With a new season comes new opportunities, a fresh start, along with motivation and initiative to take action on things we have been putting off. The truth is, spring cleaning isn’t just about getting rid of old clothes or dusting forgotten furniture, but also about clearing mental clutter that has built since the beginning of the year. It is important to address both aspects of this cleaning because our external environment and internal state are deeply connected.
Some ways to start decluttering your space is in one’s room. Our rooms seem to be a place where we collect most of our personal items and give random items a home as well. As these pieces add up, it is easy for them to pile up and become an obstruction. For many people, after time passes, sizes change, and trends pass, closets easily get filled with an excess amount of clothes and shoes. Taking the time to sort through these items and figuring out what actually still serves us is very important. Hope Edwards (12) shares, “Every spring, I like to go through my closet and get rid of what I don’t need or use anymore, and it is a perfect time to do this with the changing of seasons and weather.”
Through this action, you can also be led to another positive initiator which is donating these old belongings to people who will get a better use out of them. Going through one’s closet is a great way to welcome the new season with welcoming arms.
Speaking of things piling up, something that quickly adds up can be the dust on furniture that goes unnoticed. With classic spring-cleaning fashion, taking out the cleaning products and equipment is crucial for a complete spring cleaning. Being more attentive to the spaces in your home that you didn’t before ensures that your spring cleaning is done with purpose and is actually making an impact on your home. By bettering areas of your home that you didn’t notice before, you will feel great knowing that the value and cleanliness of your home is being protected and improved.
Moving along, one of the most important, and if not the most important area of oneself that needs to be decluttered and taken care of is our minds. Our brains are busy places, always working to function, and racing through the thousands of thoughts and reflections it has every day. Sometimes, these thoughts can be discouraging, negative, and subtract from our self-esteem rather than create a positive path for us to live by.
That is why, during spring cleaning, the opportunity to wind down, take a step back, and redirect our thoughts and attitudes to positive ones can be the best thing to do. Reese Wehner (11) states, “I have learned in my AP Psych class how much our thoughts influence how we view ourselves and the world, so keeping our minds healthy is definitely important.” Spring cleaning the mind allows us to let go of what no longer serves us and make space for clarity, growth, and peace.
When we take the time to declutter our spaces, we give ourselves the opportunity to welcome a new version of ourselves amongst the new seasons. Choosing this incentive empowers us to be a little closer to the person we want to become. As the spring-cleaning session nears, open the door that chooses to work towards unlocking your full potential.
