Quarantine is a Time for Renewal (and Spring Cleaning)
Spring cleaning doesn’t just mean washing the windows and dusting the furniture. As the seasons change, it’s a great time to consider what could use a fresh perspective or action in your personal life as well. What better time to do this deep work than while in quarantine? Ritual Living Co founder and Quilt leader Michelle Miller shares some tips. Download the free Quilt app and join a conversation to meet women like Michelle all around the world!
by Michelle Miller
Spring is a time of renewal. The New Year has come and gone. Winter is over and buds are beginning to open on the trees. The earth knows when it’s time to renew itself. Although unexpected, the coronavirus and this time of quarantine is giving us the opportunity to do the same — to physically and mentally reset and re-connect to our authentic selves. To sift through the soil of life and reflect on the seeds that have been planted there.
Were they seeds that were intentionally sown or, given this precious time of self-reflection, would you now make a different choice? What do you want to take root — in your life, your relationships, your career, and your home?
Our homes, the very thing that represents safety and security in our lives, can easily make us feel anxious and unbalanced when they’re cluttered — especially during this uncertain time when we’re asked to be there so much. So it makes sense that decluttering could offer us peace of mind and allow us to feel in control of our space at a time when we can’t control much else.
Take a minute to tap into how your home feels. Does it feel light or heavy? Is it welcoming and cozy or do you feel overwhelmed? What in your home is taking up mental space right now? Do you feel like you have room to breathe?
Clearing the clutter from your home doesn’t have to be difficult — regardless of whether or not it comes easily for you. With a plan in place, you can make the best of it.
Here are a few tips to get started:
Do the 20%. Choose one area or task that will make the biggest difference. Ask yourself: what hasn’t been working for me? What will make me feel the most accomplished?
Get support. Share your goal with your partner, family or roommates. Having someone to hold you accountable & give you support makes all the difference.
Start small and go slow. Start with one drawer or one cabinet & only spend a short amount of time on it so you don’t get overwhelmed. It will likely take more time than you think so go slow, take breaks & be compassionate with yourself. Accept what you are able to get done and let go of the rest for now — especially during this time.
Decide. As you go through your space, try to make gut-level decisions. Ask yourself if each item is serving you and let it be an instinctual yes or no. If it’s a maybe, set it aside to review at the end so it doesn’t stop the momentum.
Contain. Pull all of the like items together and give them a home so you can easily find them again.
Label. Labeling makes it easy for you and everyone else to quickly know where to find and put things back.
Reflect. Notice what thoughts and feelings came up for you during the process. Are the things you own a good reflection of who you are as a person and how you spend your time and money? Is there anything you still need to let go of?
Envision. If there was anything you could change in your space, what would it be? What’s stopping you from getting there?
To Spring Clean Emotionally
The same process you use for getting organized can be used to help you reflect on other areas of your life as well — like your career and relationships. Because when you clear external clutter, you end up clearing internal clutter as well — eliminating distractions and repetitive tasks to create space to focus on what you want to do instead of the things you have to do. This can be really scary because once we stop being busy, the only thing left is us.
It’s then that we’re able to reflect internally & sit with the bigger questions, like — “Does the life I’m living align with the life I envisioned for myself?” “What would it take to make the changes I want to make?” and “Why haven’t I made them already?”.
What we find is, what’s stopping us from organizing our closet, getting uncomfortable with our relationships, or making a big career move, is more than the act itself — it’s the fear, perfectionism, or overwhelm that go with it. It’s the core beliefs you have about who you are as a person that keep you stuck, and it’s up to you to decide how you will move through those beliefs so that you can live the life you dream about — instead of the life you think you have to live.
So go ahead and create the space in your life to explore that hobby or side hustle, spend more time with family, make new friends through a community like Quilt or move on from the job or relationship that’s not working for you.
Take this time to create your home right now — from the inside out. Discover who you are and are meant to be and reinforce your foundation or re-create it if you need to. Plant new seeds if the ones you had before aren’t what you fully intended to take root. Come home to yourself and create your internal sense of safety for the times when you need it — times like these.
Now is the time to move your life forward in a meaningful way. Choose to invest in yourself. Organizing is so much more than having a beautiful, functioning external space. It’s about the internal room that gets cleared in the process so you can have a clear vision for the life you want. When you’re ready to create this vision — and clear the clutter inside + out — you can find me here.
Quilt is a virtual gathering platform designed to build community around topics people care about. On the same day, you can download our app and dive into a live, intimate conversation with new people around the country or start your own. Once your gathering finishes, you’re immediately connected to the group to stay in touch, collaborate, and create the next conversation.
