For as long as we can remember spring cleaning was a time when our families would purge the house, switch over and pack up seasonal clothes, and open the windows to let the spring air fill the house. Traditionally, spring cleaning was done in preparation for a new year or Passover. It is also an act of preparing for the new season. In an article byHow Stuff Works, they mention that spring cleaning has its traditional ties but it also is because of simple biology. “During winter, we're exposed to less sunlight due to shorter, often dreary days. With a lack of exposure to light, the pineal gland produces melatonin -- a hormone that produces sleepiness in humans. Conversely, when we're exposed to sunlight, our bodies produce much less melatonin. It's possible that we spring clean simply because we wake up from a winter-long melatonin-induced stupor and find more energy as the days grow longer when Spring arrives. After all, it's easy to allow a house to get a little gross around the edges when you're sleepy.”

Here are our six steps to waking up yourself and your home and preparing for a fresh start this spring:

Reflect and refresh

A new season is almost like a new year, so instead of putting so much emphasis on New Years and all the resolutions, we make how about we think about our goals in seasons? And with spring just around the corner, it can be a fresh start, a time to reflect on the past couple of months, look to what brings you joy and what you want to accomplish, and how you want to prioritize your life/last seasons goals and ambitions.

Take a moment to reflect on what you have accomplished so far and give yourself credit for all of your wins, no matter how big or small. Life goes by so fast and we are often focused on the next thing and forget to realize how far we have come. Be grateful and give yourself the “pat on the back” that you deserve and move forward with a clean slate and a focused mind.

Writing practice

In order to move forward into this new season, we must figure out what we would like to focus on and any goals we want to achieve. Our favourite way of doing this is by doing a writing practice and answering some questions like: What is your focus for the month of Spring? Is it a passion project, do you want to work out twice a week, maybe schedule in more time with your family, read a book every month, or spend less time on Social Media? Are they realistic in your timeframe? How will you give yourself love and balance? This way you can have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish and where you want to spend your time this season.

Declutter

Now for the cleaning part in Spring cleaning. This new movement byMarie Kondo of “tidying your space, transform your life” is the act of only holding onto what truly brings you joy and letting go of the rest. It is such a great place to start for the spring cleaning of your home. Go through every room in your house, organize, declutter, donate, and clean. You can watchTidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix if you need some inspiration and motivation, or head over to Happy DIY Home for their comprehensive guide on how to organize your home using the KonMari method. Having a clean, clutter-free house can reduce stress and make coming home more relaxing and restorative.

Spring clean your skincare

Our skin is about to go through some changes when transitioning from winter to spring weather so now is a great time for you to go through your skincare and get rid of any products that might be out of date or put away those heavy creams that you won’t be using in warmer weather. Giving your beauty shelf a little lift by keeping it minimal can help calm you during your pampering moments in the morning and night. We like to keep it very simple in the spring and summer months with just using a gentle cleanser followed by theRestorative Facial Oil in the morning and theSoothing Lotion at night. It’s important to change up your regime seasonally because your skin goes through a lot of extreme changes especially if you’re in Toronto like us and one day it’s -30 degrees and the next it’s +14. It gives your skin its best chance to glow.

Moving forward consciously

It is a wonderful feeling once you’ve gone through everything, purged what you no longer need and organized the rest but it can be a big job and one you can find yourself doing almost every season. So throughout the next season and onward be mindful of your consumer choices. Focus on asking yourself if the thing you have is useful or makes you happy. Does it hold meaning, or will you regret it if you let it go? Challenge yourself to not buy anything new without going through what we already have in the house. We are driven by consumerism, and marketers telling us that we need something, but ask yourself if you truly need it and what impact it will have if you buy it. Will you throw it out next season? Being in places like Costa Rica really opened our eyes to how little you really need when you are surrounded by beauty and simplicity. You can be happy with a lot less. It just depends on your perspective.

Fresh new start

All of the preparation you just accomplished with the above tasks is amazing. Now it is time for you to open up your home and bring that fresh new start in by opening your windows and allowing fresh air to circulate throughout your home. Releasing the stale air and bringing in new life to yourself and your home. It is a simple physical act that can make a huge difference in how you feel almost immediately.

Whatever the reason you decide to partake in Spring cleaning this year, we feel it will give you a fresh outlook and we hope our spring cleaning tips can help you! If you’d like to share one of your tips please comment below.