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RISE Blog | Spring Cleaning for Your Mental Wellbeing

Written By: Beya Medellin & Bavitha Thomas, Peer Educators
Edited By: Nishita Amle
February 28th, 2025

What does Spring mean to you?

The more we progress into the spring semester, the more we start hearing about everyone’s spring break plans, “I’m going to Colorado!”, “I’m going home to see my family!”, and the occasional “I’m probably just going to stay and work.” I know I have been guilty of not using Spring Break to its full potential. It's easy to just say, “I’ll enjoy my break next time”, or “I’ll use this time to clock more hours at work!” But as we transition from frost to flowers, we begin to notice the subtle, but impactful, differences in our environment. Daylight saving time comes back, Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog makes an appearance, it’s warmer and it’s the perfect time to soak up the sun and fresh air! 

But more specifically, I want to talk about spring cleaning, and not just for your closet, bathroom, or that one dusty shelf. Have you ever thought about spring cleaning for your mental wellbeing? Springtime can be a time of renewal and fresh beginnings after the cold dark winter that has just passed. While many of us focus on cleaning our physical living spaces, it’s equally important to give our minds a thorough spring cleaning. In this blog we will explore the benefits of spring cleaning, steps for an effective spring cleaning, tips for keeping a clean space, decluttering your mind, refreshing and organizing your thoughts/mindset, and creating a mental wellness routine. Now, let’s jump in!

Benefits of Spring Cleaning

I don’t know about you, but I love reducing my stress and working towards a sense of accomplishment. It’s an instant mood booster! Not only do I feel good mentally, but physically as well. Research shows that physical clutter and mental clutter are deeply connected (Your Story Counselling, 2023). I hope I’m not only speaking for myself, when I say, I find it very difficult to focus on my homework, to relax or overall feel a sense of control when my space is messy. Decluttering isn’t just about tidiness—it’s a productive way to reset. I find satisfaction in completing the task and letting go of items that no longer serve me, especially those tied to memories I’d rather move past. Since spring is all about renewal, clearing my space feels like making room for fresh, positive experiences. Spring is often associated with rebirth and renewal (Mulu, 2021), so by decluttering my space, I see it as making room for new exciting and positive experiences. 

Physical benefits include strengthening our immune systems and reducing sickness (Akers, 2020). As we clean those often forgotten hard-to-reach places, we are getting rid of accumulated dust, mildew or pet dander. These can cause problems with allergies, and quality of breathing, which make us more prone to sickness (NextCare, 2020). By whipping out the duster, disinfectant wipes, and vacuum, you’re actively improving your health and helping your immune system stay strong through spring and beyond. 

Steps to Declutter Your Space and Mind

The first step to creating an effective spring cleaning would be to recognize mental clutter — stress, negative thoughts, and unresolved issues being the common ones. Some ways to clear mental clutter? Journaling, meditation, and my personal favorite—mindful practice! When using mindful practice, you are essentially checking in on yourself, by taking note of how you’re feeling, and noticing how your emotions may present themselves. For instance, when I'm stressed, my shoulders get really tight, I get irritable, and I frequently fidget. By paying attention to these signs and checking in with myself, I become more aware of my stress levels. A great tool for tracking this is the Shmoody app where I can log my mood in a journal and ask the community board for advice when I need support (plus TTU students get free premium access to the app, just reach out to @TTURISE on IG for the code, or fill out this short request form). 

As for decluttering your space, it's best to make a plan. This can be a checklist of items to tackle while also setting realistic goals and a reasonable time to complete them. One technique I find helpful is using a customizable wheel spinner. I assign different cleaning tasks to sections of the wheel, spin it, and tackle whatever it lands on. This is a great trick when the mess feels overwhelming, and you don’t know where to start. Gather any supplies that may help you organize your space. Just to throw a few ideas out there, I would recommend cleaning products, storage bins, donation boxes, a vacuum and/or a mop.

Maintaining a Clean Space

Okay, you just got done with cleaning and rearranging your whole room, and you even created a mood journal — now what? As the semester continues, and we get closer to mid-terms, it can be very easy to clutter our space and get overwhelmed again. But would you believe me if I told you that maintaining the progress you’ve made can be just as easy—if not easier—than starting fresh? The first step to achieving that would be to develop daily and weekly cleaning habits like making your bed, doing the dishes, wiping surfaces down, and vacuuming. Most importantly, put things back in their place as soon as possible before procrastination kicks in. 

To build a habit, you must start with identifying a specific goal, like making your bed every morning. A great tip would be pairing the new habit with an existing one. For example, if you already grab your phone off the charger when you wake up, use that as a cue to make your bed right after. Another way to stay motivated is by rewarding yourself when you keep the habit. For instance, if I consistently make my bed for two weeks, I’ll treat myself with a new pair of pajamas. The key is to start small, set realistic goals, and adjust as needed. 

Forming habits takes time, and being consistent isn’t always easy. Don’t be discouraged if you forget once in a while—just pick up where you left off! Keep yourself motivated with positive affirmations because the power of positive thinking can help you stay grateful and excited for what’s ahead.

To Wrap Things Up

I know we've covered a lot of ground and talked a whole lot of spring cleaning and mental wellbeing, but if you take anything from this blog, I hope it’s that you learned new ways to practice self-care.  Although cleaning isn’t necessarily the first idea that pops into our heads when we think of self-care, it can be a powerful tool. 

To summarize, spring cleaning is beneficial for both physical and mental health, it’s easier than you think with a few simple tips, and maintaining a clean space starts with building healthy habits. So, how will you do your spring cleaning this year?  

Resources

References

Akers, W. (2020). Here Are 5 Ways Spring-Cleaning Can Make You Healthier. Healthline. 

How Your Allergies Can Cause a Sinus Infection. (2020). NextCare. 

Kim from Your Story Counselling. (2023). Spring Cleaning for Mental Health. Your Story Counselling.

Michel E. (2023). Spring Clean Your House, Spring Clean Your Mind. University of Cincinnati Graduate School

Mulu, R. (2021). Spring: Powerful Symbols and Symbolism of the Season. Symbol Sage. 

Navidad, S. (2023). The Importance of Spring Break Decompression. The Allen Flame. 

Spring Cleaning for Your Mental Health. (2022). Jefferson Center. 

 

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