Wandering with Jeannie 
Everyone has heard of spring cleaning, and probably you do it every year. It makes sense. The days warm up, the light lingers longer, and we all get the urge to clear out the dust, grime and staleness of the winter. We long to open the windows, air out the rooms. We surface as the winds rise and soft rains fall on the budding grass. And then we realize all that has accumulated throughout the winter. Our belongings somehow have grown in number through the winter holidays. Flowers bloom and we realize that the world can be beautiful and invite that beauty into our home. While flowers do grow anywhere and everywhere, they flourish where the environment is healthiest, where there is clean air, soil and water. If you want your life to flourish, you too must design your life to be as clean and clear as possible.
Why spring clean? Obviously, we get a cleaner, clearer space. There is some reward in that. Is it worth it though? Are there benefits beyond the obvious? I think that the answer is yes. Science has shown that the act of cleaning and clearing your space of clutter has at least six benefits. Let’s consider how those benefits play into our whole life picture, how is it all connected? What can you expect from spending a day or two this spring sorting through the physical aspects of your living space?
Improved Physical Health
Your physical health is one of the first things to benefit from cleaning, and there are several ways that this plays out. First, is that the act of cleaning is a form of exercise. You are moving your body, lifting, carrying, scrubbing. All these movements require strength, flexibility, coordination and endurance.
Fewer Allergens
Some of the secondary physical health benefits are that with less clutter and places for dirt and allergens to accumulate, you are less likely to trip over something, and less likely to be bothered by allergies.
Better Life Choices
Tertiary benefits have found that after someone cleans and clears their area, they are more inclined to make other healthy life choices, such as to get outside more, to eat healthier meals, and to start or continue an exercise plan. If you are struggling to stick to your health plans, maybe a non-traditional approach, such as cleaning your home will help you rediscover your motivation and will power. So, from the time you start cleaning and for quite a while afterwards, you will continue to see the physical health benefits of Spring Cleaning.
More Energy
The next benefit may take a few days to kick in. You may feel tired after spending a day or two in spring cleaning your space. However, once that initial fatigue subsides, you will likely notice that the increased spaciousness of your home gives you more energy to do other things. There is a certain weight that living in a cluttered or dirty space presses on us.
Think back to an adventure movie or show that you may have watched as a child. When the team needed to make and execute a plan, the first thing they did was to dramatically swipe everything off the table so that they could gather around and come up with a plan.
You may feel a level of comfort, surrounded by your familiar things, however, you may also discover that clearing space allows your mind to move more freely, creative ideas coming to you more readily, and the energy and interest that has waned as the winter months dragged on, will steadily return once you Spring Clean. With increased energy and interest, you will feel more able to make effective changes in your life, you will feel more comfortable and capable of taking on challenges that will increase the quality of your life. The benefits will grow over time, in similar manner as the flowers and trees outside, slow, steady and beautiful.
Increased Productivity
The third benefit that you may see is an accumulation of the previous two. With more energy, motivation and creativity, you will see your productivity start to climb. Productivity is defined as the number of things that you can do in a given amount of time. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024) Focus and freedom of movement allows you accomplish your tasks without friction. You naturally find that you move seamlessly from task to task getting things done in record time. You may be asking yourself at this point, why would I want to be more productive? I’m glad you asked!
More Control Over Your Life
With increased productivity and efficiency, you gain a better sense of control over your life, and the ability to choose what you want to do. When you complete tour daily tasks faster and more effectively, you find more free time to pursue your hobbies and other interests. Additionally, your increased productivity flows to these areas of your life, as well.
More Free Time to Enjoy Your Hobbies
You will be able to enjoy your hobbies and free time without the worry of unfinished tasks hanging over your head, distracting you from having fun. I bet you didn’t think Spring cleaning would lead to having more fun, huh? Yet, here we are, and we’re not done yet!
Regain Your Sense of Focus and Clarity
Spring cleaning, just like the other forms of organization that we discuss here at Wandering with Jeannie, helps you to regain your sense of focus and clarity. A cluttered and dirty space tends towards an impending sense of doom. You know that you should clean it, and that thought sits like a 500 lb. gorilla in the back of your head. You might not be actively thinking about it, yet, every time you look around, or move around, you see all the stuff, all the partially completed activities, all the things you meant to get to, and still need to finish, bills, phone calls, projects.
The reminders are everywhere. So even when you focus on one thing, the little squirrels in the back of your mind are constantly reminding you about all the other things you also need to do. Sometimes distracting you and causing productive procrastination from whatever your current goal may be.
Reduce Likelihood of Depression and Anxiety
And cluttered spaces and thoughts, other times can lead you down the dark hallways of anxiety, depression and self-criticism in your mind. Slowly they chip away at your self-esteem. However, dedicating a good chunk of time to cleaning and clearing out your space will quiet them down and give them so much less to chew on and bother you about. Continued cleaning will keep these demons at bay. Because you will stay on top of all the things they like to remind you about.
Easier Decision Making
The benefits of increased focus and clarity are that you will find decision making easier. When your mind is clear and your space is clear, suddenly when faced with a decision, the outcomes become obvious, since you’re so much less distracted. With obvious outcomes, the best possible decision is so much easier to make. When you can quicky make decisions, you can also move on to the next thing. Ruminating becomes a thing of the past, as you will see what level of usefulness it has in your life.
Reduce Stress
Speaking of better decision making, think for a moment about how much stress is in your life. When your capacity to make quick, clear decisions, and get all the things done on your list each day falls into place. Truly relaxing becomes easy when your list is conquered. And that is the fifth benefit of spring cleaning, reducing stress. Obviously, not having to worry about cleaning for a bit will lower your stress level, however, all the other benefits will also lower your stress.
And in the theme of things running in circles, lower stress is better for your physical health as well. You may also find that your mood improves as your stress goes down, and it gets easier and more fun to spend time with your friends and family. As your relationships improve, you will feel less lonely and more supported in your life, and that also leads to more life satisfaction, and success.
Finally Get You $hit Together
Have you ever wondered why or how someone else seems to have so much more success than you do? How they get their $hit together? And keep it together? How they are so productive and efficient? I promise, it’s not that they struggle less than you do… ok, it might be that they struggle less than you. Perhaps they are neurologically inclined to do these things. Or maybe their family situation and environment taught and reinforced these skills and habits, and yes, that would make it easier for them.
Learn the Skills, Practice the Habits, Ask for Help
However, these are just skills and habits. They are things that, once you know what they are, you can do too. Like those overachievers, you need some support and explanation for starters. You might need reminders, and help recognizing the outcomes, and that’s ok. It’s not too late. You can learn how to be that kind of person.
Remember, they didn’t start out organized and effective. Someone taught them, and stayed by them to help them learn until they could do it on their own. That’s the path I want to help you start down. I want to encourage you to put the puzzle pieces of your life together. It’s a matter of starting with one piece, and finding where that fits in your life puzzle. Then moving on to the next one. Slow and steady. Take a step back once in a while to see how the whole picture is coming together. And keep finding the pieces and putting them where they belong.
Better Sleep
The final benefit of spring cleaning that I want to mention is better sleep. Again, this is your mind finally being able to let go and relax. When it knows that there is a time and place for all the things, it will learn to trust you and stop reminding you about all the things.
Are you convinced to clean and declutter yet? Want more inspiration for living your best life, or putting the pieces back together? Sign up for my occasional email newsletter. You’ll find links to the latest blog posts, journal prompts, and challenge trackers to motivate you to live life to the fullest.
References
Busy Bee Cleaning Co. (2023, 05 15). The Science of Cleanliness: 4 Reasons Why a Clean Home Makes You More Productive. Retrieved from Busy Bee Cleaning Co.: https://bbcleaningco.com/the-science-of-cleanliness/
Fader, Ph.D, J. (2015, 04 03). The Psychology of Spring Cleaning. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-new-you/201504/the-psychology-spring-cleaning
Heymann, C. (2023, 03 24). 5 Mental Health Benefits of a Clean Room. Retrieved from Vitality: https://www.vitalitygroup.com/insights/5-mental-health-benefits-clean-room/
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, 04 04). Productivity 101. Retrieved from US Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/k12/productivity-101/content/what-is-productivity/home.htm
W., A. (2023, 07 21). The Productivity-Boosting Power of a Clean Environment. Retrieved from LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/productivity-boosting-power-clean-environment-ariana-williams#:~:text=A%20clean%20environment%20doesn’t,energy%20levels%2C%20and%20increased%20productivity.
