With the recent and on-going epidemic causing complete social isolation, creating productive and fun things to do to fill the days is nearly impossible. Although it is extremely difficult, it is important that we don’t get discouraged by this sudden surplus of time on our hands. Instead, we should focus this time toward moving forward and getting ahead on things that seem to creep up on us every year.
Spring cleaning is such an important part of the season. Not only does spring cleaning help us to declutter all the miscellaneous items we collected over the holiday season, it also helps us to prepare for the season to come. Unfortunately, with school in full swing and busy work schedules, spring cleaning often gets overlooked and forgotten. In these strange times of social isolation, we are presented with an opportunity to really get ourselves ahead on spring cleaning, and in life.
The trickiest part of spring cleaning is deciding where to start. Some of the best advice I’ve ever received was, “If you can’t see it and enjoy it every day, give it to someone who can!” With this in mind, a great way to start your spring cleaning is to go through boxes and bags hiding in your closet or under your bed. As you go through these things, really consider their necessity to you, and consider how someone else may benefit from them instead. This is an especially great mindset to take on when trying to create a minimalist atmosphere.
Another great approach to getting started on your spring cleaning is to start in smaller spaces. For example, a room in most homes that can become a “catch-all” is the bathroom. Starting your cleaning process by getting rid of all unnecessary and unopened products that you don’t use in your bathroom can make a large impact with little effort. After the bathroom, move to the bedroom, then to the kitchen, etc. As the spaces get larger, you will find that the amount of little things you forgot you had will get smaller and before you know it, you will have spring cleaned your entire home.
No matter how you choose to get ahead on your spring cleaning, please strongly consider donating any unused and unwanted items to a women’s shelter. One great option in Kansas City for making easy donations is NewHouse. NewHouse is a shelter and service center for women and children who have been the victims of domestic violence. When visiting the NewHouse website, you can see a list of all the products that the shelter needs donated and how to do so. It is times like these when we need to be especially aware of our privilege and how we can use it to help those in need.
Although this time of epidemic and social isolation is taking a toll on how we are living our lives, it is important that we use it as a time to better ourselves and get ahead. Minimalizing and cleaning is a great way to fill the time and get our minds away from social media and stressful matters. Spring cleaning could be just what you need to feel productive and fulfilled until these times of social isolation have passed.