Tips to Prepare Your Home and Mind for Spring Equinox
by Ayana Iman
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February 28, 2023

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Tips to Prepare Your Home and Mind for Spring Equinox

Courtesy of @organizeforlove/Instagram

Spring cleaning is necessary for our overall wellness. It helps us reduce clutter in our homes and minds. Clutter can create stress and anxiety, and it can be a source of distraction. Getting rid of clutter can make your space more organized and calm, which can be good for your mental and emotional health. 

The spring equinox is the perfect time to create a new self-care routine, such as practicing yoga or meditation or taking a relaxing bath. You can also set new goals for yourself. This could be related to your career, relationships, or personal growth. Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.

Remember that resetting for spring is about creating a fresh start and embracing new opportunities. As you prepare yourself for this new season, you should consider how your home functions and if it supports your daily lifestyle.  

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Rebekah Bashorun, founder of Organize For Love (Courtesy of @organizeforlove/Instagram)

I spoke with Rebekah Bashorun, the founder of Organize For Love, a professional organizing company, about how she approaches spring cleaning in stages throughout the season. Her 5-Day Spring Cleaning Challenge gives people the opportunity to think clearly and intentionally about their space and how they want it to function. Instead of overwhelming ourselves with a never-ending to-do list, we complete one task each day.

What is your approach to spring cleaning?

I feel like we need to be realistic about where we are in our organizing journey. And then I think about what’s going on in my life and what level of decluttering and organizing I can commit to.

This year, there’s not really much to get rid of; there’s a lot for me to restructure — maybe look at a room and redesign it with some new curtains or pillows. Understanding what capacity we have to get things done is critical to completing the task. Spring cleaning looks different for everyone. It doesn’t have to just be a deep cleaning. And it doesn’t have to be like a marathon because cramming in everything is unrealistic.

Tell us more about your OFL Spring Cleaning Challenge.

We’re doing a five-day cleaning challenge for our supporters. It’s free. It’s on Instagram. I thought about how to prepare someone if they had to do the organizing themselves. Each day is dedicated to a new challenge, like opening windows or getting rid of unwanted items. Some people think their​​ home is more cluttered than it actually is because things don’t have a proper place. I wanted to give people the opportunity to approach spring cleaning with grace because this stuff takes time. 

How do you get your family involved with spring cleaning?

I tell folks to lead by example. Everyone must be on the same page and be clear about what systems are really important to the people in the household. For example, because we enjoy making breakfast, waking up to a clean kitchen is necessary. Well, someone has to load the dishwasher at night. And then in the morning, someone has to unload it. Sometimes my husband cooks and I clean the dishes, and other times he cooks and cleans the dishes. Our values are clear; we value honesty, cleanliness, and physical touch in our household. Our systems work. We make certain that, regardless of what is going on in our lives, this is how we want our home to look because it is important to both of us.

We have to continue to have these conversations and create systems that work for the whole household. It can be hard. But it can be done. 

How can these systems be applied to children?

I have a two-year-old daughter, and I found that repetition works best. Parents have to bring children into the process and just keep repeating, and repeating, and repeating. I like to make a game out of it and make it fun. For instance, I have her for the morning, and she’s playing with her toys, and they are all over the floor. When she’s done, I clap as she puts them away. It takes maybe five minutes longer. I’m leading by example because I was going to put the toys away, but I’m bringing her into the process. She wants to do everything Mommy wants to do. 

Find more organization tips from Rebekah on the Organize For Love website, Instagram, and Facebook page. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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