As you spring into your annual deep cleaning, use the occasion to do a personal inventory. Spring is the perfect time to audit not only your space, but also your life.
Days are slowly getting longer, and flowers are blooming, which can only mean one thing: Spring has arrived! And for many households, that means it’s time to do some spring cleaning.
Growing up, spring cleaning looked like a weekend of my mother emptying out our home’s closets, junk drawers and anything else that could accumulate clutter throughout the year. As the rhythms and beats of old-school konpa and R&B ricocheted against the walls of our residence, and the fresh scent of cleaning products filled the air, I remember my mother stressing the importance of letting go of everything that no longer fits. Although she said that with the intent of sending my hand-me-downs to Haiti, her statement was not wrong.
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to audit not only your space, but also your personal life.
Traditionally, people do this metaphorical audit going into the new year as a way to establish future goals. But with studies showing 29% of Americans — especially Gen-Z — feel pressure to set New Year’s resolutions, and a 91% eventual abandonment rate, it may be time to rethink goal planning.
So, why do this in the spring? There are a number of reasons why one should consider embarking on a physical and psychological cleaning three months into the new year – the main one being the spring equinox. Often referred to as the first day of spring, the spring equinox represents the sun traveling north of the equator. So, for the Northern Hemisphere, this shift results in longer days and warmer temperatures, which ultimately can create the perfect environment for those working on new resolutions. In fact, for many cultures, the spring equinox symbolizes renewal, rebirth, even a new year.
“Spring is considered the season of renewal, both in nature and in consumer or popular culture,” Marni Amsellem, Ph.D., told Vogue. “After a long winter, we are eager to shed layers and activate. It feels good to do this in our homes as well.”
With longer and brighter days comes a boost in moods, energy and feelings of satisfaction for most people, according to studies. Dr. Dawn Potter, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in Cleveland, explained how people typically become energized by the sun in this new season. This has been on social media, as Twitter users shared their excitement for a change in seasons.
@LeArielleSimone tweeted: “spring is the real new year. it’s when things blossom. it’s when things come to life.”
Now, I’m not suggesting you completely shift your calendar. But, just as you may have the tradition of deep-cleaning your home, it may be beneficial to deep-clean your mental space as well. Think of it as a check-in with yourself where you go over your interpersonal relationships, train your social fitness, plus examine any habits you may have noticed and any feelings that have been weighing on you.
Similar to decluttering a room in your home, it can sometimes be hard to declutter your mind. That’s why we’ve done the work of thinking about some of the key areas to touch on when doing your mental spring cleaning.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Check-in with your relationships — platonic, familial, romantic
- Think about the people in your life, and ask yourself if they truly make you happy. Whether you get to see them in person or virtually, do you leave those interactions feeling good? Do you find yourself dreading a particular friend’s call? Is there a problem that you need to address?
- Are you pouring into them and vice versa?
- Check-in with your career
- Are you feeling fulfilled? Valued? Challenged?
- Does this environment allow you to grow in your field?
- How’s your productivity? Are there things you need to change to increase your productivity?
- Do you feel burnt out? Do you find yourself working overtime a lot?
- Check-in on your finances
- How are you adjusting to the current inflation?
- What are your active subscriptions? Do you use all of them? Are they all worth the price?
- Have you been actively contributing to your savings?
- Check-in on your health
- When was your last physical exam?
- Have you been following any recent medical advice?
- If you’ve been experiencing any discomfort, be honest; how long have you been ignoring it?
- If you’re feeling emotionally imbalanced, are you checking in with yourself?
Haniyah Philogene is a multimedia storyteller and Lifestyle reporter covering all things culture. With a passion for digital media, she goes above and beyond to find new ways to tell and share stories.
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