If you’re anything like me, you may have felt the weight of this past quarter. We spend a lot of time prioritizing work, and sometimes we forget to prioritize other things, like the little tasks and chores that pile up. Luckily, the summer months are the perfect chance to clean up and reorganize. I know I focus and work better when both my space and my mind are refreshed, so, I’d like to offer some ideas of the areas you can clean up, and how to do it!
When we think of spring or summer cleaning, we may call to mind all of our physical or online spaces. And while these are certainly areas that get overlooked in our busyness, we also need to take care of and refresh our minds. For some of us however, staying organized can seem like a daunting task. But with a little planning, the process doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are some ideas of where to begin:
1. Make a list
Making a list is a great place to start, because it helps to visualize what needs to be done. When you make a list, the tasks will seem less overwhelming, and you can plan and prioritize the tasks that need to be done first.
2. Plan out your tasks
It’s possible that there’s quite a few things on your to-do list, and if you try to do them all at once, you may run the risk of burnout when the whole idea is to refresh. Instead, schedule out time for specific tasks and try to do them one at a time. You might start your morning with a simple desk organization, and after you’ve worked for a few hours, take a break and organize your computer desktop. It can be easier to motivate ourselves when we split tasks up instead of devoting an entire day to refreshing. This is a great chance to try your hand at project management with some good old fashioned schedule planning!
3. Let's get to it!
Once we have a list and a plan, it’s time to dive in! Here are some of the physical, online, and mental spaces we can clean up, reorganize, and reflect on.
Physical Spaces:
- Desks
- Junk drawers
- Closets and dressers
- Cars
- Bags or purses
- Bathrooms
- Storage cabinets
- Refrigerators
There are a few common physical spaces often targeted in a spring or summer cleaning, and an abundance of tips on how to do it!
Desks/Junk Drawers: Think about those spaces where we spend a hefty part of our workdays, or those catch-all drawers in our kitchens or entryways where we toss stuff when we're not sure what else to do with it. I wonder, sometimes, if "not sure what else to do with it" is my code for "I should really just toss or recycle this!" If this is the space where I do my day-to-day work, or it's in the kitchen, where everyone seems to gravitate when friends and family are around, then maybe taking a moment this time of year to clear out the garbage and make this space fresh will help make my workday or my social time more inviting.
Closets/dressers: Surely I'm not the only one who has at least one thing in my closet or dresser that I don’t wear, but have been holding onto. And admittedly, though running through my clothes doesn't flip my "fun meter," I do get a charge out of knowing that someone else could make good use of something rather than having it sit useless in my closet. I've tried the "turn the hanger backwards" trick; and I've tried the "would I buy this now?" test (if the answer is no, then into the donate pile it goes). Someone once told me, if you're on the fence about something, the chances are you good that you won't wear it again, so donate, donate, donate! Consider recycling/upcycling, repurposing, or donating to second-hand or thrift stores.
Car: We spend quite a bit of time in our cars, and they are easy to overlook or take for granted. Grab a trash bag and clean out cup holders, consoles, and any seat pockets. Wipe down dusty surfaces and vacuum the seats and rugs. To top it all off, maybe add a fun scent or refresh an old one!
Storage Spaces: Attics and basements have places for storage as well as places to check for leaks, insulation problems, or to just clean out some of those items we didn’t even remember we had. You may stumble across collectable or valuable items someone else is looking for, or come across sentimental memories. A refresh is a great time to check on those!
Online Spaces:
While we may not think of an online cleanup as part of a summer refresh, now is as good as time as any! These are some of the online spaces you can clean up:
Social media accounts: After a while, our social media accounts fill up with followers we don’t really know, and our pictures are no longer up to date. Take some time to go through your followers and friends, or update old photos and information.
Emails: Many of us use our emails daily, and when we’re busy sending hundreds of emails in a week, keeping them organized gets pushed to the back burner. Devote some time to delete the emails you no longer need, or create folders to help organize them.
Photos: Have you ever looked through your photo app, just to see thousands of photos? It can be overwhelming, especially if you scroll through and find random screenshots or multiples of the same photo. Try organizing by topic, or set yourself a schedule to review photos monthly, or maybe set aside a few minutes each day to look at the photos from that day over all the years you've been accumulating photos.
Mental Spaces:
Now that we’ve cleaned up our spaces, it’s time to reflect on our emotions, feelings, and personal goals or values. When we feel better, we work better, and we treat the people around us with more kindness.
Practice self-awareness: A great way to start our mental refresh is to take a look in the mirror. When we practice self-awareness, we focus on our thoughts, feelings, and habits, and can consider what is working well, and what may not be working quite as well. With self-awareness in mind, we know what to continue doing to our benefit, and where we can use some additional attention.
Check in on yearly goals or resolutions: Since we’re about halfway through the year, now is a great time to check in on any goals or resolutions we may have made at the beginning of the year. Check on your progress, readjust where necessary, or set new and updated goals if needed. It’s okay to not be exactly where we thought we’d be, but if we make adjustments now, we still have plenty of time to complete our updated goals.
Put self-care into action: It may not be the holidays, but these self-care tips are helpful year-long! It’s always important to prioritize our mental and physical health, and you might find some tips you can implement on a daily basis! Take some time to go on a walk, cook your favorite meal, take a nap or a relaxing bath, spend time with loved ones, or do one of your favorite hobbies!
These are just some of the tips that might help us refresh this Summer. What else might you offer? Admittedly, it’s hard to slow down and remember to pause and refresh - so we've got a better shot at it if we make an intentional plan. And it feels so much better when we're on the other side!
You know what else needs an intentional plan and feels better when we get to the other side? Change. Change is a process that requires dedication and commitment to our goals. We teach more about change as a process as one of the core tenets of our Changemakers Certification Program and if you’re interested in more information, check out our resource page!
