Gretchen Rubin* says that while there is never a bad time to tidy up the clutter at home, in the office, or in our lives generally, Spring gives us a great excuse to start.
Spring is in the air and we’ve all heard the phrase ‘spring cleaning’.
I wonder how many people actually do it. I don’t — but I think it’s an intriguing idea.
I’m a big fan for using dates as milestones, as prompts for self-reflection or for action.
People say Mother’s Day is a Hallmark-driven, consumerist holiday, but still, it’s nice to remember to call your mother. Ditto with Valentine’s Day.
It may be annoying to feel like you’re being pushed to buy, decorate, and celebrate — but still, it’s nice to take a moment to celebrate the people you love.
Making New Year’s resolutions on 1 January may be arbitrary, but the discussion around that date helps us to think: “How might I make the New Year better than last year?”
So, the idea of Spring cleaning can act as a catalyst for cleaning and clearing.
The challenge of clearing clutter is one of my favourite sub-topics within the larger subject of happiness.
For some reason, I find it utterly absorbing.
Researchers aren’t very interested in exploring the connection between happiness and clutter, but in popular culture, it’s a huge subject of discussion.
I’ve found that for most people — and certainly for me — outer order contributes to inner calm.
We’d all agree that in the context of a happy life, something like a crowded closet or an overflowing in-basket is a trivial issue.
Yet most people find that when they clear clutter, they feel happier, more energetic, and more creative.
Do you find that getting control of the stuff in your life — making your bed, hanging up your coat, clearing off your desk, cleaning out the fridge — makes you feel more in control of your life, generally?
It may be an illusion, but it’s a helpful illusion.
In my new book, Outer Order, Inner Calm, I write about how to de-clutter and organise to make more room for happiness.
In Better Than Before, my book about habit change, I write about the Strategy of First Steps.
At least in my part of the world, Spring feels like the right time to begin to tackle clutter-clearing.
As nature becomes renewed, fresh, and energised, we want our homes, offices, and cars to feel recharged as well.
The outer world is bursting with growth, and it’s a good time to create more space for our own growth in our surroundings.
Of course, there’s no bad time to clear clutter. Once you’re ready to begin, now is always the best time.
When we need a reminder, the beginning of Spring is as good as any.
*Gretchen Rubin is the author of bestsellers, Better Than Before, The Happiness Project, and Happier at Home. She writes about happiness and habit-formation and can be followed on Twitter @gretchenrubin.
This article first appeared on Gretchen’s blogsite.
