Spring Cleaning: Not Just the House

Traditional spring cleaning brings to mind scrubbing floors, throwing away useless or broken items, and maybe a new coat of paint on the house. However, life usually finds a way to evolve into something that’s anything but traditional, giving us no choice but to respond accordingly.

Spring cleaning can be a great opportunity to purge more than just dust and broken food processors. Spring is a signifier of new beginnings and a perfect time for self-reflection and goal setting. Here are just a few aspects of life that may benefit from a little spring cleaning:

Consider Relationships
Evaluating current relationships and friendships can have a huge impact on happiness, time, and personal growth. Take the time to figure out who is a true friend, and who could use some distancing from. Friends who constantly judge or ridicule decisions, who are not trustworthy, or who flake repeatedly may be adding another element of stress to life.

How to deal with toxic relationships or friendships that have fallen by the way side is up to the individual, but consistency and firmness are crucial.

Clear Important Spaces
Cleaning your entire life can seem like an incredibly daunting task, but entirely doable by tackling projects in steps. A great starting point is the spaces that are frequently used. It could be an office, kitchen, car, or even bedroom. Go as slowly as needed, but really focus on doing at least one thing every day until the space is cleared of clutter.

Focus on Yourself
Winter is not always kind to waistlines. Spring brings warm weather and sunshine, and is perfect for taking strolls around the neighborhood after dinner or going on bike rides with loved ones during the weekend. These healthier choices fuel a happier you while helping to lose weight or maintain your figure. Use spring cleaning as a chance to buy healthier groceries, plan meals at home, and focus on creating a healthy and happy you! A new haircut or pair of shoes can also be a well-deserved treat.

Tackle that ‘To-do List’
To-do lists are inevitable facts of life. While a to-do list will always have things on it, try and cross off a few of the peskier items that have been haunting your day planner for a while. This may seem counter-intuitive to spring cleaning—aren’t we supposed to be tying up loose ends instead of starting new projects?—but getting tasks out of the way will help you to focus more on current projects. It is also important to reflect on to-do lists. Is redecorating the sitting room worth the stress and time commitment? If not, take it off the list and revisit it later. We can’t do everything, but we can do the important things.

Overall, there are many ways to spring clean and improve quality of life. Spring cleaning can often seem like another stressful chore, but its potential could help reduce daily stress and fatigue, and lead to a happier and more balanced life.

For more information or to speak to one of our staff, please contact us at (818) 758-9450 or email us at info@westvalleycounseling.org

West Valley Counseling Center is located at 19634 Ventura Blvd. Suite 212 Tarzana, CA 91356