There’s something special about Spring…
Perhaps more than any other season.
Shrugging off the cold of Winter and starting to notice the days getting warmer, and longer.
A sense of re-awakening.
A restart or reset.
New growth in plants…
The birds are nesting, and wildlife is on the move.
This time of year has long being associated with the idea of a spring clean.
Opening the windows – letting fresh air into our homes.
(Although if you’re anything like me, that also means a lot of sneezing, as everything starts flowering outside!)
I know in the past I’ve been a bit obsessed with the idea of a thorough clean-up.
Everything has to be clean!
But once I start down this line, very quickly it just becomes too much.
It’s very easy to become overwhelmed, and then it can become stressful.
Rather than the therapeutic clean-out and clean-up you’d hoped for…
It becomes a daunting task that you just can’t face.
You find other things to do…
Until it’s too late to even start!
As a species I think we’re obsessed with this all or nothing attitude.
Everything has to be accomplished, or else we’ve failed.
But once we reach that thought process, it’s all over red rover!
One really clever piece of advice I read was in Brooke McAlary’s book Slow.
She was desperate to declutter, getting rid of any excess, in her search for a simpler way of life.
But each time she started, she’d just end up with lots of piles of stuff, and felt totally defeated.
Her answer?
To start small.
For example, just one drawer in the kitchen, not the whole kitchen!
One thing at a time, that is completely do-able.
So if you want to sort through your clothes, for example, to eliminate what you haven’t worn in the last year.
Or items that have seen better days.
Compulsive buys that didn’t work out.
Things that no longer fit (whether too big or small).
Items that can be charity shopped etc.
Don’t try to sort your whole wardrobe at once!
Just do one drawer, one shelf, or one small part of your clothing rail.
Bit by bit.
Bite size chunks.
If you’re wanting to clean your windows, don’t focus on your whole home.
Do it room by room, or a small section of your home at a time.
It makes perfect sense when you think about it, and you get a much better sense of achievement at the end of it.
I love the whole concept of slowing down.
Doing things with purpose and intention.
Doing things more mindfully.
Setting yourself a bite size task (not a three-course meal!)
Doing it, then stopping.
Noticing what you have done.
Acknowledging that.
Then taking a break.
Walk away from it.
Go outside.
Breathe!
Breathe in this sense of achievement.
A sense of refreshment, renewal – a reset.
Then do someting else completely.
Step by step.
Day by day.
You’ll achieve a lot more in the long run and feel calmer in the process.
Now, who’s ready to spring (slowly) into action?
Ann 🙏