Why We Should Embrace Spring Cleaning

After a long winter with a little too much time spent inside, spring finally arrives tomorrow. I will be giving the leftover snow in my yard an eviction notice, as it is time for the spring activities to commence. While the end of winter leads us to warmer weather and new life, it is also the grim reaper of the dreaded spring cleaning. I am a champion cleaning procrastinator, so as I write this article, I will be trying to convince both of us why we should embrace spring cleaning.

Clean Your Space

When we are busy running from one commitment to the next, we seldom have time to stop and clean our loving homes the way they actually deserve. When we have multiple work deadlines, the kids are hungry, and we need to get a workout in, the first thing to drop is the cleaning.

Unfortunately, as we all know, when we don’t keep up with the cleaning, it’s difficult to get it under control. Even more, spending extra time in our homes over the winter seems to accelerate the rapid growth of clutter and overall grossness. There comes a point when we need to put down our other obligations and get our homes in order. But please, for this spring-cleaning venture, clean for yourself, and not because you are “supposed to.” Clean for you and your family’s health.

Clean for your lungs and your physical health. Get rid of all of the dust, mold, and pet dander in your house. Your body will thank you. Especially if you are prone to allergies. According to Healthline, “Beyond keeping allergies at bay, a clean house can help you breathe better by preventing respiratory issues and supporting a healthy immune system.”

Declutter your home. Go through your home and remove the excess you no longer need or use. You can choose to recycle, throw out, donate, or sell. If you aren’t ready to part with the item, put it in storage so you can reevaluate later. A cluttered space is a cluttered mind. Take the time to clear out your home now, so you can think more clearly later.

Go through your storage space. You know all that invaluable junk we put in storage, insistent that we might need it later? If those items have been taking up space in your home for several years and you have never touched it once, it might be time to part ways.

Make cleaning fun. Make it a family affair and get everyone involved. You can make it a game or a competition. If you are feeling extra generous, you can even offer a fun reward for helping (that means for you too).

Clear Your Mind

Spring cleaning shouldn’t just be about cleaning your space. Why we should embrace spring cleaning is about your mind too. After you have cleared your space, it’s time to clear your mind.

It has been almost three months since we made our goals for the new year. Now is the time for a quarterly check-in with yourself. Just like some of us complete quarterly reports at work, we can give ourselves quarterly check-ins too. We can review the goals and commitments we made for ourselves for the new year and see how they are going.

Give yourself at least an hour or two to clear your mind and evaluate how the last few months went and what changes you want to make for yourself going forward. Have you been making the right steps to achieve your goals? Were they realistic and appropriate goals? Or do you need to reprioritize for the next few months? Maybe your focus for the last few months was in the right place, but now you need to shift your focus to new priorities for the next quarter.

By going through this exercise, you can make sure your priorities are clearly set and your focus is in the right place.

Then Let Go

Now you know why we should embrace spring cleaning and you have done the work. You have cleaned your space and cleared your mind. Now it’s time to let go and live. Our homes don’t need to be perfectly clean all the time and our minds aren’t robots that we can direct to do exactly what we want. There comes a point when we have to just relax and enjoy living.

Of course, we can make time for the occasional maintenance. However, when we have a million and one things to do, something has to give. Give yourself a little self-compassion and accept that what will be will be. And if you have kids, remember that dirty dishes will always come and go, but the toys only stay for so long. Let’s give ourselves a break, take the pressure off, and enjoy the present.

Thank You for Reading

Thank you for reading Why We Should Embrace Spring Cleaning. Now I want to hear from you. How do you keep your home clean? Are you able to keep up with it every day or do you set aside time on the weekend? Does the state of your home impact how you feel?

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