April Is Here, And It's Not Too Late To Start Spring Cleaning!
Call us crazy, but my family and I have grown to kind of like Spring Cleaning. I used to dread it until a few years ago, when we made the conscious decision that we were going to make it fun. We started to look at it as an event rather than a chore. Now that my son is three, we've begun branding it a "Cleaning Party" and its amazing how well the word "party" and the promise of pizza works to get him (and lets be honest, my husband and myself, as well) motivated to clean.
Below are some tips and resources I hope you find helpful to spring into action with your Spring Cleaning!
5 Things You Can Do to Make Spring Cleaning More Enjoyable
1. Before you start, decide on a goal or reward for the project that will get you excited.
Maybe you want to invite some friends over for a dinner party you'll host a few weeks out, after the cleaning will be done. Or decide that if you get the cleaning done by the end of the month, you get to treat yourself to a massage or a fancy dinner or an overnight trip to Santa Barbara. A reward will serve as great motivation for starting and completing the spring cleaning. And equally as important, having a reward in place will help you to begin associating Spring Cleaning, and cleaning in general, with the positive feelings that come along with working towards and achieving your goals, rather than associating it with feelings of dread.
2. Make a playlist of your favorite music or podcasts.
Keep it upbeat and energetic to keep you moving! This will also help you begin to associate positive feelings with cleaning.
3. Burn an aromatherapy candle.
Smell is the strongest of the senses and can have an incredible influence on our brain activity. I usually opt for a citrus scent when I'm cleaning, because I love the fresh, clean smell. As an added bonus: research shows citrus scents can help promote concentration and improve mood.
4. Treat yourself to delivery for lunch.
I usually opt for pizza of course, because its a "Cleaning Party".
5. Congratulate yourself on a job well done and enjoy your reward.
This is key! Congratulate yourself out loud. Take the time to bask in the glory of accomplishing your goals. Exclaiming things like "It's just feels so clean in here!" and "We should do this more often!" and "This was actually kind of fun!" may seem kind of silly, but congratulating yourself will really go a long way in leaving you feeling great about all your hard work, which will help to motivate you when next spring comes. First and foremost, pat yourself on the back, and mean it. Then enjoy your chosen reward
Where to begin with your Spring Cleaning
Move past the overwhelm and get started with this One-Day Spring Cleaning Plan compliments of the folks over at Oprah.com. But don't feel like you have to get it all done in one day. It's ok to break it into smaller bits.
And so with that, get your own Spring "Cleaning Party" on the calendar, and take time to stop and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Happy decluttering!