Environmental Cleanups Declutter Your Mind

If you ever find yourself feeling anxious about the state of the world, there’s one thing you can do to help yourself: Get outside and clean up. And bonus, this one action also helps the world around you.

Studies show that taking action to clean up our local natural environments of trash and litter not only makes our community a better place to live but also improves our individual mental and physical health. World Cleanup Day lets you participate in events that help people and communities near you while also helping the planet. 

The Science Behind Cleaning Up

Our environment has a huge impact on our physical and mental health. There is a clear relationship between exposure to nature and leading healthier lives. Environmental neuroscience is an emerging field that examines the benefits of interacting with our natural environment. 

Studies show that all of us experience improved physical and mental health when we interact with nature. For example, more green space at schools leads to improved cognitive development among students. Just going outside for a walk can improve your mood, memory, and ability to concentrate. Our bodies even physically relax when we’re in nature.

But some people don’t care for nature the way it cares for us. Litter in our neighborhoods is one of our biggest problems. Seeing trash on beaches and in public parks can have a huge negative impact on our mental health and contributes to harmful pollution. 

Taking action to improve the natural environment can be incredibly beneficial to your physical and mental health, which is why participating in World Cleanup Day is so important. People around the world can learn from and participate in these types of cleanups.  

Why Direct Action Helps Us Feel Better

Taking environmental action through cleanups directly benefits our health and well-being. You might get a sense of relief after cleaning off your desk because it’s easier to find your phone charger and everything is in its place. The act of cleaning creates a sense that we have control over our lives. In fact, cleaning behaviors serve as a coping mechanism in stressful or cluttered environments, benefiting mental processes such as memory and attention. 

Taking direct action in any way benefits our brains by lessening feelings of anxiety, and taking action as part of a group relieves feelings of isolation that are associated with these types of global problems. Pollution and littering are huge issues, but by taking action in our own communities, we can see that our individual actions can make a real difference and contribute to global solutions.

Collective action is an incredibly powerful force that can drive real change. The community aspect of these environmental cleanups also bolsters a sense of collective efficacy, or thinking that your actions can and will lead to meaningful change when you’re part of a group. Feeling like what you’re doing matters can motivate long-lasting environmental action.  

That’s why World Cleanup Day focuses on getting people involved wherever they are. Working together generates a positive feedback loop – the more people come together, the more good we can do for the planet. And we need as many people as possible focusing on the waste crisis to drive sustainable change.  

World Cleanup Day brings together communities worldwide to plan and register their cleanups for a single day of collecting large amounts of waste. In 2025, over 25 million people came together to clean up over 200,000 metric tonnes of pollution. This enormous impact was made possible by the power of volunteers who want to make their parks, beaches, roads, and communities a better place to live. By working together, we can make one team that wants to help the world.   

Community Cleanups Save the World (and Help You!)

Waste pollution is a problem worldwide. This means that the solution is also widespread. When we mobilize larger groups, we can build stronger community networks better able to push for substantial policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels. But it all starts with getting outside. 

Cleanups promote physical well-being and benefit brain health by bolstering our sense of hope for our futures and our combined power to do good. By coming together to make a lasting and meaningful difference in the world, we are fulfilling our commitment to the planet. Every time we take action to improve the environment, we ease the burden on future generations.  

By choosing every day to show up for the planet and take action, we can build on a foundation of environmentalism. All it takes is going outside and seeing what places in your community could use a cleanup. Find a World Cleanup Day event near you and do yourself and the world some good!

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