When it comes to our homes, isn’t it funny all the different types of cleaning we do?
There’s the “What?! I didn’t know we had company coming over in 30 minutes!” mad dash to get everything tucked away method.
The tidying we do before hosting a birthday party, where the house is presentable but ready to be destroyed by a pack of third graders within two hours.
Or, how about the really good, “take all of Saturday afternoon to scrub the floors” cleaning?
But then, there’s the holy grail of cleaning — spring cleaning.
That’s right. We’re approaching that glorious time of the year. Winter is finally on its way out. The first glimpses of warm temps and green grass are showing up outside. And we’re feeling highly motivated to make our homes shine!
While we know that it’s important to keep our homes clean, I think it’s equally important to make sure that our minds and mental health are taken care of too.
But, how exactly do we achieve this?
Step 1: Spring Cleaning Our Homes
If you follow any home or lifestyle influencers on social media, I’m willing to bet you’re feeling the same way I am — overwhelmed! And a little confused.
How do these women find the time (and energy) to clean their homes so well? And with such detail and vigor? Do they ever sleep?!
In all actuality, this just isn’t practical. Instead, I think it’s best to be realistic and simply start somewhere. Don’t worry and think that you have to deep clean your entire house.
Here are some practical tips to get you started.
Spring Cleaning: Tips for Your Home
1. Pick a room and deep clean two to three aspects of it.
For example, if your kids’ playroom is a disaster, start there. Go through the bins and baskets and get rid of what your kiddos no longer play with. Then, give the room a nice wipe-down and vacuum (you know, the good kind where you move furniture and use the fancy attachments).
2. Organize a commonly cluttered space.
May I suggest starting with your makeup bag, coat closet, junk drawer, master closet, or that one kitchen cupboard that collects all the excess drink ware.
Take everything out and go through it one by one. Only keep what you truly use (no cheating)! Toss, donate, or sell the rest. Lastly, wipe out or vacuum the space before returning the items you’re keeping.
3. Go one level deeper than how you normally clean.
Let’s say you typically tackle your bathrooms by wiping down counters and mirrors, scrubbing the toilet, and dusting. This time add in cleaning the shower, mopping, and decluttering a drawer (as discussed in tip #2).
4. Clean some of the things you rarely (if ever) clean.
Baseboards, vents, blinds, refrigerator shelves and drawers, light fixtures, walls, ceilings. Ok, you get the picture.
And remember, you don’t need to do all of these. Maybe start with one and go from there.
5. Go back to the basics.
A simple Pinterest or Google search for “spring cleaning” will yield countless lists of what to tackle this season. But if the thought of accomplishing everything on those lists is too daunting, just take a few sections and work on those.
Bottom line: You don’t need to scrub and polish every inch of your home to spring clean.
Aim for the ripple effect. Starting with something simple, something small, will create a positive change and motivate you to keep going. Cleaning is kind of like working out — you’ll never regret it once it’s done!
Step 2: Spring Cleaning Our Minds
A clean home is fabulous. However, I would argue that a “clean” mind is even more important in terms of our overall health and happiness.
It’s interesting how even on days where we feel mentally fried, we will push through almost anything before resting. Laundry, dishes, and meal prepping seem to always come before rest, relaxing, or simply taking a mental break.
Maybe this year is a great time to switch that way of thinking.
Simple, But Powerful Ways to Spring Clean Your Mind
1. Make absolute certain your basic needs are being met.
This seems like a no-brainer, but things like proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep have to come first. And depending on what season of life we’re in, sometimes this is easier said than done.
2. Next, identify your non-negotiable self-care tasks.
These are the practices that make you feel like you and are essential to your mental health.
They could range from simple things like daily devotions, taking a multivitamin, or daily stretching, to more complex habits like getting to the gym three times a week, having a nutritious smoothie each morning, or sticking with a great skincare routine.
If these things are consistently getting missed, it’s time to make a change and get them worked into your routine!
3. Do a brain dump as often as you need to.
Take everything that’s floating around in your mind and get it on paper. Don’t stop writing until your brain feels emptied of all those nagging items. Then, go through and prioritize your list.
There is something mentally freeing about getting all those little tasks out of your head and onto paper.
4. Take time every day to rest your mind.
This is different than sleeping. It’s a time where you intentionally allow yourself to stop and rest your mind. No scrolling, no reading, no checking emails. Just a time set aside to pause, breathe, and allow yourself a mental break.
5. Tackle that one decision that you’ve been putting off.
Trying to figure out what activities to put your kids in this summer? Have a pressing work situation you’ve been avoiding? Been putting off a sticky conversation with a friend? Devote some time to figure it out. Trust me, you’ll feel better when it’s done.
6. Let go of or stop doing at least one thing that’s hurting your mental health.
You’ll have to be real, raw, and honest with yourself on this one. Do you have a certain negative habit, commitment, or practice?
Do what you can to get rid of it.
7. Revisit what “fills your cup.”
These are a layer above your basic needs and non-negotiable self-care tasks. They might not be a necessity, but they are still important!
What makes you happy? Brings you joy? Makes you excited for your alarm to go off the next morning? For you it may be getting a massage, reading a book, running, planning a vacation, vision boarding, watching your favorite TV show, or chatting with a friend over coffee.
Make a list of these things and get them on your calendar. Then, honor that time as fiercely as you would any other appointment. It may sound silly, but literally putting it in your calendar (“Coffee with friends: Saturday at 10 a.m.”) makes it way more likely that you’ll protect that time.
8. Take a look at your parental load and identify one to two (or 10!) tasks that you can delegate or share with your spouse or children.
Perhaps you do all of the meal planning and cooking in your household. Could your oldest child help you plan the weekly menu? Maybe your whole family could prep food on Sunday afternoons? Or your husband could be in charge of a meal each week?
Offloading even a few tasks can take a substantial amount of “weight” off the heavy load we carry as mothers.
A Clean Home and Mind is the Ultimate Goal
Moving forward, let’s shift the way we look at spring cleaning. It’s no longer just for our homes.
So as the persuasion around us mounts to spring clean every inch of our four walls — remember, take it with a grain of salt — do what you can, and don’t forget to take care of yourself!
