It’s that time of year again – taxes and Spring cleaning. The first item we can’t really completely ignore (although we can extend . . .) but the second? Well, it’s not against the law if we don’t participate.
And why is this revaluation of our personal space and belongings best performed in the Spring? Sure, the weather is generally better but are there other reasons?
We’re told that hibernation is necessary in winter — when even thinking about stepping out into the cold gives us the shivers. During the winter months, it’s totally normal to spend more time indoors collecting various things including extra pounds. But as the sun starts to make its return, we’re advised that it’s time to push away the clutter and make room for a new season.
Apart from the obvious benefits of donating things we haven’t worn since college to make room for new possessions, spring cleaning apparently offers several surprising emotional, mental, and professional benefits too.
Here’s what some “life coaches” have to say about the matter:
Spring cleaning reduces stress
Even if we know exactly where everything is in our bedroom — and where to step to avoid smashing something or stubbing our toes — excessive clutter has a bigger impact on our mental state than we may realize.
Life coach Rachel DeAlto says unnecessary messes can induce higher levels of cortisol in women, making them feel overwhelmed and anxious to the max. “Our homes can become cluttered gradually throughout busy days and months, and a good cleaning — especially throwing away or donating what is not used — can remove that added stress,” she explains.
It clears away old, negative energy
Whether or not we believe in the powers of the universe, read our horoscopes, or report the ability to feel vibes around us, law of attraction coach Christy Whitman says the aftermath of winter leaves behind stale, old energy.
This is especially true if we’ve had difficult personalities in our home throughout the winter months. As she explains, subconsciously and consciously, we’re affected by positive and negative currents every time we walk through our front door.
She advises that as we’re sorting through our closet, recreation room, and kitchen, we need to sweep away the old energy in exchange for a brighter atmosphere. She suggestes that even if it’s a mere mental shift, it can be a meaningful one: “If the energy is based on fear, doubt, frustration, it lowers the energy in the home. When you ask the old vibes to leave the house, it makes room for a higher vibration that affects our daily energy,” she shares.
Cleaning house helps us to live in the moment
As more and more studies indicate, true, genuine happiness is derived from a collection of experiences instead of material objects. Whether it’s picking up and catching a last-minute flight to Europe, volunteering for a week in South America, or having one too many bottles of wine with our best friends, these memories are fulfilling and important to both our everyday and long-term joy.
Life coach and hypnotherapist Alexandra Janelli explains that when we rid our home and life of unneeded items that we’re holding on to “in case we wear them one day,” we’re also releasing any fears tied to them, as well. “Fear of throwing things out or worrying if we’ll need it again one day — despite not using it in years — is a cluttered way to live. Moving things out of the home to throw away, donate, or swap with friends is a great way to create a space more conducive to simple, in-the-moment living,” she explains.
Spring cleaning helps us stay healthy
We’re told to take a quick audit of our living room: What do we see? If we’re spotting 2-day-old dishes on the coffee table, dirty laundry spread across the floor, and half-opened mail on our mantel, we might sigh at the idea of tidying up.
As certified coach and motivational speaker Keren Eldad explains, when our home is piled up, we instantly feel more lethargic and uninspired. This means we’re less likely to take a morning jog with a pal or a post-work class. The clutter has the power to affect our eating habits too, leading us to reach for what’s accessible instead of what’s most nutritious.
But when we make a shift in our routine by clearing away the debris, Eldad says we’ll create a ripple effect in other facets of our life, resulting in a healthier lifestyle. “Habits are generally formed in loops, so if you take the time to clear things up, you will definitely see that you will want to take that to the next level with your physical well-being too. This means that upon witnessing your amazing ability to have a clean and orderly house, you will want to eat more healthily, hit the gym, and more,” she explains.
It helps improve our mood
Being up close and personal with physical chaos in our home can change our tune from an optimistic one while we’re out and about, to a negative one when we kick off our shoes. Whitman notes that intentional or not, many people tie feelings to physical items (like guilt over a pile we should have cleaned weeks ago).
The process of spring cleaning will remove those connections, and in return, elevate our mood when we’re working, having dinner with our family, or grabbing a morning coffee, by allowing us to concentrate. “If there are fewer things that are pulling our attention, such as clutter and messes, there are fewer things to focus on, leaving fewer feelings of being overwhelmed,” she shares.
A spring cleaning will help motivate us at work
Chances are it’s not only our bedroom or kitchen that’s taken a beating over the winter. Many times a messy way of personal living translates far beyond our home and all the way to our offices or work space.
Eldad explains many professionals will become intimidated by stacks of paper, half-finished reports, and other take-homes freebies from networking functions that gather in their working space. We’re advised that when we apply the same practice of spring cleaning to our career, we’ll experience heightened levels of productivity. How come? Because we’ll actually be able to see the responsibilities set before us, instead of being distracted by disorder.
The article explains that it’s the same reason good time managers with a regimented schedule get so much more done: We have finite time and energy. Big tasks take lots of time and energy. If we are filling them with small and less important tasks, or we are so disorganized that we can’t even see them, we will either not get them done, or do them very poorly.
When you have a clear space, Eldad says we reveal a more conducive and creative area to power through our workday so we can enjoy the freshness of our after-work lifestyle.
OK, I’m willing to give “spring cleaning” a shot – but I’ll need to start small, really small, like emptying the ashtray in my car (no ashes, just old receipts, gum wrappers, etc). Hey, it’s a beginning!
Courtesy Lindsay Tigar, Yahoo Lifestyle
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