Adjust Your Expectaions
Spring is almost here and thoughts are turning to cleaning, purging and storing winter items until next year. For some this is scary: so many tasks and not enough time. Much of this stress is due to expectations far beyond what modern life allows. We simply don’t have the time for a week of nothing but scrubbing from top to bottom. Adjusting your expectations might be just the ticket to a less stressful spring.
All winter we’ve let the dust, cobwebs and soot accumulate, which leads us to want a big spring cleaning. What if you took a “maintenance cleaning plus one project per week” perspective instead? That way, you keep the scrubbing time to a minimum. You clean only what is actually dirty – sometimes simple dusting does the trick without the need to wipe a chemical over the object.
Keeping clutter to a minimum means that big spring cleaning chores like dusting and vacuuming under and behind furniture are easier. When switching out seasonal bed linens, decide if the ones going into the closet are going to serve again next year. If not, launder and donate them now so they won’t be taking up space in the linen closet.
Why take a whole weekend to exchange out your seasonal clothing? Place the current season’s wardrobe in the middle of the closet and the not at this time items on the periphery. This also allows you to find a cozy sweater for a chilly summer evening in the high desert. You’ll notice that items magically switch themselves as the weather changes and you put away the laundry.
By taking a few easy steps this spring you can reduce the amount of stress you experience every spring while still maintaining a beautiful and functional home.
This article originally appeared in Sage, April 2009
Tags: certified professional r, clutter, Environment, get organized, getting organized, Habit, organize, organizer, organizing, organizing solutions, routine, safety at home, simplicity, simplify, Simplifying, Spring cleaning, storage, streamlining, systems
