a guide to spring cleaning

these past few weeks i’ve been hit with an unshakable urge to rebrand & clean everything. i mean konmari my physical, mental, and digital spaces. i went on an unfollow spree, wiped down surfaces, decluttered my room, and had a major existential crisis. honestly, i feel like it was long overdue. or i feel like my life is in a constant state of re-purging itself. we don’t know. there’s no in between.

ever since i read the life-changing magic of tidying up three years ago, i come back to the question:

does it spark joy?

it’s simple and effective. i ask it to myself in situations beyond tidying. marie kondo has since blown up in terms of popularity and most of us know her concept. tidy all at once and when deciding whether to keep something or throw it out, ask yourself, “does it spark joy?” by the end, your life will only be surrounded by things that make you joyous. isn’t that a happy life?

tidying & cleaning physical spaces

i already did a major purge immediately after reading the book and have since done mini unhauls from time to time. whenever i feel like there’s too much excess, i know it’s time to recleanse. does it spark joy? do i truly love the things i own? will i really read that book? do i love this sweater?

i won’t go into detail about how to execute her method – just read the book for that. take inventory of your physical space and how it makes you feel. go about tidying your spaces until all that’s left are things you truly want.

there’s so much more to spring cleaning than just getting your things in order. you also have to, like, actually clean. i didn’t realize how quickly dust collects EVERYWHERE and how hair sheds EVERYWHERE until i started, you know, cleaning. i spent an entire day wiping things down in my room and felt like a new person afterward. would highly recommend. now i’ve created a recurring calendar event every few weeks dedicated to cleaning. it’s different from tidying because things! get! dirty!! i’ve been using this meyer’s clean day spray and it’s honestly the BEST EVER. non-toxic and smells great :”)

recleansing digital spaces

i haven’t actually tidied up my files because that’s a Mess™ i’m not ready for, so i’ll deal with social media. i spent a couple of days unfollowing people & archiving old posts. again, the same rules apply:

does it spark joy?

as i was going through my following, i realized i’d followed a lot of people/accounts i liked months or years ago, but no longer care for. or people i secretly hated. or celebrities that made me want their lives. or “friends” i’d never talk to digitally or in real life. maybe they served me when i’d initially followed them, but i don’t need that weighing me down anymore. it’s okay to let that go and move on with your life.

as for my old posts, i used to leave them there to remember where i’d been and the evolution of my curated content. but as i was scrolling through my public personal account, i wondered, “do i really want people i meet now to see my 2014-self posting about a meal i had or an ~inspirational quote~?” short answer: NO. HIDE ALL EVIDENCE. the content is still there for me if i’m feelin’ sentimental, but people don’t need to know. this made me want to archive literally all of my posts, but i still can’t decide if i’m ready for that commitment.

side note: i’m only talking about instagram and have yet to touch facebook, twitter, or any other social site. the internet and digital spaces are TOO MUCH.

replenishing your mind

ah, the most difficult for last. this is something i’ve been working on for a really long time and continue to work on. how do you cleanse your mind? it really depends on perspective. i spend way too much time contemplating life and all things related. i’m always asking and reflecting and checking up on myself. i spend so much time with myself; it feels excessive at times, but i’m able to be happy where i am because of all the me-time.

it’s really difficult but: allow yourself to let go of the unnecessary baggage that may or may not be weighing you down. you only have so much time and attention; take things one breath at a time and focus on what’s relevant right now. sometimes our minds will build up gunk just like our rooms; it’s equally as important to reflect and refresh. come into yourself and your space – physically and mentally.

one way you can practice cleansing or refreshing your mental space is by meditating or yoga. as a yoga teacher, i’m obviously biased towards yoga but let me say it again: YOGA IS GREAT. obviously there are the physical aspects that draw people to it (or away from it), but what helped me stay was the mindfulness. if those two options are not your jam, you could also try journaling or morning pages. i’ve been trying to get into morning pages and it’s been on and off.

what are ways you’re cleaning your spaces? let me know in the comments!!