It's almost that time of year again: Spring! Time for new buds to sprout and awaken, breezy clothing to arrive in the stores, and homes everywhere to become a little cleaner. And, while Spring cleaning isn't at the top of most people's List Of Favorite Things, it's secretly been near the top of mine this year.
No, I'm plagued with a compulsion for cleanliness--far from it. I had to teach myself as an adult how to be non-slovenly, so I know what it is to have a wonderfully clean house, a super-messy place, and many of the stops in between. And I prefer clean.
I feel less stressed in a clean house. I don't look around and just think of all the work it would take to declutter (anymore). I feel more like my home is a haven from stress, like aromatherapy and music can now fill the house, along with friends. I can quickly turn my bathroom into a spa, my family room into a home gym, and my bedroom into a great place for meditation. And I can (usually) find what I'm looking for within a matter of minutes.
So this year, I've started my Spring cleaning early, and I'm almost done. So far, I feel somehow 'lighter' in my own home, like the home itself is a little bigger or something. And I'd like you to have the same feeling! I an attempt to help you not miss out on this, I'm bringing you resources for getting motivated to clean, and following through on your plans in as low-stress a manner as possible. Enjoy!
Spring Cleaning Resources from Elizabeth Scott:
Do you participate in Spring cleaning? Is your house always clean anyway, or do you live among clutter? Share your thoughts on Spring cleaning in the comments section, or start a thread in the Stress Management Forum.
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Quizzes | Ongoing Resources
Hi E,
The house of Jeff is absolutely clutter free….both inside and out. When the mind is free of clutter, the home too is free of clutter. Typically, those that have a cluttered office or home more likely than not have a cluttered mind as well. How we manage our external space is basically an outward manifestation of how cluttered our mind is with thoughts. (internal space) This is why cleanliness is next to “Godliness”, but only next to because if one is a perfectionist and takes cleanliness to an obsessively compulsive extreme, then one will miss out on the JOY of being present (God itself).
Then one is just clearing out the clutter because one THINKS one HAS to, rather than doing it because one FEELS like cleaning. Also, Godliness must always come first to have a clutter-free home because what would be the point in cleaning one’s home if it just creates more stress and/or doesn’t clean out the mind at the same time!!! Then we would have a clean home externally but it would still be dusty on the inside! So, we must wipe the dust off the mirror on the inside first, then we can clean our homes with presence, enjoy cleaning, allow cleaning to be a meditation and then our work will indeed be a de-cluttering. (otherwise we will just create more work and things to do!)
I have started my cleaning early this year as well. At least when the house is clean I have one less thing to stress about!