Josh Elledge - CEO, UpMyInfluence
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Spring is a natural time to clean out, throw out, be out. Sunshine makes our energy rise and our hearts feel lighter. Unfortunately, desire does not always translate into actually doing things we should. But make time; force yourself; invite people over so you feel an urgency to do it”¦ whatever motivates you. It's good for you on many levels!
You can tackle these in any order you wish, and you may want to do them based on what is causing you the highest level of stress right now.
Good for Mental health: Look over your domain. Are there areas that haven't been cleaned out in a long time? Check closets, cupboards, drawers and storage boxes. Make a list of the places you want to go through, de-clutter, and reorganize. Then tackle them systemically; whether that's giving yourself a deadline and dividing them up, or simply tackling the most important first. As long as you get it done. Creating more space and organizing anew is refreshing for mental health.
Good for Physical health: Play the “stiff, white gloved, the queen is coming-type person” and investigate your home with fresh eyes. Have dust bunnies multiplied in corners? Are there enough fingerprints to leave no forensic doubt who lives here? Time to clean things that don't normally get cleaned during winter. Tackle rooms in an order that makes sense to you. You could choose to do the most frequented ones first – top to bottom; or do one task at a time, but in all rooms. (An example would be to edge all rooms with the vacuum wand, then go back through and wipe down all baseboards, and so forth.) Whatever way keeps you moving to do the job thoroughly, because sanitizing and cleansing is healthy for the physical body. Not to mention the workout you'll get – always good for the physical body!
Good for Spiritual health: While you're already helping your mental health, help your spiritual health, as well. Plan to give things away you can live without. Wonderful for the receiver, this is also uplifting for the spiritual health of the giver. Unless it's truly junk that should just go in the trash, most things someone could use. As you move through your home, especially cleaning closets and cupboards, have two large boxes. One for “give away” and one for plain, old trash. This makes it easier to stay on track. Then dump the trash box, and divide up the “give away” box later. Don't forget to give your pantry and freezer a once-over while you're at it.
Good for Overall health: Clean out your mind! Take care of old worries, nagging undone projects, or stressful situations. Stop avoiding them. This is by far the most important. For the health of mind, body and spirit, the old adage is true: Take care of you, so you can take care of the ones you love. There is also an old rule-of-thumb that says: Many people avoid things that would really only take 15 minutes or less to complete, if they just focused on it. What have you been needlessly carrying around in your mind to save 15 measly minutes?
