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Spring Cleaning Your Life: Mental Health Tips For a Fresh Start This Season

Sofia Morales Esteva Student Contributor, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPRM chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

As the seasons change and spring arrives, some of us tend to declutter our space out of habit. We even make investments and change our environments in order to feel satisfied with this cleanse; but what if I told you that spring cleaning your brain is the ultimate way to declutter your life? Just as we declutter our physical spaces, we should also clear the clutter from our emotions, minds, and social lives. Spring is the perfect time of year to shed old habits and introduce practices to help improve your mental well-being so that you can start fresh with a clearer mindset. So, as we step into this season, here are a few mental health tips to recharge and refresh you. 

1. Clear Your Mind

Similar to how a dirty room can make you feel overwhelmed, a cluttered mind can create stress and anxiety. Spend time on mindful exercises like meditation, yoga, or writing. Jotting down your thoughts on paper is one way to work through emotions and gain clarity on the things that matter to you. Try spending at least five minutes every morning or night taking account of your feelings and clearing your mind. 

2. Reassess Your Daily Routine

Spring is a great time to reassess and change your daily habits.For example, consider whether you’re getting enough sleep, taking sufficient breaks from work, and allowing enough time to meet your deadlines. Setting new goals for yourself can be an excellent motivator; add movement to your day, eat nutritious meals, and fill your mind with gratitude. Making even the smallest of adjustments to your routine can have a significant impact on how you mentally feel.

3. Clean Up Your Digital Space 

Our online life occupies many hours of our days, and a messy digital space can drain our mental energy. These long-awaited free days should be used wisely to sort your inbox, erase the apps that you never use, and unfollow the social media accounts that do not give you joy anymore. Less screen time and a tailored positive digital space can bring you inner calmness and concentration.

4. Release Toxic Relationships 

Similar to when you decide to donate old clothes that are no longer serving you, evaluate the relationships you have and decide which ones help you grow and be happy. If some of your friendships or relationships suck the energy out of you, maybe boundaries need to be set, or maybe an evaluation of whether or not the relationship is worth continuing is necessary. Be in the company of those who lift you up and guide you towards a happy life.

5. Prioritize Self-Care and Rest 

Spring cleaning is not just about being productive—  it’s also about pausing and taking breaks to replenish. Ensure that you are dedicating extra time to focus on self-care, such as activities that help you unwind and feel rejuvenated. Read a book, go for a long walk, or revisit an old hobby. When it comes to your mental health, rest is just as important as work

6. Engage in a Physical Cleanse 

You’ve probably  heard that mental health is influenced by physical places. When your workspace environment is clean and clear, you will be able to relax and stay productive. Dedicate a weekend to detoxify your space; clean your room, organize your closet, and toss out what no longer holds value. Having an all-new, revitalized environment is sure to have a positive impact on your state of mind. 

7. Set New Goals and Intentions 

Spring represents new beginnings, making it the ideal time to set new personal and professional goals. Think about your objectives for the upcoming months and how to create an action plan to achieve them. Having a vision of why you want to accomplish them is a good way to look at the positives, stay upbeat, and it is a great incentive to do better; whether it’s something that will improve your well-being, a new skill you’re learning, or building better relationships.

Spring isn’t just a season to clean— it’s a time for a mental reset and to focus on your mental health priorities. By decluttering your mind, adjusting daily habits, setting boundaries, and transforming your environment into a positive space, you can embrace the coming months with an open heart, mind, and spirit. Think of it as a fresh start and a way to move forward with clarity. Happy spring cleaning!

Sofia Morales Esteva is part of the writing team at the Her Campus UPRM chapter. She is currently a fifth year undergraduate and research student pursuing a degree in Industrial Microbiology, with hopes of going to pharmacy after acquiring her bachelor’s degree in June 2026 and pursuing a career in that industry.


In addition to Her Campus, Sofia is part of the following associations at the biology department: CPM (Circle of Premedical Students), The National Honor Society of Biology (Tribeta), WINS (Women in Natural Sciences), AMSA (American Medical Student Association), FPA (Future Pharmacists Association) and Medlife (UPRM Chapter). She also has done internships and shadowings in different branches of medical specialties like optometry, dentistry, cardiology, neurology, dermatology, pharmacy and many more at hospitals in Puerto Rico (mostly Mayagüez and Ponce) and one summer fully dedicated to that at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical School. She has also done research at Project AV (rovers) here in UPRM as a microbiology researcher to explore the possibility of life on Mars. She hopes to accomplish more research during the summer and in the fall semester of 2025 in different areas of biology (mainly focusing in pharmaceutical research).


Outside of academics, Sofia has a love for music and is an avid playlist curator (currently with 130 playlists in her Spotify account and more to come, she makes one for everything). She also loves movies and is a regular at Letterbox. Her Letterbox 4 are Pride and Prejudice (2005), La La Land (2017), Howl's Moving Castle (2004) and 10 things I hate about you (1999). Also, if you couldn’t tell from the bio, Sofia is a certified yapper and loves building connections with friends, family, and new people (don’t let the INFJ MBTI tell you otherwise).


In her everyday life, Sofia loves reading (book reading challenge completed successfully every year), swimming, scroll endlessly on Pinterest, consuming pop culture, watching new films, doing makeup, skincare, going out with her friends, completing bucket list items and overall just having a good time whether in school or outside of it.