By Darasia Selby-Adebisi | April 1, 2014

Gerrus-Clutter-RemovalThe melting of the snow, longer days, and the warmer weather can only mean one thing:  Spring is finally here!

After a very cold winter most of us are probably relieved to see the first signs of spring.  But spring is not only a time of increased light and warmth; it is also a time of new beginnings and fresh starts, a time to clean up the clutter we accumulated during the winter season and do some spring cleaning!

If your home could need a little spring cleaning (I know mine sure could!) below are a few practical tips to help you get started.

1. De-clutter for just 15-30 minutes a day.  Sometimes spring cleaning can feel overwhelming.  Who has time to clean an entire house in-between work, school, children, and all of our other commitments?  After a long day cleaning is the last thing on our minds.  But if you just take 15-30 minutes to de-clutter, it suddenly doesn’t seem so overwhelming.  Put on some great music and the time will fly.  Plus, cleaning and de-cluttering is great exercise!

2. Donate, donate, donate. The last thing we want to do when we de-clutter is to create more strain on the planet by creating more trash.  Most of the things we need to get rid of are perfectly good items that can be used by someone else.  Separate those items that are still usable and find a local Goodwill, thrift store, or other organization that can distribute your items to the community.  Or you can even have a yard sale and make some extra cash!

3. Buy less and give more. De-cluttering certainly has its merits but one habit we can develop to eliminate the need to de-clutter  is to stop buying so much.  Buying less will also save you tons of money.  To add, the habit of giving something away every time we buy something will make life simpler and make us less attached to things.

Do you have any spring cleaning and de-cluttering tips to you would like to share with our readers?  Write us at media@orisacdc.org.

Empowered Living is a new column of Eriwo Ya! that features practical advice on lifestyle, health and wellness, finances, and other areas of life to support empowered holistic living.  Interested in writing?  Contact us at media@orisacdc.org.