Spring Cleaning Is Therapeutic & A Necessity
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s winter comes to an end, spring is right around the corner! Personally, my favorite part about spring is cleaning out full closets and emptying old boxes. In my opinion, spring cleaning is a therapeutic practice, as well as a necessity. It may seem cliche or something people say they will do, but never really do it. In reality, spring cleaning is excellent for the human psyche, decluttering your lifestyle, and potentially mending relationships. As a therapist I often “prescribe” spring cleaning in some form or another to my clients.
Decluttering boosts confidence, enhances decision making, and can be quite energizing. When getting rid of things, you need to make choices about keeping some things, and donating or getting rid of other things. This practice strengthens your decision making skills and gives you the confidence to make other significant decisions in your life. By making these decisions you are able to wade through your mental “to do” list or maybe even your physical to do list. It will give you a sense of pride and accomplishment to do the things you need to do. Through your spring cleaning process, you will end up feeling more energized than you did before you got started.
Adding more order and symmetry to our lives can also decrease anxiety. Spring cleaning is the ideal time to go through unused or old items. As humans, when things are more organized, we feel more at ease. I encourage my clients to tackle underlying anxiety by tackling the chaos, clutter or disorganization in their daily environment and living space. It’s a doable self-help activity that not only declutters your life, but also reduces feelings of anxiety.
Give your mind the opportunity to wander and enjoy some exercise. By cleaning out a specific room in your house, you will be focused on an entirely different part of your life that usually is ignored. Your mind will have the opportunity to think about something different, to consider new ways of organizing your space, and engage in decision making. Cleaning also takes physical energy: bending, lifting, moving and carrying . Spring cleaning is the perfect self-help for your mind, body, and soul.
Decluttering your life can reduce tension or stress with others in your house and you may find past hidden treasures! Clutter quickly adds up and it’s easier to be disorganized than to organize your belongings. However, this clutter can also cause tension with your family members or your significant other if your shared living space starts to feel disorderly, chaotic, or messy. By decluttering your home, you will reduce the tension and perhaps even facilitate greater closeness and connection. Through this process, you may even find things you have been looking for or items that you forgot you had. Spring cleaning certainly doesn’t have many downsides, except perhaps if you are allergic to dust!
If you have questions about how to start decluttering your life, please contact my Manhattan Beach office. There are many ways to start your own spring cleaning process, but if you would like some extra support, don’t hesitate to call my office to today!