The Practice of Refreshing Your Space

I'm sure you're wondering, what does refreshing your space mean? And does this entail cleaning it? I can hear the prejudgement in your thoughts, haha. But hear me out. We've been discussing the practice of living throughout this month, but what if I told you it was less about a practice and more just getting into a routine of doing things that promote a positive and stable mental health? Would you be interested?

Refreshing your space can mean a variety of things. For me, it means deep cleaning (while listening to a true crime podcast such as Heart Starts Pounding), changing the bed sheets, saging the space or lighting incense, and overall taking the care to put into my space as much as I can so when the week gets crazy it's one less thing I've got to worry about. 

Deep cleaning for your bedroom:

Start with taking out the trash. That will already make it feel cleaner. 

Then pick the laundry up off the floor. This will make it easier to figure out which is clean and which is dirty. Don't know or not entirely sure? Sniff test! You'll definitely know after that. But, if you're still not sure, toss it in the dirty. Better to have extra laundry than dirty clothes. 

okay, Next is de-cluttering. Yes, the big bad clutter has got to go. Time to put things where they belong, dirty dishes go in the sink, books on the bookshelves,  trash in the bin, you name it. 

After you've taken out the trash, picked up the laundry, de-cluttered your space, I'd recommend reorganizing your dresser drawers in order to be ready when the clean laundry is done. This way, it's not cluttering up your space even more by having haphazard clothes throughout your dresser. It's neat, organized and you can finally put outfits together ahead of time. 

Next, if we're going deep which we are, is the top of your dresser, it's time to put the things away there too. Because if we're going to freshen up the space, we're going all out. For this next part, open a window. 

I'd recommend three things at this junction. 1- Strip the bed. and 2- light some incense. because 3- we're dusting. Get a microfiber cloth or some pledge and a washcloth and dust your shelves, the top of your headboard (if you have one), your window sills, and the top of your dresser. So by this point it should be organized enough that the excess dust can be collected, the air can be refreshed, and your bed can be changed. 

If you're looking to go one step further try vacuuming off your mattress with a mini attachment and some baking soda. then vacuum under your bed to get out any pesky dust bunnies. I do this maybe once a month to cut down my allergies. 

And now, it's time to put it all back together. Finish the laundry, put fresh bed sheets on, and put the laundry where it goes. Am I perfect at this? No, my laundry usually has a 7-10 business day wait list, haha. But when I get deep cleaning, I do sincerely try to get it all done.

Now, this is pending your mental health is in order and not getting overwhelmed with everything else in your life. If that is not the case, and you are struggling to keep up, first you are not alone. I get easily overwhelmed by the littlest things, like cleaning, which is why I choose to put on a podcast (like Cleaning and Crime). Focus on one thing at a time. If all you can do today is take the trash out, then so be it. But if you can push a little more, maybe picking up the laundry, go for it! What's important is that you are taking care of yourself throughout the hectic-ness that is life. By keeping up with your room, you'll have a safe space where you can go and relax, unwind, and get away from everything else. 

What's key when working with mental health is balance, getting into a routine that helps keep everything on track is incredibly helpful to me. So find out what works for you and schedule it. I try to do my cleaning on Mondays, so I have the rest of the week to work everything else into the books, like designing my new accessory collection that's coming out next month (wink wink, nudge nudge). Make your space yours and be proud of it.

Love, 

E