Lighter evenings, warmer breezes, a feeling of hope in the air.

It’s been a particularly dreary winter, with many parts of the UK experiencing rainfall every day in January – but spring is slowly beginning to peek its way through. 

With the promise of season change comes a phrase familiar by its cliche – ‘spring cleaning’.

January might be labelled as the month of new beginnings, but humans, like all animals, are supposed to spend the cold months conserving energy for the spring. Perhaps instead the springtime should be reframed as the real fresh start.

A spring clean is often just the thing to awaken this rejuvenation.

The concept of ‘cleaning’ up one’s life to foster a sense of peace is inherent to human nature, with records of the trend dating as far back as the 1800s.

The lighter evenings of spring became a time to clean out the dust and soot formed from burning oil lamps and coal fires. Spring cleaning is also traditional in China preceding the Chinese New Year, as a welcoming of good fortune. In Jewish tradition, many people deep clean their homes ahead of Passover. 

Modern notions of spring cleaning can often revolve around the idea of clearing out old clothes.

There are numerous charities and sites in Norwich, including the Red Cross and Oxfam, accepting clothing donations to send to both Ukraine and Palestine.

Now is certainly the time to think about what we actually need in our lives and what may be of more use to others.

Financial advantages are an unexpected benefit of spring cleaning. Taking an inventory of things you own can lead to discoveries of forgotten items, preventing the need for repurchases.

It can also prompt selling things that no longer serve us. Apps such as Vinted and Depop have grown exponentially, with Vinted boasting over seventeen million users in the UK alone.

The rise in the ‘pre-loved’ marketplace has increased sustainability and saves money – what’s not to love!

A generation of technology has brought with it new meanings to the idea of a spring clean. Digital resets are just as important in springtime physical ones: From deleting old photos, to unfollowing those Instagram accounts that no longer bring you joy.

Digital de-cluttering frees up a surprising amount of brain space and makes room for calmer thinking and new energy. 

The ‘Dumb Phone’ app is a program that transforms smartphones into plain, minimalist devices. It removes colourful apps, detoxing smartphones to their very basic purpose of placing calls, texting and alarms.

Our brains can become very noisy, especially in an age where we find ourselves scrolling at any available spare moment. So, since our devices are inevitably here to stay, it might be worth stripping them back – even if just for a period of digital detox.

So, new beginnings can come all throughout the year, at the start of the month – or at the start of a season.

If your new year’s resolutions have gone out the window, use springtime as a chance to ‘spring-clean’ your life and start anew.

Image credits: Natalie O’Dell and Hannah Foley