A tiresome vacuuming session may clear your carpet of crumbs, but it won’t give you that much-needed pre-summer mindset cleanse. For your spring cleaning this year, follow our list of simple areas of your life to spruce up — guaranteed to make you feel prepared both physically and mentally for a spring reset. Let this article inspire you to vigorously attack every dust bunny that’s been accumulating since last year’s cleaning spree.
Revisit the blackhole called your Photos
If your phone is a microbiome of bacteria, that can easily be remedied with a single swipe of an alcohol wipe. Photo storage, on the other hand, requires a major purge. It’s time to let go of your 14,576 photos by starting from your middle school days and working your way to the present. If a photo doesn’t immediately evoke joy, reconsider its presence on your phone. Laugh at old screenshots of conversations you took, then press the trash button. Delete duplicates of aesthetic photos and archive pictures of books you promised you would buy but never did. Pressing delete means letting go of any old baggage that may weigh you down as you enter your spring era. Make it a goal to fill your camera roll with new memories you’ll want to keep forever!
In desperate need of some contact solution
You and your humiliationship from two summers ago are certainly both tired of “accidental” phone calls at 1:33 a.m., so it’s time for a clean slate: remove their contact! The camera roll cleanse was a good start, but your phone is still begging you to free up more storage, and a quick clearing of your contact list is the perfect solution. Do you really need your middle school best friend’s cousin’s phone number? More importantly, remove all the toxic energy emanating from that one ex’s contact. Who knew 10 digits could be so evil? But be careful not to dive too deep into the deleting delirium because, who knows? Maybe reaching out to that one online friend from quarantine could brighten your day! We’re not telling you to go full ghost on everyone — just give some of those old contacts a bit of solution.
Take a long romantic walk — to your fridge
In the bone-chilling depths of your fridge and freezer most likely lie a 10-week-old slab of meat, wilted lettuce, chunky whipped cream, and fuzzy tomatoes. Coming back from spring break means gathering your weapons — mask, gloves, and a trashbag — and finally going through your fridge before it becomes a biohazard. While you’re there, peek into the pantry and check if any condiments are about to sour to avoid poisoning dinner guests. If things aren’t quite expired yet, challenge yourself to a fridge cleanout meal by making a dish with all the ingredients on the brink of their “use by” date. Afterward, invite your friends on a grocery run to fill up the empty space, making sure expiration dates are far into the future. While you’re at it, reward yourself with a snack and a restock on five big bags of chips.
Time for a 2016 style ‘what’s in my bag’
Prepare to be shocked, sentimental, and slightly sickened when you dump out the contents of the bag you’ve been using every day for the past three years. A wave of nostalgia will hit you when you see crumbled Altoids, loose hair ties, and the pair of sunglasses you swore you lost on vacation. If your bag is practically bursting at the seams, it’s time to clear everything out except your everyday essentials. Are the six different lip products and the classic romance novel you’re never going to read seriously must-haves? Your life — and posture — are sure to improve with this clean-out, as your shoulders won’t be bearing the weight of the world anymore.
Spring is a time to start fresh, so open those refrigerator doors to be out with the mold and in with the new. By leaving your mess in Winter Quarter and making new memories, meeting new people, eating new foods, and prioritizing new things, you’re sure to bloom into the best version of yourself!
