Spring Cleaning for Your Life – Personally and Professionally

There’s something about spring that makes me want to open the windows, let in fresh air, and start moving things around. (When we bought our house 11 years ago it didn’t come with window screens and the most frustrating thing to me is that I can’t open the windows when it’s nice out – or if I do bugs and birds are going to fly in! haha!)

When I was an elementary school teacher more than 20 years ago, one of my favorite things to do was rearrange the classroom. Moving desks. Changing the bulletin boards. Switching out seasonal decorations.

It always amazed me how something so simple could completely change the energy of the room. The students felt it. I felt it. The whole space suddenly had a fresh start.

I’ve realized over the years that we can do the same thing in our homes and in our work lives.

Sometimes we don’t need a huge overhaul. Sometimes we just need a reset. Spring is one of those times I really get the itch!

A Small Cleaning Habit I’ve Always Loved

I once heard Oprah say that the two spaces that should always be clean are your bedroom and your kitchen.

Her reasoning stuck with me. I mean she’s incredibly empowered so why wouldn’t it?

Your bedroom is where you go to rest at night. Your kitchen is usually where you walk first thing in the morning.

If those two spaces are calm and uncluttered, it changes how you begin and end your day.

And I’ve noticed something else – in my house, if the kitchen counters are clear, the whole kitchen feels organized… even if everything is secretly tucked into a drawer or pantry.

Shhhh. No judgment here. We’ve all done it. 🙂

The 15 Minute Reset Rule

One trick I love is the 15 minute rule.

Set a timer for 15 minutes and pick one small space.

• A kitchen drawer

• Your purse or bag

• Your email inbox

• The top of your desk

• One shelf

• The pile of papers you’ve been ignoring

You’d be amazed what you can accomplish in just 15 minutes. Sometimes I wish streaming had longer commercials so I could tackle a task between a fave show I’m watching.

Bonus tip: add some movement to it.

I look like a dork, but sometimes I do lunges there and back as I move between spaces in the house. It sounds silly, but suddenly my tidy session becomes a mini workout too. If I could just shove some protein in my mouth too – I’d check a lot of boxes! Haha – IYKYK!

Sometimes a fresh perspective comes simply from moving things around. Just like my classroom years ago, even a small shift in our environment can change the energy of our work.

And sometimes a new season is exactly the reminder we need to reset.

Spring is the perfect time to clear a little space – in our homes, in our work, and even in our minds.

If you have a 15 min tidy tip – I’d love to hear it. I’m always looking for new ways to do things!