As the flowers continue to bloom and the heat continues to reach sweltering temperatures, our minds turn to dusting off the curtains of our homes and clearing out the crawlspaces of our minds. Because spring is here—and summer is well on its way—which means it’s time to push up your sleeves and get to those spring cleaning tasks. Although some of us may not be as excited about sprucing up our spaces as others, but maybe that’s because ****. It’s not just about vacuuming a room or switching up furniture, it’s also about finding new and exciting ways to reinvent and reinvigorate yourself.
So, if you’re ready to dig deep, it’s time to start spring cleaning with more than one end goal in mind. Sure, your space might look spotless, extra cozy, or recharged, but this time will give you the opportunity to clean up your self-care routine as well.
Keep it Simple
Now, spring cleaning for your home and for personal self-care doesn’t mean you have to take on the biggest, toughest projects. Sure, it’s great to plan to clean out your garage, but you don’t have to start with the most time-consuming tasks. So, keep it simple! And by simple, I mean declutter your closet or make your bed. The most important thing to remember is not to immediately bog yourself down with a to-do list as long as your ***. By keeping it easy on yourself and not putting yourself on a strict schedule, you’re sure to feel accomplished; no matter how small the task.
Declutter for Simplicity
There’s something that can be said about cleaning up with intent. That’s why it might benefit you to clean up to make room for more seasonal appropriate things in your home, or to declutter items you know you won’t be using until winter rolls back around. Decluttering not only allows you to finetune your daily routine (no more riveling through a messy dresser or a whole drawer of makeup), but it can help you take stock in what you have. As you go through the least organized areas of your home, make sure that you’re only choosing to keep around products and items that are helpful, bring joy, and make sense seasonally.
For the sole purpose of self-care, it’s a great idea to keep around those special products that not only boost your self-esteem but have a great purpose in your day-to-day. For me, that means keeping around the skincare products that help me bring inward joy and beauty outward. As I declutter, I make sure to set those sorts of items aside, decluttering other items that don’t bring me as much happiness or simply don’t do anything to enhance my daily routine.
Create a Space That’s Entirely Your Own
For the sake of spring cleaning and cleaning for self-care, it’s important to remember that the spaces your cleaning is meant to bring you happiness, relaxation, and security. Whether your space is solely your own or shared, it’s great to have an idea of what the “ideal” space might look like for you, your roommates, or your family. Although it’s unrealistic to clean an entire space out once a year and redesign it with items befitting an ever-evolving you, you can do small things to make sure a space feels like your own.
As you’re cleaning, make sure to donate or let-go of items that don’t amplify the feelings you’re trying to represent in your home. For instance, if your bookshelf is overrun with knickknacks that don’t have a forever home on those shelves, maybe it’s time to part from them or find them a better display area. Make of this what you want! Some people thrive in maximalist spaces, where every corner of a room is filled with pieces they’ve collected. Others thrive in a minimalist home.
If you’re not sure what space you’ll thrive in, try and pick out one item in each room that brings about the feeling you’re trying to keep in that room. If you’d like your bedroom to be a cozy sanctuary, then pick out your favorite, coziest blanket to give you inspiration for what you’d like the rest of the room to feel like. Not only will this ultimately help you while you clean, but it’s a self-care refresher! After all, keeping around only the items that make your space feel like yours helps you relax and appreciate what you have around.