After a long winter, we cannot wait for that first warm, sunny day that signals the change of seasons. We open the windows, swap out all of the linens, deep clean everything, and generally follow the traditional steps for a great seasonal reset.

Hitting the reset button doesn’t have to stop with your closet and pantry, though. Approaching this spring cleaning framework can flow into other aspects of your life, leaving you feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready for the season ahead.

Here are a few ways you can spread spring cleaning energy throughout other parts of your life:

Physically

Taking care of our bodies is incredibly important. After all, it’s the vessel that carries us and allows us to experience life fully. Helping it run its best will significantly impact how we interact with ourselves, others, and the world. So really zero in on what is lacking. Maybe you need to focus on eating more whole foods.

Perhaps you need to up your vitamins, minerals, and supplements. Maybe hitting the gym has happened less and less lately, and you need to work on a new routine. If it feels overwhelming to do a total overhaul, start with one new habit and build. But taking care of your physical being will never be something you regret spending time and energy on.

Mentally

Since it’s not something we can see, mental health often takes a backseat to (quite literally) everything else. But going into a new season, it’s imperative to leave behind what doesn’t serve us. One practice you can implement to help with this is journaling.

It’s amazing what you’ll uncover — you’ll start to see a pattern in your beliefs, and you’ll notice what is taking center stage in your thoughts and know what to tackle first. This is also a great time to consider what helps you mentally feel refreshed and rested. Make a list of these restful things so that you can add them to your schedule each week.

Spiritually

No matter what fills your spiritual cup, it never hurts to find new ways to put emphasis on this aspect of life. When we make time to be present and connect with something bigger than ourselves, it begins to put life in perspective. Moving through life with this lens can change how we react to and learn from the things we experience.

This is our time to dive into what we know or try new things. It can be a visit to your local place of worship or a walk in the park where you speak gratitude and affirmations over yourself. If you’ve felt disconnected, it’s time to reconnect.

When we began to implement these hacks, we realized that we felt like we were stepping into a new season with a fresh start. It isn’t without doing the work, but the work often makes it that much sweeter.

So here’s to new behaviors and attitudes and walking through our next season of life feeling a bit lighter.

The kitchen is often the room we spend the most time in. With all the cooking and eating happening, things can quickly get messy. Although you clean your kitchen regularly, a good deep-clean every so often helps tremendously.

Here are some steps to make the process more manageable so that you can finally start!

Before you tackle any deep cleaning in your kitchen, make sure you’ve finished all the basic tasks so that nothing gets in the way. Wash the dishes lying around in your sink, put them away, take out the trash, and clear the countertops. You also want to check that you have all the necessary cleaning supplies. Make sure you have cleaning gloves, a duster, surface wipes, an all-purpose cleaner, cleaning cloths, and anything else you might need. You don’t want to have to stop halfway through because you don’t have your supplies.

Now that it’s time to start, the best way to tackle deep-cleaning your kitchen is to break it down into sections. Consider the fridge, freezer, cabinets, pantry, and drawers as their own separate, small tasks. Once you’ve finished one area, move on to the other. Often, knowing where to start is the hardest part. It always feels easier when you have smaller, more manageable tasks rather than one generic, overwhelming task.

Always clean your space top to bottom.

Before you start with the kitchen, dust off the ceiling. Whichever section you’re cleaning, clean the top shelves and work your way down. This way, no dirt or dust will be falling on the areas you’ve already cleaned. Take off any curtains or window panels before you start cleaning, as these are most likely full of dust.

Once you pick a section to start with, the first thing to do is take everything out of that space. Then, give the shelves, doors, and all other surfaces a good, deep clean. Before putting everything back, sort through those items and see if there’s anything you should throw away. Is there any expired food? How about those almost empty jars and condiments that are hiding in the back of the fridge? Grab a big trash bag and toss what needs to go.

Re-organize your space to make it more functional.

The kitchen is always busy, so you want to make sure that your food and utensils are easily accessible and that you always know what you have. You may want to buy some extra shelves, organizers, and containers to make better use of your space. Ensure that the items you use the most are within reach, with the less frequently used items further in the back.

Once you’ve finished with your main sections, it’s time to clean your appliances.

Your main tasks here will be the stove and oven, so you might want to start with those and get them out of the way. Then, get rid of those food stains in your microwave, remove the crumbs from your toaster, and give your dishwasher a good clean. Remember to clean both the exterior and interior.

Before you know it, your kitchen will be looking brand new and ready for you to enjoy!