Finding Simplicity Through Spring Cleaning

As we emerge from winter it can feel as if there is so much to do. Our list of spring cleaning projects grows by the day right along with our list of commitments. While spring cleaning refreshes and renews our spaces, it can leave some feeling exhausted and defeated from an ever growing to-do list. I would like to invite you to a simpler spring, one where refreshing your heart and mind is as important as refreshing your home. I encourage you to begin clearing the mental clutter alongside the physical clutter. As you build your chore list take a moment to consider why you have chosen each task. If anything on your list isn’t something you find value in but more along the lines of impressing others, I encourage you to remove it. We devote too much time in the effort to impress others and not enough in meeting our own needs. Shedding any expectations placed on you either internally or externally will help you to begin living a simpler life.

The key to finding simplicity with your spring cleaning is being able to let go. That can include the clutter that is taking over your home along with the stuff taking up space in your head. The act of letting go of physical items will not only benefit your home, but also your heart and mind. Clearing the outward clutter will begin to make it easier for you to start chipping away at the mental clutter that’s getting in the way of living the life you want. Letting go of the hobbies you had every intention to do but now sit collecting dust is giving yourself permission to move forward. Letting go of clothing you never wear because it is uncomfortable or you don’t like it will free you from feeling bad every time you pass over it in the morning.

In addition to physically removing items from your home, remove the guilt associated with them. Whether you feel you paid too much or have held onto it for too long, let it go. Spring is a time for renewal, embrace it for your home and for yourself. Whether it is the stuff taking up space in your garage or the expectations placed on you, learning to let go will become a powerful tool to have as you seek simplicity through your spring cleaning. The goal of simplicity isn’t to have nothing to do, but to enjoy the doing.