Spring Cleaning - A Time to Reset
April 7th, 2025
Writer: Emmylou Ethan
Editor: Sophia Wohl
As cliché as it might sound, each season—fall, summer, winter, and spring—marks a transitional period. A quiet yet inevitable shift that looms over our heads, reminding us that life moves on and we move with it. From one perspective, each season is an opportunity—a chance to shift our patterns, refresh our routines, and embrace change as our surroundings evolve. From another, it’s uncomfortable. It feels like, as life moves at its fast pace, the safest thing to do is to cling to what we know—to hold on to old habits, even when they no longer serve us, simply because they’re familiar.
Our lives are built on seasons of change, yet most of us spend our days searching for comfort and stability. As the world continues to shift beneath our feet, we try our hardest to keep the pieces of our lives the same—because at least the familiarity feels safe.
Every few months, we set aside one free afternoon to declutter the spaces around us. We finally part ways from hoodies we used to live in but no longer think twice about. We tackle the closet floor we haven’t seen in years. And when it’s done, there’s this brief sense of relief—like maybe, for a moment, we’ve got it all under control. And then, without thinking twice, we move on.
What we don’t realize is that most of the time, we’re so focused on improving the physical spaces around us—but rarely do we make the effort to do the same with our headspace, the most important field of all.
Unlike cleaning out a closet, confronting our thoughts, feelings, and the unhelpful habits that we have held onto for so many years takes more than a free afternoon. It takes effort, vulnerability, and a genuine desire to come face to face with the flawed parts of ourselves. The ones that we have shoved under the rug for so many years. It means bringing up feelings of discomfort and allowing those around you to see the most authentic version of yourself.
When we let go of something that has been weighing us down, we leave room for lighter and better things to come into our lives and help us be the best version of ourselves. This “deep clean” does not happen overnight. It is not about having it all figured out, because no one does. It is about allowing ourselves to make progress and letting go of the things that prevent us from growing.
The truth is, change does not happen instantly. It is a slow process that can occur whether we want it to or not. It is the gradual shift from winter to spring. While it takes a while to get there, we feel at ease when the long journey is over.
When my surroundings begin to change, I try to resist the urge to fight it. This spring, I am choosing to declutter my mind of the negative weight I have carried, the bad habits I gravitate towards out of comfort, and the parts of myself that I have grown out of. Once we let this change happen, we allow room for new beginnings to bloom.
