Spring seems to come just at the right time when we are all getting very over darkness at 4pm, blistering cold walks into work, and scraping ice and snow off our car. Then March rolls around and you hear a small bird chirping as you are walking your dog and a warm spring breeze glides through your window and at last, you get some fresh air in your lungs. With the arrival of a new season, it only feels natural to refresh and shake off winter doldrums (they’re sooo last season). While you’re at it, how about some spring cleaning to make you feel ready, organized and rejuvenated to take on brighter, longer days? Here are a few simple ways to not only clean your physical space but also your mind and heart:Â
Clean your space.
Clean your baseboards
Wait, people clean those? A place your eye rarely travels, yes, hence the buildup of shocking dust! But we promise once they’re clean you'll feel like you can conquer just about anything. We know it can sound daunting with the amount of time spent on your hands and knees, but hear us out. Turn on a podcast you’ve been meaning to listen to or maybe your go-to guilty pleasure show and you will be done in no time. Try out this magic duster we’ve seen on TikTok and your baseboards will be as good as new, now go forth and conquer.Â
Clean your shower!
The shower can seem like a place that needs less cleaning than other areas of your home, as it’s the place where cleanin’ up happens. However, we all know we it can get pretty gross pretty fast and should probably get a bit more attention. Pro Tip: While you’re letting your favorite hair mask do its magic, fill a dish sponge with a handle with Dawn dish soap and vinegar and get to scrubbing. The epitome of killing two birds with one stone.Â
Clean your mind.
Think Positive
Humans have thousands and thousands of thoughts a day. Studies have shown humans have a daily range of 12,000 - 50,000 thoughts and sadly, about 80% of them are negative. Bummer. But take heart! Your mind is a powerful place that has a major impact on your day and overall outlook. Try to build in the habit of intentional positive thoughts – shoot for five a day this month!
Get Organized
Clean your mind? Clear out your inbox. Organize the scattered files on your desktop. Get rid of those apps on your phone you haven’t looked at in a year. We spend so much time staring at busy screens (we should probably take a break from that too, tbh.) that only add to the clutter in our heads. Take a few hours this month to sort through, get organized, or even better, clear out the disarray of emails and files and apps that consume our minds.
Clean your heart.
Give the Benefit of the Doubt
How many times a week do we let getting cut off in traffic, getting cut in line, a late package, or a grumpy coworker ruin our entire day? Is it worth it? Instead of getting annoyed or frustrated, let’s practice taking a deep breath and giving people the benefit of the doubt before letting something small and out of our control set the tone for the rest of the day. Maybe they’re rushing to the hospital and need to rush around you, maybe the Amazon driver got stuck in major traffic, maybe your coworker just lost a loved one or got their heart broken. Let’s try to do our best to assume everyone around us is doing their best this month and let the small things go!
See the Good
Ready for the big kicker? Let’s take the last challenge and step it up a notch. You know that one person in the friend group, the family, or at work that just really gets on your nerves? Every time they chime in or come up in conversation you fight the natural urge to roll your eyes? We all have one (or a few, no judgment here). Right now, yes right this second, write down or make a note in your phone 3 things that are good about that person. Seriously, do it! That’s not even the hard part. Here it is: every time they come around or come up in conversation, think about and focus on only those 3 good things. Practice seeing the good and do the work, you never know, you just might have a change of heart. 💓
Who’s ready to get going on their spring cleaning list?! Whether you start small and only get to those baseboards you avoid all year or tackle the whole list for a full spring transformation, just get started! Better yet, grab a friend or two and work through them together, we’re all about community over here after all. 😉 We hope this list at the very least inspires you to take advantage of the new light and life that spring brings us and take some time for yourself to improve on or clear out some aspects of life that have been weighing you down. If you’re still stuck in winter (metaphorically or literally), know this, the changing seasons of life are natural and certain, so just remember brighter days are ahead!