With warm temperatures starting to become more common, it’s time to open the windows and doors and let the fresh air and fresh start into your home. Spring is a great time to “Marie Kondo” your closets and drawers and decide what brings you joy and can stay, and what needs to be put in the donation box.
Spring cleaning is a bit of a right of passage each year, just like setting those New Year’s resolutions. The spring season is known as a time of rebirth and renewal and as the days get longer and lighter, it really is an ideal time to renew your living space. It’s not only good for organizing your house, but it can lift your mood as well.
One of the main benefits of spring cleaning is that it gives you a feeling of accomplishment, to finish a task you have started. Our brains feel good when we’re able to check this off the list and that will lessen tension, since the task is no longer hanging over our heads; not to mention the fact that you will experience how good a space feels to you once it has been cleaned and/or organized.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, spring cleaning can also be a form of therapy that helps you reduce stress. There are some people who find that cleaning can restore a sense of control because it helps them organize their thoughts and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Think about the peaceful feeling that comes when you can sit back, relax, and admire a clean and aesthetically pleasing space. If your bedroom is a hot mess, it is literally the first and last thing you look at when you wake up and fall asleep. Imagine how much better you will feel waking up and going to bed when you have a peaceful and clean space to start and end your day in.
Another way that spring cleaning helps your mental health is that it can actually improve your focus. If you suffer from ADHD, then you already have issues with trying to stay focused — so keeping your space clean and organized is going to keep you free of unnecessary distractions. This is especially important, now that so many people work from home; you don’t want to be hiding those dirty dishes on your desk before your morning Zoom call.
A physical benefit to spring cleaning is the fact that it’s great for your body to get up and moving. Cleaning your windows or vacuuming a large space can help you break a sweat and get some endorphins pumping.
It’s time to stop procrastinating and get that spring cleaning list started! Make a plan for one room/area at a time and get to it. Give yourself some grace as you won’t finish everything at once…and in no time your space will be organized, and you will feel so much better.
