Spring Cleaning

Once the snow begins melting and the sun starts shinning, many people participate in the ritual of spring cleaning, which is associated with heavy duty cleaning and/or organizing. Everyone has their own reasons why they implement spring cleaning in their annual cleaning, for me, this year, it was another round of evaluating what items still bring value and joy to my life...the continued process of being a minimalist. Spring cleaning is one of the few times I actually dust my apartment (dusting is such a pointless chore in my opinion). Upon the conclusion of the process, it amazed me the level of comfort and sense of accomplishment that I feel, in essence, spring cleaning improved my wellness.

If someone was to ask you "What makes you anxious?" You might respond: traffic, bills, deadlines, family, etc; but would you reply clutter? I recently read an article that stated that there's proof that clutter causes anxiety. "Clutter also makes us unfocused, and sends messages to our brains that our work is 'never done.' Additionally, it hinders us from creativity and productivity by 'invading the open spaces that allow most people to think, brainstorm, and problem solve." What can you remove from your life that would add creativity and productivity back to your life?

In efforts to cope with stressors in my life, this was the haul that I found new homes for in my spring cleaning endeavor:

• 26 DVDs and 10 TV series
• Clothing: 9 shirts, 5 pants, and one pair of boots
• Accessories: 9 scarves, 2 wallets, 2 purses, and 1 headband
• Jewelry: 3 necklaces, 4 pair of earrings, and 1 charm
• Miscellaneous items: 3 picture frames, 2 video games, 1 hole puncher, 5 bowls, and 1 shot glass