With spring officially here, many people are feeling inspired to freshen up their space after a long winter indoors. In fact, even science backs up the spring cleaning urge– according to the University of Pennsylvania, spring often represents a “temporal landmark”, a term that academic Katherine Milkman uses to describe the time markers that help us start fresh. It’s similar to the psychology of new years’ resolutions. But while the tradition of “new year, new you” may be well-ingrained in our minds, so too can “new season, new space” with these easy tips for tackling your spring cleaning.
Break it up into bite-sized chunks.
Or do, if that’s how you work best and you’ve got a manageable amount of work ahead of you for a single afternoon. For many of us, of course, an actual deep cleaning can be quite the involved process, and all that necessary time and energy can be daunting. By tackling your spring cleaning over the course of several days or even weeks, the task becomes less scary; this much is true with any big project, and while we’re often aware of this, a little planning ahead can help you execute this successfully. Think about the different things you need to do or the different rooms you need to tackle. There’s no single right way to divide up your spring cleaning; maybe you take a day to address your kitchen and move on to another room the next, or maybe you focus on vacuuming and dusting throughout your entire space and handle organization the day after. No matter how you approach it, writing down your specific game plan on paper or in your calendar will make achieving it much easier.
Don’t put pressure on yourself.
Especially in the digital age, it’s easy to see others’ seemingly perfect and spotless living spaces and feel there’s something lacking in yours. In reality, the place you call home doesn’t need to be perfect– it needs to be perfect for you, and this means that perfectionism stands in the way of somewhere actually feeling (and being!) lived in. A clean environment may do wonders for your mind, but clean doesn’t mean constantly flawless. With this in mind, don’t feel pressured to address every single thing that might be “imperfect”– instead focus on what you can realistically change, and what will actually improve your space for you. Even if you only clean out your clothes closet this spring, you’ve still accomplished something that makes your day-to-day life easier. Getting one good small thing done is better than being overwhelmed by all the ‘perfect’ big things you think you could have done.
Work with what you have (but you can still treat yourself.)
Another consequence of the modern age is how easy it is to buy, buy, buy– and it’s tempting to fork over some cash for adorable organization items and state-of-the-art cleaning supplies. Don’t be intimidated by what can appear to be a hefty cost, however. The truth is, you can accomplish quite a lot with what you already have. Even just donating clothes you don’t wear anymore or re-organizing your cabinets can have a big impact. On the other hand, if you do want to treat yourself to a cute new storage ottoman or something that helps you get that much more excited about keeping things neat, this can be a good way to spark a little motivation. No matter what your method is, the important thing is to approach spring cleaning as something fun– especially once it’s completed!