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Spring has sprung – are you ready?
The season, which began on Sunday, March 20, and ends on Tuesday, June 21, is a time where flowers are in full bloom, colors come alive, and thoughts return to purging out the old and in with the new through cleaning and organizing.
From the coat closet to the bedroom and more, spring cleaning can be a way to not only clear out the clutter but also to renew the mind in numerous ways.
According to Apartment Therapy, there is a multitude of ways to encourage self-care through spring cleaning.
“There’s a reason why organizing shows are so popular right now,” explains Michigan-based mental health counselor Kelly Houseman in the article. “You feel physically lighter when you’re decluttering your house.”
Professional organizer Andrea Wolf of Organize Detroit agrees and describes spring cleaning as a “lifestyle.” “It’s not about labels and making things look perfect,” she said. “It’s about a healthy mindset.”
Some ways to declutter intimate spaces and places throughout the home can also include minimalizing the bedroom. To get optimal rest, www.healthline.com provided some tips you can easily follow to do just that:
Increase Bright Light Exposure During the Day
Your body’s natural time-keeping clock (known as your circadian rhythm) keeps your body from going out of whack. Turn off the lamps and get some natural sunlight or bright light during the day to keep the circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as nighttime sleep quality and duration.
Optimize Your Bedroom Environment
Many people believe that the bedroom environment and its setup are key factors in getting a good night’s sleep. These factors include temperature, noise, external lights and furniture arrangement. Numerous studies point out that external noise, often from traffic, can cause poor sleep and long-term health issues.
Also, to make a better bedroom environment, try to minimize light and artificial lights from devices like alarm clocks. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, relaxing, clean and enjoyable place. Then you can get some good, well-deserved rest.
Fixing your Surroundings
“I really do believe that our surroundings have so much impact on our headspace, our mood and everything that we do,” Wolf said in Apartment Therapy.
Another study revealed that talking and negatively thinking about clutter can create signals to the brain that bring cues to the brain causing thoughts of sadness and anger.
“If we can declutter our outside world, it’s a reflection of decluttering our brain as well,” Wolf said in the article. “There’s a sense of control when you declutter because you’re able to let things go and it’s empowering.”
“A lot of clients will come to me with all these house projects to get done,” she said in the article. “That can lead to anxiety, too, because we’re procrastinating and putting it off. Once we actually finish a task, though, there’s such a feeling of accomplishment that it kind of gets the ball rolling.”
Clean Spaces Promote Healthy Lifestyles
Want to lose weight? Declutter your space. That’s right. According to the article, a more streamlined space has a “profound impact on your lifestyle.” Also, diet and exercise habits are oftentimes impacted by clutter and a decluttered house makes room for making healthier snack choices. Think about that next time you pick up that bag of chips or chocolate bar.
“One thing I’ve learned with my kids over this past year [of learning remotely] is that when they’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, I immediately go organize their rooms,” Wolf said in the article. “Those things have such a profound impact on our wellbeing and our productivity.”
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