may be reversed if it distracts you from more important things, or when you become obsessed with keeping everything organized.

If you find yourself getting carried away (perhaps brushing between your teeth with a toothbrush), setting a timer for a task can increase focus and productivity.

If you find yourself using cleansing as a means to avoid something that really needs to be done, such as a looming project with a deadline, it’s important to call it out on yourself as well.

A simple way to determine what you’re doing is to assess your level of anxiety when cleaning. If it hasn’t decreased since you started cleaning, you may want to be honest with yourself, limit your cleaning time, and then commit to facing it. More important work.

The idea is to learn how to live with uncomfortable feelings rather than avoid them by cleaning: notice the feelings, but don’t engage with them or try not to have them, they will pass.

Before they do this, center yourself using grounding techniques, such as focusing on your breathing, touching something in the room and focusing on its texture, or placing your feet firmly on the floor.

If your fear and anxiety persist throughout the day or after several days, it is recommended to seek emotional support from a mental health professional, as an excessive need to clean may indicate an underlying anxiety disorder.

Therapy will help you identify which behaviors are healthy and which are avoidant, and once you understand your behavioral blueprint, you can begin to change unhealthy patterns.