It's officially spring time! Which, means nice weather, flowers blossoming, and spring cleaning! Spring cleaning is usually considered to be the time of year when you you cleanse all the rooms in your house. However, what if there is a more holistic view on spring cleaning? What if not only detox your surroundings, but also your mind, and what you consume? What if we had a holistic view on spring cleaning? We live in a world with so much excess and stimulus, it's important to reset our minds, bodies, and souls. There are three major areas to declutter, specifically in this order, our surroundings, our devices/what we're consuming, and our minds.
Our Surroundings
Whether you live in a house, an apartment, or a dorm room it is necessary to care for the space you reside in. I don't know about you, but when I have a messy room it is a direct reflection of my current mental state.
1. Dump. Throw away all trash or useless papers laying around. You'd be surprised how big of a difference there will be just after this first step.
2. Donate. Go through one room at a time with a trash bag or box and fill it with things you don't use and donate them. Maybe it's clothes you haven't looked at in months, or board games collecting dust. Get rid of it!!
3. Rearrange. Once you've cleared out all the junk and things you don't need, reorganize and rearrange a new set up in each room. Move the furniture around or put different pictures up. This will help give you a fresh new look compared to the cluttered messy state it may have been before.
Our Devices/what we're Consuming
Our phones and laptops can become just as cluttered as our homes and rooms. We also consume food and a lot of that can be junk food. This is not the best for our physical bodies, therefore it will only hinder our minds, just like our surroundings do.
4. Delete. Go through your phone or laptop and delete what is taking up space. Maybe it's the old apps you don't use anymore or the screenshots and texts that are from a year ago. Most of us spend just as much time on our phones as we do in our homes so don't neglect cleaning that area of your life too.
5. Trash it. Throw away all the junk food you know you shouldn't have bought in the first place. I know what you're thinking "But, Kiana I can't waste the food I already have!" I understand, I am so frugal and I hate wasting anything, but that junk is waste and it can either be thrown into the trashcan or your body. (don't worry I needed to hear this one too!)
Our Minds
It's been a couple months since New Years (you know that time when you made +50 goals to accomplish). Now it's the time of the year when our numerous goals and aspirations can feel daunting or even conflict one another.
6. Prioritize. Rethink some of your goals and prioritize what you can accomplish first, but only work on one at a time! Do this with to-do lists as well, prioritize one task at a time.
7. Write. Another way to help prioritize and maybe even bring tasks and goals to reality is to write them down. Whether that is in checklist form or as a mind map, be as basic or creative as you want as long as it helps you organize your mind and thoughts.
8. Rest. Taking time to rest and unsure you're getting the sleep needed for your body may be the most important form of self-care. This will help you declutter your mind and put you at ease. It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and grind of life, but rest helps us slow down and reset.
9. Set your rhythm. Everybody has a routine that they live having consistency and rhythm helps keep us from getting overwhelmed. It also keeps us moving a long and keeps us from feeling stagnate.
10. Grace. Lastly, give yourself grace with all these tasks. Remember the goal is to spring clean your mind, body, and soul for the best version of you. There is no need to get overwhelmed or feel guilty for having to much stuff. We all go through times where we need to purge the excess in our lives. So be grateful and be present with what you have and let go of what you do not need.
I hope you connected with my post and found my tips helpful in spring cleaning all the areas of your own life! Let me know what your spring cleaning is going to entail this year!