Spring Cleaning
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
It is a warm, sunny Saturday, and I am sitting at my favorite café, the one I always end up at when I want to think for a minute. As I watch the sun stretch across the sidewalk, I find myself thinking about starting over. Not in a dramatic way - I love my life - but there are so many things that could use a refresh.
Lately, it feels like there is a lot we cannot control. The news moves faster than most of us can keep up with, and the tone can shift from alarming to heavy in a matter of minutes. It creates a strange tension, holding all of that in the background while still trying to move through your normal, everyday routine.
This need for a refresh combined with the sunlight has me thinking about spring cleaning. While the idea of attempting to clean my entire house is overwhelming, I’m trying to focus on some smaller, more manageable things.
When so much feels uncertain, there is something steadying about focusing on what is right in front of you. Clearing one surface or organizing one drawer can feel like a way to take back a little control, even if it is only for a moment.
There is research showing that clutter can increase cognitive load and raise cortisol levels, particularly for women. In that context, even small acts of organizing are not insignificant; they can help quiet some of the mental noise when everything else already feels loud.
At its core, spring cleaning becomes less about the outcome and more about the reminder that while you cannot control everything, you can still shape something.
So maybe today is about choosing one small area of your life, whether that is a physical space, a routine, or even a recurring thought, and giving yourself permission to reset it. It does not need to be perfect. It does not need to be finished. It just needs to be enough to help you feel a little more grounded.
Even in uncertain times, you are allowed to create your own sense of clarity. You are allowed to make space for steadiness. And you are allowed to start again.
