I feel like the best way to start a season anew is with a huge life refresh, both physically and mentally, Coming off of the spring break craziness delayed my spring cleaning a bit but with the start of April and warmer weather coming, there’s no better time than now to get your life together a bit. Here are the steps I took to release anything bringing me down in the colder months to welcome the spring months ahead:
The physical clean out
- Get into all the spaces! This may seem super obvious but just decluttering is a step further than cleaning. Yes, making sure your space is tidy and looks nice is great, but the added key step here is just getting rid of anything that you simply do not need. I found myself combing through expired makeup products or study guides from last semester and accumulated so many trash bags. Know what you have and get rid of anything that simply is not necessary. Get into those spaces and corners that you usually don’t venture into and make time to give them some attention. This can include: skincare, clothes, makeup, toiletries, school supplies and your backpack, or your fridge and pantry.
- Selling was another key step for me. Apps like Poshmark and Depop are great sites for you to list your clothes. While the process of posting and shipping out clothes is time consuming, making money from getting rid of clothes you never wear is the biggest win. Spring cleaning for profit!
- Renew with some new pieces or things you may need. Examining our belongings often leads to realizing things we don’t have or want or need for the spring months. What aspects of a new routine require some new physical items? Maybe you might be in need of some new clothing items, a new journal or some new skincare items to refresh your self care rituals. This can also just make you look forward so much more to the weeks ahead. Change feels so good.
The mental clean out
- Journal. We all know that this is a ritual constantly jammed down our throats from the wellness community, but I think particularly at this turn of the seasons, getting your thoughts out is key. Clear up that mental clutter. Release anything holding you back from the previous months and make room for all the new goodness. For example, here are some helpful prompts I used:
-Winter reflections: What went well? What was difficult? Things I learned:
-Spring intentions: Goals, Habits, Affirmations, Themes
- Electronics. Old emails, texts, contacts, safari tabs and files can create so much mental clutter. Clear it all out and maybe even reorganize your desktop/phone screen to better orient you for a fresh start in the spring.
- Social media. This “clean out” can happen in two ways: going through your apps and going through your following. What apps haven’t been making you feel your best? What accounts are no longer giving you the content that you want to see? This is a game changer.
Finally, while this all may seem overwhelming, get started with just making a list in your notes app of all the spaces you need to clean, and the tasks you want to complete in this process so you have it visually. Then, just disperse tasks on different days. Don’t overwhelm yourself! Get spring cleaning and make your spring the best it can me by setting yourself up for success.