THE DAFFODILS AND crocuses have finally made an appearance, the brighter days lift our spirits and we gradually awake from our winter stupor – yes, spring is finally here.

New growth, new hope and a time to start afresh.

Traditionally the spring clean was a time to open the windows, shift the dark dust of winter and replace it with the fresh clean fragrance of spring. The cobwebs uncovered by sunlight, we can no longer hide the dust and darkness of winter, it’s time to embrace the new season. There is an unspoken understanding that it is time to clear out the unnecessary clutter and move into the next season with optimistic anticipation of what will come next.

Why spring clean?

With greater degrees of consumerism, the spring clean seems to be something we tend to do a lot more frequently, as we regularly need to declutter and recycle our old goods to make space for the new.

The physical effects are clear for all to see but the psychological effects are sometimes clouded by the entrance into the season. The brighter days, the softer air makes it the season of hope and growth. But do a “spring” clean at any time of the year and you will experience the same feelings of lightness and calm. Akin to shedding a skin for a reptile, it’s a time for leaving the past behind and move on to a brighter future.

How?

It doesn’t matter where you start, what matters is that you do start and that you commit to continuing until the work is complete. Once you get started you will create an unstoppable momentum that makes you feel great and makes your surroundings look even better.

1. Set a date and time in your calendar to get started
2. Decide what you are going to tackle first, a good place to start is the most used or occupied area, so your office or maybe the kitchen
3. You could try a time-based clearing rather than task-based because if you tackle an area only to find 10 hours later you are nowhere near finished it can be demotivating and put you off doing the job at all.
4. Start small; never do too much too soon. Fit it around your schedule, if you can afford 30 minutes a day, great. If not, ten minutes will do.
5. Each time you pick up an item you must make a decision about it. You can either keep it, gift it or bin (or recycle) it. Don’t put it down until you have made a decision – clutter is created from delayed decisions

New storage

If you find the same things are left lying around because you don’t know where to put them, then maybe it is time to consider different storage solutions. But don’t go buying anything until you have worked through the stuff and dumped as much as possible. You don’t want to fill up your new shelves with old junk.

The spring clean tradition was born for a reason and it has lasted because it gives us a regular opportunity to start afresh, to get organised, to clear the clutter and to reassess where we go from here.

Ciara Conlon is a productivity coach and the author of Chaos To Control: A Practical Guide To Getting Things Done. If you need help making your New Year’s resolutions stick this year go to ciaraconlon.com and find out about her online course Get Set for Success: 7 Weeks to a Happier More Organised You.