7 Ways I Am Spiritually Spring Cleaning My Soul

Inspired by Netflix shows about spring cleaning, I have been tackling my home with  ruthless editing. Closets, toy boxes, book collections, the garage — if we don’t use it or need it, I am getting rid of it. The result? Freedom!

It feels genuinely good to know what I have and to not be weighed down by old, broken, or outdated items. It’s motivated me to think about spiritually spring cleaning. I have records of wrong to let go of, a wild mess of a calendar and inbox to tame, I have friendships to tune up, and dreams to detach from, so new ones can be born.

Here is a list of how I plan to get started:  

1. Any good closet clean out starts with taking everything out and evaluating what fits. I am going to look at my commitments and ask myself what still fits me? Am I participating in anything just because I’ve always “worn” it? Is it time to realize while an activity may have been meaningful for a season, now’s the time to simplify and see what other styles are out there for me?
2. I am going to look at the relationships in my life and see who needs a tune-up? Do they all know how much they mean to me? Have I neglected anyone? Is the company I am keeping spurring me towards love and good deeds? Do I have anyone I am pouring into because I believe God wants to use me in their life? I am going to say yes to people more and tasks less, and this starts with understanding who is in my ecosystem and why.
3. I love a good list, and I think it’s time to take out a fresh sheet of paper and catalog who I need to apologize It increasingly feels like maturity to say ‘sorry.’ Releasing the guilt or shame of something I’ve done or thought weighs me down and makes me feel emotionally stuck.
4. A friend told me her counselor said grief is like poop — you need to do a little every day. I am going to take a deep breath, go for a long walk and lament what we’ve lost over the last year. Then commit to being emotionally “regular” with routine evacuations!
5. There’s nothing like the feeling of waking up rested. There’s an inherent hope that comes with feeling like you have the physical reserves needed for the day’s assignment. I am going to work on finding a rhythm between work and rest.  I love what I do, so working more than is healthy is a temptation, but this spring, I am committing to understanding rhythm.
6. I am going to sit down with someone younger than me and ask them to teach me how to manage my technology in a meaningful way. It’s time to program the “do not disturb” feature on my phone and only get notifications for the apps worth my interruption.. The unnecessary technology and information clutter in our lives can eat meaningful creativity.
7. I am going to evaluate my media choices — do they line up with my convictions? Are the books, apps, shows, and music I consume giving me nourishment, or are they more like spiritual junk food? Is there some purging necessary to make room for input leading to clear thinking, an unencumbered heart, and a soul that understands the difference between living and stagnant water?

This will feel like work in all the same ways a top shelf or basement bin feels like work to go through. I am hoping for the same delightful discoveries and satisfying purges.

I am anticipating this spring I will shed unwanted emotional and spiritual weight and enter into the spring hopeful. There’s a renewed sense of clarity and vision when we see what we have, and with what we can part.

If you do your own spiritual spring cleaning, share with others how you feel and what the process entailed. We can all encourage one another on this journey. I pray the process unbridles us all — releasing a freedom to live lightly and more profound.