
It's spring cleaning season, and for some people that means drudgery or anxiety. But experts from Zen monks to psychologists say there can be mental health benefits found in such everyday manual chores as sweeping, mopping and clearing away clutter. Repetitive tasks like these offer a chance to slow down and be mindful, or let the mind wander. Plus, there's a sense of accomplishment in seeing your results. One tip for mindful cleaning is to focus on the process rather than the end result. Break the task down into steps, and focus only on the one you're doing. And let go of perfection. A famous Zen saying goes: “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

When things are difficult, we often add a lot of unnecessary frustration, anxiety, and self-criticism by resisting the difficulty of them – often with an underlying attitude of “it shouldn’t be this way." Find more peace by accepting difficulty instead of getting aggravated by it.
