Spring Cleaning for Your Space and Mind

 Spring Cleaning. 

Many people take time in the spring to engage in spring cleaning. Going around their space and cleaning out the old, decluttering, organizing, and making the space clean and comfortable.

In the spring (or any time of year) we can spring clean the mind. We can use mindfulness ideas to help clean our space and our mind.

We can sweep away self-criticism, declutter negative thoughts, organize our needs, and polish up what keeps us moving forward.

Studies show that a space filled with junk and clutter creates stress in the brain and body. The external stimuli of a cluttered space can make for a cluttered mind.

In a recent survey most Americans listed home organization and cleanliness among their top five stressors. 

Spring cleaning our space can have a positive effect on our mental as well as physical health. If we add spring cleaning of the mind to our spring cleaning to-do list we can increase the benefits for our mind and body.

It can seem overwhelming to start the spring cleaning task. You may not know where or how to start. Here are some mindful tips for spring cleaning space and mind.

First, make a do-to list. What spaces need to be clean? What words of self-criticism need to be removed?

Next, decide your pacing. Would you rather go slow and steady (last week's turtle) or clean in short bursts? 

Slow and steady looks more like picking a space and slowing cleaning until it is done.

Short bursts is about picking a time limit and clean as much as you can in that time.

Do you need to slowly stop your negative self-talk, reducing it down day by day or can you mindfully stop and swiftly clean it out of your life.

Have a plan for your "junk." A Keep, Give, Toss, system. After you have cleaned consider the idea of 1 in 2 out to keep the space clean and keep the clutter from returning. 

 As you consider your keep pile, spend time reconnecting with items and their meaning. As we reconnect with why we are keeping an item spend time reconnecting with your values. Use a mindful approach. What are you keeping in your life that serves your greater mental and physical well-being.

Studies show that women specifically carry higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, especially when a space is cluttered. Taking control of your environment can help you take control of your physical health as well.

Cleaning also creates a physical activity. We have to move. This is something to consider for your daily routine. What can you clean daily? How active are you with this cleaning? Can you be more active?

Reframe your feelings toward cleaning. Reframe your feelings toward yourself. 

Cleaning is scientifically proven to improve your living space, your physical health, and your mental health. 

How can we apply this to our students?

Have daily cleaning chores in your class. Do spring desk clean out. Do cubby spring cleaning. Do locker spring cleaning. 

Talk with your students about organization and help them set up a system to stay organized. Make a daily check list of cleaning and organization. 

Consider the whole class space and make to-do lists for each space. Give responsibility to your students and let them take charge of cleaning.

Before you start do a mindfulness and talk about cleaning out your mind.

Do a wrap up mindfulness and talk about how good it feels to sit in a clean space.

Take a trip outside. Encourage them to clean their outside shared space. Talk about being in nature and caring for nature.

Remember mindfulness is being in the present moment and paying attention without judgement. Do not criticize during cleaning time. Make it mindful. Encourage, praise, and remind that as we declutter our space we can take deep breaths and declutter our minds. 

 

Mindfulness Helps Win the Race

 ****This was set to go out last week and then the full moon and eclipse took over and our students kept me busy. As you read the beginning of this blog keep in mind it was typed out last week and I didn't want to edit it. *****

Endurance 

We are simply trying to make it through Friday, a full moon, and a lunar eclipse. And then the final week before spring break. We are simply attempting to find endurance.

In 2018 studies found mindfulness trending up.

In 2020 Google Trends showed mindfulness had dropped by a 1/3.

Here we are in 2025 seeing more and more research showing us that mindfulness has more benefits beyond calming students, focusing brains, and helping to reduce stress.

Recent studies show that athletes who regularly practice mindfulness (one study used a baseline of at least 41.7 minutes a week) showed more endurance and less mental fatigue. 

If athletes gain endurance and reduce mental fatigue utilizing mindfulness, we too can use mindfulness to endure the week before spring break. We too can reduce our metal fatigue. We can also help our students do the same.

As I researched this topic I thought of Aesop's fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. This could almost be a story of mindful endurance verse distracted overconfidence. When we think we do not need mindfulness and become overconfident we allow distractions to control our brain and thus our actions. Yet when we mindfully keep pace and have a focus, we can accomplish our goals.

Think about ways you can use mindfulness to gain endurance. Think about how you can use it to help your students.

Here is a fun mindfulness that came to mind as I thought about the tortoise....

Have students hold out their hand, palm up. Ask them to imagine a tiny turtle on their hand. Share that like turtles we need to move slow with our breath. Have them a deep breath in. Then while breathing out slowly encourage them to imagine the tiny turtle slowly walking across the hand. 

Here is a mindful turtle coloring page which is free on TPT. 

After you teach your students the turtle breath give them the coloring page and allow some quiet mindfulness time. Encourage them to be the mindful tortoise and be slow and steady with their coloring. Encourage them to take time to be calm, quit, and color the very best they can.

Slow and Steady.... Mindful Endurance helps win the race.

Which Voice Do You Hear? ....how about your students?

 

Talking to yourself doesn't make you crazy. In fact it might make you smarter, happier, and healthier. 

Just this week I overheard a first grader state "my life is the worst!" This kind of self-talk is negative self-talk and can be harmful. A lot of our students and perhaps a lot of us adults, often engage in harmful negative self-talk. 

While negative self-talk can harm us, positive self-talk can support our mental health, help regulate emotions, and reduce anxiety. 

Our words matter. Especially the ones we say to ourselves. If we do not talk kindly to ourselves we are less likely to talk kindly to others. 

For many of our students positive talk does not occur at home. They likely hear a lot of negative talk about adults, themselves, and negative self-talk from caregivers. 

In her book Good Inside Dr. Becky talks about adopting mantras and encouraging children to do the same. Mantas are another form of self-talk. A short sound, word, or phrase that create a positive and productive feeling and behavior. Dr. Becky shares that mantras help during challenging situations. When there is a struggle a mantra can help build confidence. 

Below are a few examples of mantras and positive self-talk.

Children who struggle with test taking may need a manta such as:

-My mind is brilliant

-I've got this

-Trust my gut

Students who struggle with motivation may need a mantra of:

-Move 1% forward

-Progress not perfection

-I am choosing to have a productive day

A child who struggles with feelings and emotions may need:

-I am in control of my emotions

-I am grateful for my life

-My positive thoughts guide me

Other good mantras to adopt:

-Trust the process

-Forgive and let go

-Everything is figureoutable

-I am responsible for my reactions

-I am moving forward

-I believe in my abilities

-There is no can't only won't

-Things are hard before they are easy

-My power comes from my choices

-Discomfort means growth

-I'm not afraid to be wrong

If you awork with younger grades you'll know this one from Inner Explorer;

-I have the power to make wise choices

If we choose to adopt a mantra and positive self-talk and then use it around students they will hear and learn this behavior. 

When we want to change a student's behavior we must start with our own. For a lot of young children learning by example is easier than being told what to do. We've talked before about students barrowing our calm or chaos. They will also barrow our positivity or negativity.  

What moments during the day could use more positive self-talk or a mantra?

Once you start, then take time to begin to encourage your students to start using mantas too. 

Try putting a mantra post-it note on desks daily. 

Greet students with a positive affirmation or mantra.

Find ways to add more positivity to your day for you and your students.