It has finally happened: Spring has come to Cal Poly! Before this quarter draws to a close, now is a good time to empty out your physical, mental, and emotional junk. This is a perfect time to start noticing all of the things in our lives that drain our energy and leave us feeling unsatisfied. These small annoyances may seem obsolete, but can be as simple as having a messy desk, spending too much time on the phone, or not facing the bigger emotional burdens that just get heavier every day. Not only will Mother Earth be reborn this season, but so should you! This way, you can enter finals, as well as summer, with a clean slate and a more positive mindset. Here are a few tips to get rid of all the baggage we carry, both mentally and physically.
What Is Mental Clutter?
Mental Clutter involves all of the tasks we know have to get done, but they just kind of sit in our brains. It’s like a mental to-do list that is always growing, yet never quite getting completed. However, this to-do list doesn’t have to be just physical things you have to do, it can be things you wish to do in order to change your life in some way. For example, “I have to get to the gym more so I can look good for the summer,” or “I have to do really well on these next two tests to get an A in this class,” or “I have to buy that top because I saw that pretty girl on Instagram wearing it.” The list goes on. This is why it’s difficult to remain positive or motivated, because we not only have plenty of physical things to do, but also a long list of mental expectations. Although it’s important to have goals for the future, it is also important to not be so hard on yourself if you haven’t accomplished them yet. Starting with small tasks, and working your way up to the actual goal is the best way to get rid of the mental clutter. For example, “I have a few gaps in my schedule this week, maybe I can find the time to go on a walk, hike, or hit the gym; and if I invite a friend, it could help me keep myself accountable!” It’s less of a burden on the mind once a plan is organized, and that unrealistic expectation is made more attainable. A good place to start decluttering mentally is to actually declutter your living space!
Clean Your Physical Space First
One of my favorite people to turn to when I need tips to clean my home is Marie Kondo, a professional organizer. According to her, “Tidying is a powerful tool, but it’s not the destination. The true goal of tidying is to clear away clutter so you can live the life you want.” Stemming from this philosophy is the notion that everything in your living space should contribute to your happiness somehow, or “spark joy.” This joy can stem from nostalgia, usefulness, or even just visual aesthetics. When I start to get overwhelmed with my life, I start by decluttering physical elements that cause me this stress inadvertently. I keep everything I feel attached to, that will make my life joyful, and throw away or donate everything that doesn’t. Donating is an incredible way to keep the cycle of “sparking joy” continuous. Something that no longer makes you happy can make someone’s day. Whether that be old jewelry, clothing, shoes, books, or anything else, it proves the ideology that one person’s “trash” can be another person’s treasure.
As for the actual “cleaning” portion, it is always helpful to go from top to bottom. For example, let’s say you start with the floor. You sweep and mop, and it’s perfectly clean. Then, you wipe off the dining table and crumbs cascade onto the previously clean floor, which causes you to clean it again. I find when I go in reverse order, I end up re-cleaning things, which takes up so much more of my time and makes the process more difficult. So here is a short list of things I do when I want to do a deep clean, in their proper order, for a refreshed home, and a clear mind:
- Dust the corners of the space, as well as vertical blinds (if you have them) and lamps. I also do this to avoid spiders (my least favorite insect ever, so this ritual keeps my mind at ease).
- Clean stove and counter tops with a sponge and some dish soap, dry off with a paper towel.
- Scrub the kitchen sink with dish soap, and the bathroom sink with a sponge and some multi-purpose spray. I like to think of my kitchen sink as an extra dish, so I clean her much more regularly.
- Wipe down chairs, cabinets, and toilets with any single-use wipe you wish. Also, my least favorite chore, make sure to clean the shower as well. Personally, bathing is an essential part of having a good day/week, so having a clean shower makes this relaxing activity even more accessible.
- Finally, my favorite part, the floor. I usually like to start with sweeping and getting under hard to reach surfaces like under furniture, the fridge, or the oven. I grab my vacuum and make sure to go over the carpets as well. Then, I go in with my Swiffer Power Mop (my precious) and go over all the hard wood surfaces.
There you have it! A wonderful new home. Now, all these tasks can be particularly strenuous to do all in one day, or even regularly, so I recommend spacing them out, or just do them when you have the time. I usually find myself enjoying cleaning when I’m feeling stressed, and I need an outlet that is productive but is not homework or studying. Cleaning up your home can give you some peace of mind, knowing you have a refreshing space to study or relax. Another huge source of clutter is our devices. They not only take up physical storage in our cloud services, but also within our minds, so it’s important to clear them out to make space for new stuff.
Declutter Your Digital Life
A good start to this project would be to empty out inboxes of emails we never cared to open, companies we’re subscribed to for whatever reason, and organize them so that certain people, organizations, and companies are prioritized. This way, we can accurately keep track of the digital items that are most important to us.
Continuing on this path, it’s also a good time to clean out your desktop. High school English project? Gone. Statistics JMP files from last year? Goodbye. A copy of your resume and cover letters? Maybe they should get their own special folder. Organizing your computer drive based on things that are important at this time in your life allows you to focus on the essential tasks at hand without the burden of unnecessary items. This is also helpful in case of technological accidents. Maybe you’ll need that copy of your final paper in case your teacher never received it, or perhaps you deleted that picture of an assignment on your phone, but you have it backed up on your laptop. Knowing where everything is on your computer diminishes stress, and keeps us prepared for the future in an almost entirely digital age.
Finally, let’s start enforcing strict screen times on our phones. Yes, TikTok and Instagram reels are very good at distracting us from our problems, but they also mess with our brains. According to the CDC, “During July 2021 through December 2023, one-half of teenagers ages 12–17 had 4 hours or more of daily screen time (50.4%).” Additionally, the CDC states that “During July 2021 through December 2023, about 1 in 4 teenagers ages 12–17 with 4 hours or more of daily screen time had experienced anxiety (27.1%) or depression (25.9%) symptoms in the past 2 weeks.” Maturing is realizing our parents were right, it really is that damn phone. You see people with perfect lives, perfect clothes, with perfect workout routines that make us feel bad about ourselves because we’re doom scrolling instead of being productive. The truth is, this is not reality… Just because the amount of social media we consume daily is normalized doesn’t mean it’s good for your mental health. A good tip is to set a limit on your social media apps, and after that hour or two on your phone, go outside, make plans with friends, do that project you’ve been dreading, or literally just lay in bed and stare at the ceiling. As my Mom would always say, “It’s good to be bored, that’s when creativity flourishes.” You’ll also feel so much better about yourself when you stop focusing on other people. The grass is never greener, and you already have a beautiful garden of your own that is greener when you water it. However, what happens if something has tainted that garden, and made it hard for you to see its beauty?
Emotional Decluttering & Reset
One of the best ways to empty out those heavy thoughts and emotions is journaling. You can start out by just writing down random thoughts for ten minutes straight. Or, you can write based on prompts such as “What’s weighing on me right now?” or “What can I let go of before going into this summer?” or “What am I most grateful for right now?” It’s also important leading into finals week to try and let go of that academic guilt we carry if we don’t meet certain expectations. According to Brené Brown, “Perfectionism is not self-improvement. Perfectionism is, at its core, about trying to earn approval and acceptance. Most perfectionists were raised being praised for achievement and performance (grades, manners, rule-following, people-pleasing, appearance, sports). Somewhere along the way, we adopt this dangerous and debilitating belief system: I am what I accomplish and how well I accomplish it” (The Gifts of Imperfection). In college, it’s easy to get swept up in all the success of your peers and hope to reflect the same success yourself, but being a perfectionist can be draining and a heavy burden to carry with you all the time. This is why it’s important to enter finals with a game plan, a reasonable path that can be followed in order to perform at your absolute best.
Finals Prep: Prioritize With Intention
You now have a clean house, an organized desktop, and a refreshed consciousness. Now, you can dedicate yourself fully to one of the most important aspects of college life: your education. When making a study plan for finals, it’s always good to start early. You can begin by going through your notes and re-learning concepts that you don’t fully understand. Start attending office hours to clear up some questions, and perhaps dedicate each day from now until finals week studying for a particular subject. Choose whatever method works for you, but I would recommend avoiding procrastination using your new decluttering skills. In my personal opinion, Quizlet is a lifesaver for reinforcing material, even if you use it 20 minutes a day. Or, you could make your own study guides with the help of AI tools to get some extra practice.
Also, remember to have confidence in yourself and your abilities! In psychology, there is a concept called “self-fulfilling prophecy.” This is defined as “A false definition of the situation evoking a new behavior which makes the originally false conception come true” (Sociologist, Robert K. Merton). Basically, this means that if you believe you will fail a test, you will make yourself more anxious and study less, which can then impact your score and confirm your original belief. It’s much easier said than done to be confident, I know. However, every time you say “I’m going to fail,” you can say instead, “I’m going to try my best, and whatever happens, happens.” or “I put in the work to pass this exam, I deserve to pass because I earned it.” This way you can decrease your anxiety, and focus just on performing to the best of your ability, which is all any of us can do!
Conclusion
A few reminders before this article comes to an end:
- Cleaning your mind and your space isn’t about doing everything, it’s about letting go of what you don’t need.
- Stop comparing yourself to other people, everyone’s path is different and you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
- Declutter your life to make space for new and wonderful things that are about to come along, and keep things that remind yourself who you are and “spark joy.”
With all that being said, have a wonderful rest of your spring quarter, and good luck with finals! I hope these tips and tricks were able to help in some way.