Spring Into Action

Spring is here!

Which also means spring cleaning.
This can be an overwhelming process for some of us. Whether you are cleaning out a single closet or the whole house, or getting your garden ready to bloom, spring cleaning is a great time to practice your organization and prioritization skills. When you look at that clutter do you stand there envisioning all the steps you will take or do you jump right in? Jumping right in may seem like the best way to go sometimes but that can also be more time consuming and stressful.

Here are some tips for spring cleaning that will enable you to focus and enjoy it.
First, prepare your materials (garbage bags, new boxes, donation bags, etc.). Once you have all of these items ready, it's just a matter of filling them up as you go. If you are doing this alone, choose an area that you can handle in a couple of hours. When you come across items that you are not sure what to do with try this; think about how long it's been sitting in that closet. If it's been there for a year, two years, but you haven't really missed it, you probably don't need it taking up any more space (this does not apply to sentimental items, of course).

Having your bags and boxes prepared in advance allows you keep the mess to a minimum as you go through all your old belongings and decorative items. Instead of having all these items strewn about the room, they are already placed where they need to go. This will minimize the stress and sense of being overwhelmed you may get from looking at all that stuff that you need to dig through. Your garbage is already bagged, your donations are already bagged or boxed and you've repackaged the remaining items in a more efficient and space saving container as you go along. Now all you have to do is put those items back in the closet and you're done.

Of course going through these items may be a trip down memory lane so enjoy that. Handle these objects, rememeber why you have them. Let them bring you back. Be in that moment. No matter what you decide to do with some of these items take the time to enjoy them and appreciate them all over again.

If you really feel lost in this process, especially if you need to clear out an entire house, you can hire a professional organizer. Often they will give you tips on how to maintain order, specific to your home.