Spring Fever
It's spring, and I say get out there and smell the roses!
Alright, it's too early for that but there are other nice ways to "freshen" up your senses, with some spring cleaning for example. A little mental and actual clean up around the house is an ideal way to start the season. What better way to invite new joyful activities and maybe a graceful clear abode?
Preparing yourself for being free of clutter and mental noise is a good way to set the tone for the anticipated summer, where much socializing and getting outside to do fun stuff is so welcome after the gloomy grey skies of winter. All this anticipating without the concern that you might not find that pair of roller-blades or, eek, you might find that project you were supposed to finish months ago. Nope, it's all about getting ready to have some amusement and not worry about a thing (well, within reason of course).
When I get in the mode for spring cleaning, it's not simply because I feel my place is messy or dirty, rather the space it creates in my mind is far more satisfying than watching a bit of Windex do its thing. The feeling that, as just mentioned, I am free of any obligations for unfinished tasks, or feelings of not holding on to things that I no longer use, all help to lighten my load and this actually lowers my stress levels.
It's not that I need to be super organized, but it's nice to know where the things I'll be needing in the upcoming short term are (meaning the spring/summer season stuff). This might include doing a full sweep in my closet, getting rid of any clothes that didn't get worn in the winter months, at least the ones that I know deep down are never going to be worn again, and I especially don't keep anything that I feel is totally unflattering right now especially to start the summer months with either (this way I'm not being hard on myself for gaining a bit of weight during the cold season that's just passed). The idea is to feel comfortable right now, and once the salad eating months are over (but let's not really talk about fall just yet) I'll probably feel a lot better with my clothes fitting a little less snug.
Paper, paper and more paper. I thought this world is trying to get greener! It's amazing how much paper can accumulate once all the junk mail, as well as letters and invoices arrive, not to mention those wonderfully colourful things we call "post-it". I'm trying to file, recycle and cross off all those lists I have been making.
I've even done some labeling of my spices in glass containers in the kitchen cupboard to make cooking at home easier and quicker, with far less mess when I open ripped up packages of chili powder or cinnamon.
Oh, and I wash all my towels. It makes everywhere smell great!
It is probably a safe thing to not try and do all of this in a day, and maybe for some a couple of weeks is more the pace they need to go through areas of importance that can sometimes accumulate or be overwhelming to sort quickly. There's no real right or wrong in how you do your cleaning or how you decide to purge, tidy or pack up and put it in storage. The key idea is simple, it's about taking inventory. It allows us to slow down just long enough to assess if we are taking on too much. When our home is clean it's also easier to manage time when things are in their place. So when you are ready to go camping, you're not desperately trying to find that missing canoe paddle that's tucked under the bed because you're aware of where it is. You also know it's not having a party with your missing straw hat or book you're supposed to lend to a friend.
Cleaning is maybe not on everybody's favorite-thing-to-do list, but think of it sort of like cosmic xmas, you'll probably find something you want to find, or you will be making room for new and more exciting things to come your way.
Alright, it's too early for that but there are other nice ways to "freshen" up your senses, with some spring cleaning for example. A little mental and actual clean up around the house is an ideal way to start the season. What better way to invite new joyful activities and maybe a graceful clear abode?
Preparing yourself for being free of clutter and mental noise is a good way to set the tone for the anticipated summer, where much socializing and getting outside to do fun stuff is so welcome after the gloomy grey skies of winter. All this anticipating without the concern that you might not find that pair of roller-blades or, eek, you might find that project you were supposed to finish months ago. Nope, it's all about getting ready to have some amusement and not worry about a thing (well, within reason of course).
When I get in the mode for spring cleaning, it's not simply because I feel my place is messy or dirty, rather the space it creates in my mind is far more satisfying than watching a bit of Windex do its thing. The feeling that, as just mentioned, I am free of any obligations for unfinished tasks, or feelings of not holding on to things that I no longer use, all help to lighten my load and this actually lowers my stress levels.
It's not that I need to be super organized, but it's nice to know where the things I'll be needing in the upcoming short term are (meaning the spring/summer season stuff). This might include doing a full sweep in my closet, getting rid of any clothes that didn't get worn in the winter months, at least the ones that I know deep down are never going to be worn again, and I especially don't keep anything that I feel is totally unflattering right now especially to start the summer months with either (this way I'm not being hard on myself for gaining a bit of weight during the cold season that's just passed). The idea is to feel comfortable right now, and once the salad eating months are over (but let's not really talk about fall just yet) I'll probably feel a lot better with my clothes fitting a little less snug.
Paper, paper and more paper. I thought this world is trying to get greener! It's amazing how much paper can accumulate once all the junk mail, as well as letters and invoices arrive, not to mention those wonderfully colourful things we call "post-it". I'm trying to file, recycle and cross off all those lists I have been making.
I've even done some labeling of my spices in glass containers in the kitchen cupboard to make cooking at home easier and quicker, with far less mess when I open ripped up packages of chili powder or cinnamon.
Oh, and I wash all my towels. It makes everywhere smell great!
It is probably a safe thing to not try and do all of this in a day, and maybe for some a couple of weeks is more the pace they need to go through areas of importance that can sometimes accumulate or be overwhelming to sort quickly. There's no real right or wrong in how you do your cleaning or how you decide to purge, tidy or pack up and put it in storage. The key idea is simple, it's about taking inventory. It allows us to slow down just long enough to assess if we are taking on too much. When our home is clean it's also easier to manage time when things are in their place. So when you are ready to go camping, you're not desperately trying to find that missing canoe paddle that's tucked under the bed because you're aware of where it is. You also know it's not having a party with your missing straw hat or book you're supposed to lend to a friend.
Cleaning is maybe not on everybody's favorite-thing-to-do list, but think of it sort of like cosmic xmas, you'll probably find something you want to find, or you will be making room for new and more exciting things to come your way.
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