It’s not an exaggeration to say that I count down the days until spring. Even after living in Northern Utah for nearly all of my life, winter continues to be incredibly difficult for me. In addition to your usual run-of-the-mill seasonal affective disorder, my chronic digestive issues consistently flare up at the beginning of winter and almost magically begin to get better again as we near spring. So, needless to say, I eagerly look forward to spring every year and do anything and everything I can to welcome it back as early as possible.
I’m very affected by my surroundings and find myself itching to throw everything out to start with a clean slate after a winter spent indoors. I’ve been known to do an impulsive spring clean-out that results in me asking myself three months later “I know I used to have a (fill in random object here), so where did I put it?!” In an attempt to redirect that restless energy in a more productive way, I’ve come up with a few ways I can refresh my home for spring that doesn’t result in recklessly throwing things out.
5 Ways To Refresh Your Home For Spring
Swap Out Your Winter Linens And Decor
In an attempt to do whatever I can to make winter more tolerable, I embrace all things hygge in a very real way. I pull out all my coziest throw blankets, decorate with candles and winter greenery, use string lights well after the holiday season — whatever I can to try to make the bleakness feel a bit cozier. But once the season starts to turn, I do what I can to speed it along by changing things up inside.
I start by packing away my heavier throw blankets and any winter decor. Then I start swapping for more springy options. Throw blankets and pillows are the easiest ways I’ve found to make my space feel more refreshed. Lighter fabrics and colors/patterns are all it takes to do the trick. And a cheap bouquet or two of fresh flowers from Trader Joe’s also goes a long way to making me feel like spring is really, truly coming back.
Assess Your Closet
I don’t have a large closet (how two adults shared those tiny 1950’s closets I’ll never understand), so I keep seasonal clothes boxed up and out of the way. And as much as I love #sweaterseason, I love pulling out my warm-weather clothing even more.
I know I can’t get too overzealous and box up all my winter clothes at the first sign of spring because spring snowstorms are common through May. But putting away my heavier coats and sweaters clears much-needed space in my closet. And bringing back my lighter clothing out of storage helps me to mentally feel like I’ve survived another winter.
Open Your Windows In The Morning
This is actually a great tip all year round but so much of my energy is spent on not feeling cold that I don’t tend to do it in the middle of winter. However, once the days start warming up even a little bit, I start to crave that fresh air.
Opening your windows every day, even just for 5 minutes, can help reduce the air pollutants circulating in your house. This is especially beneficial if you’re like me and tend to spend much of your time cooped up indoors during winter. But even more than that, getting that burst of fresh air circulating in my house seems to change the entire energy throughout my home. I find myself feeling more energized and optimistic when I’m breathing fresh air.
Wrap Up Half-Finished Projects
I find that I tend to start a lot of small projects during winter. For me, it tends to be a lot of crochet, embroidery, or macrame projects. (Basically, anything I can do while binging way too much TV.) But if I’m being honest, most of those projects are started just for the sake of doing something and not because I’m particularly passionate about the project. This means I find myself at the beginning of spring with more half-finished projects than I care to admit.
Spring is a time of renewal and nothing kills the buzz of a fresh start like unfinished projects. So the beginning of spring is when I go through my projects and decide what I want to finish and where I’d rather cut my losses. I find this frees up a lot of mental space for more creative endeavors down the road and releases me from the guilt of having a drawer full of unfinished projects.
Declutter High-Use Cabinets
A list like this really wouldn’t be complete without a nod to spring cleaning. However, I’ve never been the type to scrub baseboards, clean behind the stove, or wipe out drawers. Judge me if you will (it’s fine really, I get it) but deep cleaning is just not a high priority for me. What I have found makes me feel better, however, is decluttering and organizing.
Cleaning out and organizing my bathroom cabinets, linen closets, pantry, fridge, and freezer makes me feel like I have my life in order and I can accomplish anything. Sure, maybe my blinds could use a wipe-down. But an organized pantry makes my everyday so much better.
Creating Space For Spring
With winter lingering well into spring in Utah, doing something — anything — that helps me feel like spring has arrived really helps to renew my spirit and reward myself for surviving winter. It helps my mind shed that feeling of needing to hibernate so I can begin to look forward to what the warm season brings.
I’d love to hear any rituals or routines you have to refresh your home for spring. Share them in the comments!
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