It’s that time of year when we whip out the Swiffers, cleaning products, and bags to take to Goodwill… it’s Spring Cleaning, y’all. 

The tradition of Spring Cleaning has been around for thousands of years. According to Wikipedia, some researchers trace the origin of spring cleaning to Iranian Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year. It is the practice of “shaking the house.” Just like you can take a rug outside and shake it, and watch all of the lovely, dirty particles of hair, dirt, and other surprises fall out, we get to take the intentional time and do the same for not just our house, but our mind and body as well. 

I love empowering clients to keep their home and office space clean, organized, and tidy. I also encourage them to keep it MINIMAL. What do I mean by that? I mean that 1. Everything has a purpose and is being utilized enough to justify keeping it and 2. That everything feels good to have (in Marie Kondo words, it brings you joy). 

Here’s something I have learned over the years… that our outer space, how we care for it and relate to it, is a reflection of our inner world. If things tend to be messy and disorganized, it can mean our inner world is all over the place and we are having a hard time containing our energy. On the other hand, if spaces are meticulously clean without a thing out of place, it can mean our inner world has a lot of control going on. These aren’t judgments, but mere observations. 

I used to be VERY messy and disorganized in my younger years. What’s fascinating is how the more I have cleaned up my mind and body space, the more my physical space has easily and seamlessly become more organized, and the more I intentionally keep my physical space clean and organized, the clearer my mind and body feel. The bottom line is that, like I always say, everything is connected and has influence on every other aspect. 

So here are some invitations for Spring Cleaning your whole ecosystem… your physical space, mind, and body, so you can really feel light and energetically recharged. Remember, everything has energy, and so if you’re holding onto clutter and mess (physical space), negative thoughts and emotions (mind space), and body (toxins, stress and tension), you are bringing those extra loads of energy with you day after day.

So here’s my Spring Cleaning Checklist for each:

1. Physical space- Take a whole weekend to purge, then clean. You want to let go of what isn’t serving you anymore, and do NOT make excuses of how you will need that item possibly in 7 years! You can always get it again, or borrow or rent instead if it is something you hardly use. Do not let your space be taken up by stuff you hardly use. If it doesn’t bring you joy anymore, give it to someone or an organization that it will bring joy to. Keep the energy flowing. A good physical clean adds the cherry on top. Now, if you’re someone who is consumed by anxieties and thoughts around how clean your space is (and a lot of wasted time and energy is consumed around that), then the bulk of your cleaning is in the mind/emotional realm. Read the next invitation!

2. Mind/Emotional Space- Harvard and The University of Rochester did a study on people who bottle-up their emotions (aka, stuff them down). They were 30% more likely to die prematurely from a chronic disease, and 70% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer. Our thoughts affect how our body operates down to the cellular level, and what emotions we don’t feel and release do as well. Take the time to slow down, choose what thoughts to feed, and what ones to acknowledge, but don’t give power. Feed thoughts that support connection, care, love, and optimism, and witness ones that fuel jealousy, lack, shame, hate, disconnect, and negativity. Take time to feel ALL emotions by journaling, talking to a therapist, or trusted friend. No matter who you are, these practices keep your inner world “cleaned-up” and mess free.

3. Your body space- This could be a good time for a small fast (always consult with your provider to see if your body is healthy enough for that), or cleaning up what you’re eating and consuming. Stick to the periphery of the grocery store (the whole foods are typically there, while the processed ones are more on the inside aisles). Maybe do a sauna to sweat out some of the toxins. Clean up your beauty products and maybe swap some choices for some cleaner brands. Your body is your lifelong house, so it’s important to take the time to clean it as well! If you have a history of eating disorders or orthorexia, talk to your provider team on how you can connect healthily to a process that wouldn’t trigger any of these patterns you’re recovering from. 

There are a million ways to engage in a Spring Cleaning process… these are simply some suggestions that have worked for me and many of my clients. 

What is one thing you would like to accomplish with Spring Cleaning this year? Would love to hear in the comments. 

Intentional cleaning (and for some, it may be more meaningful to leave a dish in the sink without anxiety!) is a great practice to engage in for overall well-being. Recognize your inner and outer world are a reflection of each other, and allowing yourself to engage in managing the hygiene of both will bring the best results.

Xoxo,