Oh that wonderful phrase “Spring cleaning.” For many of us this feels like a chore. It starts before we can even remember, gathering things we don’t need and burying it in the back of a closet/garage/basement. But this post is about more than just physical “stuff,” it’s all the stuff: emotional, social, and habitual, and yes of course the physical stuff too. Now that many of us have extra time on our hands not having to commute to and from work (and this unfortunate situation just happens to coincide with spring) now is a great time to go through our metaphorical closets, and the real ones too.
Physically
This is easy for most of us.You don’t need to be as extreme as Marie Kondo, but if it’s something you haven’t used in the past 5 years, you for sure need to donate it or give it to someone else. Honestly if you haven’t used it in 3 years it’s probably safe to assume you won’t miss it, and if you haven’t used it in the past year maybe try the Marie Kondo thing 🤷♀️ After you’ve gone through your stuff it’s time to start deep cleaning everything. It’s probably the time of year you really wipe down those baseboards and crown molding. Get the top of your ceiling fans. Move the bed. Move the couch. Move the fridge… ugh 😅 Steam vacuum those carpets (I just did that for my parents 🙋♀️). A fresh and clean space helps us think a little more clearly (because we’re not staring at a scattered mess trying to figure out what and where everything goes).
Emotionally
This can be tough, but it’s where a lot of the work happens. If you see a therapist this may be a good place to explore your feelings. If you don’t see one try journaling. Set a timer and journal about the following emotions for 5 minutes each: fear, sadness, anger, joy, excitement, and love. If you’re having trouble starting you can try moving (yoga, dance, exercise, hiking), or just start doodling – think constant contact of pen to paper. If the timer goes off before you finish you can keep going until you are done, but don’t stop until you’ve reached that 5 minute mark. Feel free to tear up, burn, or flush the pages. Try revisiting this exercise again in a week and see if anything new comes up.
Socially
Social Calendar
This can be tough for the extravert, but look at your schedule. What can you cut out? We’ve talked about this before in The Value of Creating Space for Yourself, but even the most extroverted individuals need a few moments of quiet to be with … THEMSELVES. Sometimes being with yourself can be crazy. Feelings and thoughts can come up, and sometimes they’re not what you want to hear. And that’s ok. It’s ok not to like what you hear. It’s ok to not want to hear it, but you should try. When you get quiet and silent you can hear what your body is telling you.
Social Interactions
Again this can be tough for the extrovert, and the “nice” person. You can make a list (if you would like), but look at the interactions you have with other humans. What humans make you feel good about yourself? What humans make you feel more energized when you’re done having a conversation? Keep those people around! What people make you feel awful about yourself? Who do you interact with that makes you feel like you want to shower afterwards? And who can you flat out not stand to be around? Figure out ways to limit your interactions with these people. Create a buffer, a way to space yourself from them, to help protect yourself. If you can eliminate all solo physical social interactions with these people. Try to keep these interactions in a group setting. Lastly there are people that make you feel energized and good about yourself, but for some reason you still feel drained after hanging out with them. Try to figure out what an appropriate amount of interaction is with those people and try to adhere to that formula.
Career
Take 5 minutes to journal about what you like and dislike about your current job/career. It seems simple but it’s always more difficult than it sounds. If you aren’t satisfied with your current career situation, figure out how to make a change. If you want to move careers, does that require more education? Will you be able to make ends meet either while in school/training or after shifting careers/jobs? Is there a conversation you can have with your supervisor to make your current situation better? More money? More time off? Less responsibility? More responsibility? Consolidated hours? Work from home a few days per week?
Habitual
What are your current habits that feel comfortable (of course they’re comfortable! That’s why they’re habits)? Do they serve you in a way that is positive? Are they neutral? Or are they detrimental? Write them down. Habits don’t usually change over night, but what is your biggest habit you’d like to change, and what’s the first step in changing that habit? Look at all aspects of your life. There are the obvious vices of animal proteins, sedentariness, alcohol, tobacco, gambling. There are the less obvious ways like caffeine (ok that might be obvious for some of you), media distraction, social media distraction, buying happiness with material items, jumping to conclusions, and so many more. You don’t have to change, but look at your current life and notice if there is anything you want to adjust.
What’s On Your Mind
What are the things most pressing to you right now? It doesn’t have to affect you directly. Maybe it’s the environment/global warming. Maybe it’s your living situation (bills/mortgage/roommates)? Maybe it’s your wardrobe?
Take Action
Take one day per week and journal about each of the above topics. At the end of the week notice where you would like to start “spring cleaning.” If you’d like, revisit this activity again over the next few weeks and let’s see how much change we can make happen for the positive this year!