Spring is the season of renewal, and on the home front, that means cleaning, organizing and reducing clutter. While we apply natural, eco-friendly cleaning agents, the act of moving items around offers the opportunity to rearrange or eliminate some of them, providing a fresh look and a sense of comfort, order and control.

To clear clutter, Christa O’Leary, founder and CEO of Home in Harmony Lifestyle, based in Boston, and author of Home in Harmony: Designing an Inspired Life, suggests that decluttering is best accomplished in small chunks every day to allay feeling overwhelmed, with the help of someone “who knows you have made the commitment and will hold you accountable.” She says stacks of paper and folders “zap your energy and mojo” and take away from productivity and efficiency, along with testing the patience of family members.

O’Leary’s website offers tips that provide simple solutions for tackling such areas as magazine stacks and cluttered closets. She relates that a mom recently emailed her to say that her 7-year-old daughter did it as well, and “made a cute, adorable space.”

MotherEarthLiving.com suggests first compiling a to-do list and enlisting someone to help with the physical and psychological aspects of the task at hand: letting go of items that can be donated to charitable organizations and thrift shops, where they can benefit someone else; and being creative in storing seasonal clothing, extra towels or decorations in old military-style trunks, stacks of vintage suitcases or under beds.

Along with making the bedroom more visually appealing, removing items and materials can also create a tranquil setting for a more restful night’s sleep. RealSimple.com suggests getting rid of old pillows that may be filling up with dust, germs and bacteria; spare bedsheets that we never use; knickknacks that clutter the bedside table and all traces of food and beverages.

This article appears in the March 2019 issue of Natural Awakenings.