Maria in Vancouver
Ways to Spring-Clean Your Life
Indeed, spring has sprung! And we all know what that means: it’s time for spring cleaning! It’s time to get rid of all the old crap you haven’t used in years. It’s time to get rid of all habits and ways that are hindering you from achieving your utmost potential and purpose in life. You know what they say — no mess in life equates to no stress in life! Remember: Spring cleaning isn’t just about sorting through things, and getting rid of clutter. It’s also about taking stock of who you are, and how others see you. It’s a chance to redefine yourself, to change expectations, and to remember that it’s never too late to recapture who you were, or to aim for who you want to be.
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Spring cleaning is a chance to redefine ourselves, to change expectations and to always remember that in life, it’s never too late. But first, let’s find effective and efficient ways to spring-clean our homes and environments. Let’s start with physical clutter. Spring cleaning needn’t be a list of dreaded chores. On the contrary, it can be both fun and therapeutic. You just have to condition your mind and body to do it! All you need to be are two things: organized and coordinated.
Just recently, I helped spring-clean my unico hijo’s bachelor pad. My son lives in a two-bedroom condominium in the heart of Coal Harbour, Downtown, Vancouver. He also works from home so it’s vital that he keeps his surroundings clean, tidy and organized. My son and I can’t stress enough the importance of working and living in a clean and organized home. Here are some ways that my son did in spring-cleaning his pad and in getting rid of all of his physical clutter.
1. Look around your home and create a list of all the items and furniture you don’t need. This list should include clothes and shoes you no longer wear, books you no longer read, furniture and appliances that no longer spark joy or happiness. Bear this in mind while spring-cleaning: you need to be ruthless! Throw away everything that doesn’t serve you. Don’t be a hoarder.
(Photo courtesy of the author)
2. Next, call a junk removal company. Do a comparison check when it comes to sourcing out a junk removal company. Do an extensive research on who is the best junk removal company. Read online reviews about the companies. Compare prices and ask diligent questions about each company. Do your homework right. Hiring a junk removal company can be expensive. Choose wisely.
For my son and myself, 1-800-Got-Junk was the best junk removal company in North America. They were professional, fast, efficient and reasonably priced. (Photo courtesy of the author)
3. Schedule the junk removal. Make sure you take a timeout from work or other responsibilities. It is imperative that you are present on the day that you schedule the junk removal company to take out and remove items you no longer need in your home and life. It is important that you are there supervising and coordinating on the day that the junk removal team is there. In my son’s case, he got rid of all his old clothes, shoes, books, appliances and furniture.
(Photo courtesy of the author)
4. Schedule a day or two of general cleaning. Where we live in Vancouver, we don’t have household cleaners or help on a daily basis because it’s costly. Instead, we do our own daily cleaning of our homes. But, when you intend to do general cleaning, it’s best to hire reputable companies to do your cleaning once or twice a year. By this, I mean cleaning your cupboards, your appliances, and your baseboards and windows. With my son’s pad, we enlisted a cleaner that came highly recommended by our company cleaners. She cleaned my son’s bachelor pad thoroughly. She washed the walls, wiped the blinds, cleaned the baseboards, the kitchen which included deep cleaning of the stove, fridge/freezer, microwave, the living room, and the two bedrooms in just two days. She also organized my son’s closet and clothes. Again, schedule a day or two of timeout from work and other responsibilities. It’s important to supervise and coordinate your general cleaning at home.
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5. Schedule a deep carpet cleaning. My son’s pad has carpet in his living room and master’s bedroom. He called for a professional carpet cleaner to do deep cleaning and shampooing of his carpet. Again, he did extensive research on comparing carpet cleaner companies. He read the online reviews for each company and compared costs. The carpet cleaning company he chose did an amazing job in getting rid of all stubborn carpet stains.
My son’s dining area and work from home area. (Photo courtesy of the author)
6. Determine your lifestyle in terms of interior decoration. Now that you’ve got rid of your unwanted items and furniture in your home and did an overall general cleaning of your home, it’s extremely important to determine moving onward what type of interior decoration you should have in order to keep your home clean and organized. Since my son is still very much a bachelor, my son opted for a clean and minimalist interior. After his spring-cleaning project, he chose to only have a glass dining table with four leather dining chairs in his living/dining room area. He opted for a small white leather L-shaped sofa. He also uses his living room as his work area. For my son, minimalism makes a lot of sense!
My son’s living room area. (Photo courtesy of the author)
7. Maintaining a clean living lifestyle. Since my son is still a bachelor, he chose to put aside a budget for hiring a cleaner once a week to help him organize his home. He works long hours as a Software Engineer so he doesn’t really have time to clean and organize his own pad. Instead of spending on vices and unnecessary things, he decided to put aside money on household help. In this way, his home is kept clean as he uses it as well for work. He works from home so it’s important for him to have a clean and organized home. Having a simplified, uncluttered home is a form of self-care. Happiness is a freshly cleaned home!
My son’s bachelor pad. (Photo courtesy of the author)
Now that we’re done in establishing effective and efficient ways to spring-clean our homes and environments, it’s also time to spring-clean our lives and lifestyles. After all, spring-cleaning is not just limited to our homes. It is a chance to hit the reset button on our lives. Spring cleaning is more than just decluttering your space; it’s about decluttering your mind and soul.
Here are ways to declutter your life:
1. Redefine your relationships in life. Focus on relationships that truly matter. Don’t be afraid to cut ties with people that only bring you stress and unhappiness. You only have one life and you have the right to live it well and happily. You don’t need people who you constantly argue and fight with. Cut ties and move forward. And remember that there is no room for guilt when you cut ties with people who make you unhappy and uncomfortable. Life is short. Spend it with the right people in your life. It is better to find your tribe and thrive in life than be miserable all your life.
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2. Check your attitude. Our mindset in life is everything! Our mindset affects our daily living so we must ensure that our attitude is all about positivity. Throw away all the negativity. You got rid of all the negative people in your life so the next step is to get rid of the rest of the negativity in your life. First and foremost is to teach yourself to improve on how you react to situations. We have no control on everything that happens in our lives but we can control how we react to all the things that happen in our lives. Always choose to be calm and positive.
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3. Declutter your mind. We can never avoid stress in life. It’s part of living. It’s part of our everyday life. It’s part of our work and world. The key is to always choose to stay calm despite all the stress that surrounds us. I know it sounds crazy and impossible but it is always doable. Try and declutter your mental state as much as possible by doing these three simple steps: a). breathe and exhale. b). Eat healthy, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and give yourself a break if you feel stressed out by doing things that relaxes you. And lastly, no man is an island — c). talk to others who you trust and are comfortable with. But again, choose the people you confide with wisely. Remember that not everyone is a true friend. Not everyone has your best interest in mind.
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4. Straighten out your finances. It is extremely important to be in charge of your daily finances. Do not get into debt. Live within your means. Do not compete with the Joneses. Take a look at your money coming in and the money going out. Always be in charge and be aware of your expenses. Set your budget on a monthly basis. Track your spending habits. Always save before spending. Always pay down your debts. Saving up in small amounts for large purchases helps you avoid impulse spending that can have a long-term detrimental effect on your finances. To save money on large purchases, try to wait for sales. Don’t forget to budget for a few of your favourite activities. If you like to go out to eat once a week, include your typical restaurant bill in your budget. Lastly and perhaps the most important thing: Make sure that you have enough income!
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5. Take good care of your diet. Eat a diet rich in whole foods such as fruits,vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, fresh animal proteins, eggs and dairy. Think thrice before you go on a crash diet. Ask yourself if it’s sustainable. Learn the right diet for you and your body. Don’t go into diet fads.
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6. Find a new hobby. Always remember that finding a hobby or a passion in life helps you to relieve your daily stress because you are engaging yourself in something that you actually enjoy. Having a hobby makes you more interesting. Hobbies help you become more patient. Having a hobby can help your social life and create a bond with others. Having a hobby increases your confidence and self-esteem. Having a hobby increases your knowledge in life.
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7. Create your life plan. Always ask yourself where do you see yourself in 5, 10, 15, or 20 years? In our lives, it is always a must to have plans to look forward to. Set definitive goals. It makes one’s life worth living. Ask yourself what do I need to get myself to my ideal life?
8. Always keep yourself inspired. Remember you don’t need others to keep you inspired in life. You only need yourself to be inspired. Make it your screensaver, or post an inspiring note on your bathroom mirror. Surround yourself with beautiful words. Make inspiration your daily mantra and motivation in life.
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9. Reclaim your inner peace. Inner peace is possible in a time of stress. You can achieve it with exercises that cultivate mindfulness, balance, gratitude, and happiness. To find inner peace, spend time with nature either by walking through a garden, park or seawall. Go for hikes with friends. Practise daily gratitude by always being thankful for what you have in life. Be thankful for being alive. Be thankful for your career that provides you with a roof over your head and food in your tummy. Be thankful for the good people that support you and surround you. Be thankful for surviving. To find your peace and happiness, let go of your regrets. Remember that these mistakes made you a better person. Love yourself. Self-care is important to finding peace and happiness.
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10. Get physically strong and active. Start by picking an activity you enjoy. Go for long leisurely walks or hike with your friends. Hit your gym and run on a treadmill, lift weights and do some stretching exercises. Play a sport that you enjoy. Be physically active. Being active makes you feel better about yourself and in the long run, makes you look good too!
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The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment. Overall, spring-cleaning is about cleaning our lives, minds, and bodies for a healthier lifestyle. We only have one life to live, make it clean, beautiful and happy! A clean lifestyle is a peaceful and happier lifestyle!
A grateful creature with a passion for writing.
#MariainVancouver
