10 Spring Cleaning Ideas for Life and Work

Originally published on 31 August 2022

I love winter but it’s probably because it’s the precursor to spring. It’s that in-between season where you can lay the groundwork to transition into summer with a new mindset. The saying is summer bodies are made in winter. Well, perhaps we could say summer minds are made in spring?

This post is partly inspired by a newsletter that I subscribe to called Time Well Spent by Jenny Blake. Last week she had an excerpt from a discussion with her colleague, Sarah Young, about clean energy v. dirty energy. It was mostly about how you sometimes leave a conversation or meeting feeling like there was ‘dirty energy’, like something just wasn’t right in how it unfolded. It got me thinking more broadly about clean v. dirty energy and how to resolve some of this in my life.

So, here’s a list of some things to clean out the dirty energy and bring some more clean energy into your life and work as we head into spring.

1. Identify 2-3 things that have not been giving you energy and clean them out

Sit down and think about the last few weeks (or months) and what has been draining you or just not been working for you. This could be your daily routine, a relationship with someone, or something as simple as how you get your emails done. Then think of ways of cleaning it up. It might mean letting go of something and leaving it in the past. If it isn’t working for you, then let go of it.

2. Learn to communicate better

Often dirty energy comes from just not communicating clearly enough or communicating in a way that is misconstrued. This was the crux of the discussion between Blake and Young. We end up not expressing what we want, or the other side fails to explain what they need, and confusion ensues. I am sometimes too blunt in my professional communication and not open enough in my personal communication – both dirty energy vibes. So learn to be clear about what you want to communicate to the other person and also if you find that the communication is not getting through to them no matter what you do, it’s also ok to clean out that energy.

3. Change up your look/workspace/house

I recently wrote about change often being cosmetic and like rearranging the furniture. I have recently done both – new hair and new workspace. For many of us who work from home, a little change to our workspace might be just what we need to bring some of that clean energy into our lives.

4. Clean your digital closet

Spring cleaning is often the reserve of our physical closets, but we have so much junk in our digital closets. The number of times I used to get your ‘iCloud storage is almost full’ is ridiculous. I simply solved this by buying more storage. However, the real solution is going back and deleting versions 6-22 of my thesis or the 30 grainy photos of a night out from 2014 that I vaguely remember but really aren’t necessary to keep. Clear that inbox by archiving or deleting old emails. Clear out old photos, videos, and files that no longer serve a purpose. It is a bit time-consuming, but your digital closet and your mind will thank you later.

Now that we have cleaned out some of that dirty energy, it’s time for some clean energy…

5. Set some goals

Goal-setting is something that you will always find on my lists. The rest that follows are effectively goals, but you can always set more. Think about what you want to achieve by the end of this year that will leave you feeling good and on the right path for 2023. We still have a few months of 2022 left so make the best of it.

6. Learn something new

Spring is a wonderful time for fresh starts so why not learn something new? Broaden your range and skillset. Pick something and just do it.

7. Start that project

We all have a little (or big) side project inside of us that we are wanting to do. Now is the time to start laying the groundwork. It might also be a work project that you have wanted to take on but haven’t been able to communicate this to your boss. See 2 above and use that new clean energy to do it.

8. Bring some green into your life

The benefits of plants are well-known. You can look this up yourself, but they improve your mood, reduce stress, improve the air quality, and will just brighten up your space. So, if you have a garden, then get gardening. If you don’t, then go and get yourself a few indoor plants.

9. Find time for a walk

Walking gives you energy. I am not talking about your daily run. I am talking about a good old-fashioned 10-15 minute walk somewhere. There is something about walking that provides momentum and moves you forward. It isn’t about the exercise, it’s about the act.

10. Find joy

I am not talking about Marie Kondo’s kind of sparking joy but something that will boost your energy. For me, it’s a silly little 15-minute solo dance party when I take my afternoon work break. It cleans out the work that I have just done and re-energises me for the next part of my day. Find something that will bring you that joy and do it regularly.

Happy spring cleaning!

Alex the Generalist