Spring Into Action: How Spring Cleaning Contributes to Our Calm

Next Month's Book Clubs

Good Grounds Book Club

April 19

@Woodland West Branch Book for April: Choose Your Own Book

KUTUB: Arabic Book Club

April 1

@Southeast Branch Book for April: Choose Your Own Book

Night Out Book Club

April 13

@locations vary

Book for April: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

Southwest Morning Reading Group

April 12

@Southwest Branch Book for April: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Southwest Spine Crackers

April 20

@Southwest Branch

Book for April: Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach

Wine Down Book Club

April 28

@virtual meetings

Book for April: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Source: arlingtonlibrary.org/book-clubs

A surprising amount of research shows how much our moods can improve when we bring order to chaos •

By Mark Bauer

Spring has sprung, and despite the attention that the start of the year receives for resolutions–spring is actually a more natural time of year to sprout new growth. So if you’ve neglected those new year resolutions, borrow a page from nature's playbook which is only now starting to awaken from its long winter slumber.

Any mention of spring cleaning is bound to bring up feelings of dread. Who wants another chore? It might help to know that research shows tidying up your physical space can have a profound effect on your internal calm.

In the book “Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness,” author Ingrid Fetell Lee explains: “I realized that the joy of order comes in large measure from what it opposes: chaos and disorder. Order isn’t dull and staid,” she says. “It is a tangible manifestation of a vibrant harmony, of disparate parts working in concert to sustain the graceful balance of life.”

I’d wager you’d never thought so deeply about cleaning.

She goes on: “Harmony offers visible evidence that someone cares enough about a place to invest energy in it. Disorder has the opposite effect,” she says. “Disorderly environments have been linked to feelings of powerlessness, fear, anxiety, and depression, and they

You may not be in the mood to clean, but if you can will yourself to it, the dopamine reward that follows will be worth it. And it may be something that will spill over into other areas of your life too.

Need a place to start? We’ve compiled a list of ideas to consider for your home, car and health. By following these spring cleaning tips, you can help keep your home, car and health in good condition and make sure they’re ready for the warmer months ahead.

Home

Declutter: Go through each room and get rid of things you no longer need or use. This can include clothes, books, and household items.

Clean the windows: Use a glass cleaner to clean the inside and outside of your windows.

tables, and furniture.

Clean the kitchen: Clean the oven, microwave, and refrigerator, and wipe down countertops and cabinets.

Clean the bathroom: Clean the toilet, bathtub, sink, and shower, and wash towels and bath mats.

Wash bedding: Wash all sheets, pillowcases, and comforters.

Clean outdoor spaces: Clean patio furniture, sweep decks, and power wash driveways and sidewalks.

Health

necessary.