A mind doesn’t just look messy. It can also feel heavy. What starts off small can roll into a ball that continues to add up.
For example, an assignment or two can feel light, but the more teachers assign, the more it ultimately weighs down students who already have so much on their plates.
But as the breeze of spring air traveling through the windows comes in and grazes upon one’s skin, this can be taken as a wake-up call. Maybe what’s needed goes beyond cleaning. Perhaps we need genuine change instead.
According to the website Rowenta, spring cleaning has both practical and cultural roots. Warmer weather allows for a more comfortable means of living, but it also serves as a symbol of renewal. Some traditions even make it connected to the idea that one is ridding themselves of bad luck and welcoming new beginnings for the season.
Taking that into consideration, here are some tips from the community at SHS that can help those wanting to declutter their space and lives as spring rolls around.
Resident Therapist Andrea Russell-Cruz believes that spring cleaning is more than a necessary task. She thinks that it can be a way for people to reset their space both physically and mentally. She supports the idea that the emotions people feel are often evident through the way their environments look.
“Your room is a sacred place. It’s where you charge, (and) it’s where you sleep,” Russell-Cruz said. “If you look around and a lot of the things aren’t sparking joy, then that means (you’ve) got to start cleaning up. Whatever you have going on in your mind is going to show up through your environment.”
However, she emphasizes that the process goes deeper than simply just tidying up.
She reminds people that they still have some sort of control over themselves, or at least enough to make sure that they take breaks to improve their mental well-being.
Junior Samuel Elliott, who has been a part of the Psychology club since its start, believes that spring is the best time for people to change up their routines and mindset. He also suggests experimenting with healthy ways of coping.
He explained that when new seasons come, people often want a change in organization.
“I think cleansing mentally would look like (you’re) trying to look at what’s causing you stress and trying to handle it,” Elliott said. “I think developing healthy coping mechanisms such as meditation or yoga (may be helpful).”
When asked what physical spring cleaning looks like, Elliott explained that it starts with one’s surroundings.
“Physical spring cleaning is like looking at your physical space and cleaning it up, like maybe your room is messy and you clean it up and make it look nice,” Elliott said. “You could sweep the floors, you could wipe down a desk, you could pick up stuff off the floor.”
These seemingly small tasks can actually make a space feel more organized and refreshed.
Elliott also shared examples of what physical spring cleaning could look like at school, such as teachers cleaning out their cubicles, cleaning out backpacks and reorganizing papers. He explained that when new seasons come, people often want a change in organization.
At home, he said it could be as easy as simply cleaning one’s room or finding areas for improvement.
Instructional Coach Kenton Armbruster, who also sponsors the Psychology club, approaches spring cleaning with a psychological perspective. He believes the season can really show when students are mentally overloaded and in need of a reset.
“If you ever feel yourself getting overwhelmed, like ‘I can’t even think anymore,’ you’re probably just out of cognitive resources,” Armbruster said. “You run out. You feel overwhelmed.”
Because of this connection between mental and physical states, Armbruster encourages people to take small steps when trying to clear their headspace.
“I would take a breath to try and recollect your thoughts,” Armbruster said. “If you can meditate and slow everything down for yourself, I think that would be a good place to start.”
He also points to journaling as one of the most effective ways a person can mentally declutter.
“Journaling can be a very powerful outlet to get things out,” Armbruster said. “There’s something powerful about writing it down and physically balling it up and throwing it away… You’re making a connection of ‘this is here, and now it’s gone.’”
