Spring cleaning has evolved over time from simply being a practice of making a home tidier to being a metaphor for decluttering and reorganizing our personal lives as well. It’s a time to think about letting go of some of the things causing excessive anxiety and stress, while mindfully putting into practice good habits.
Stress Awareness Month is observed each year in April. Founded by a non-profit organization called the Health Resource Network in 1992, Stress Awareness Month aims to raise awareness about stress’s impact on physical and mental health and to offer stress management strategies.
Simple keyword searches in Google, like “spring cleaning for the mind” or “stress management techniques” will bring up many helpful results, including many from trusted .edu or .gov domains (e.g. https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/living-with/index.html or https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001942.htm).
One of my favorite bits of advice offered by many of those sites is to consciously spend a little more time each day detoxing from digital devices, preferably using the time to enjoy the increasingly nicer days outside. Another commonly suggested strategy worth trying is that of practicing simple gratitude or kindness.
The Madison College Libraries have a number of books and other resources to help you with your stress management goals.
On the theme of spring cleaning, KC Davis’s book “How to keep house while drowning: A gentle approach to cleaning and organizing,” is an easy-to-read book that mixes the traditional meaning of spring cleaning with the metaphors of personal well-being. It can be read in an afternoon and used for a lifetime. If you want an even shorter read on a similar note, try the article “Spring cleaning: why more people are uncluttering the mind for better health” in Harvard Health Letter, available in the library’s Ebsco databases along with many other articles on stress management.
Other books you might want to check out include:

• Kelci Lucier’s “College stress solutions: Stress management techniques to beat anxiety, make the grade, enjoy the full college experience.”
• Linda Lehrhaupt and Peter Meibert’s “Mindfulness-based stress reduction.”
• Beth Strebner’s “Stop, breathe, chill: Meditations for a less stressful, more awesome life.”
• Matt Haig’s “Notes on a nervous planet.”
• Judson Brewer’s “Unwinding anxiety.” 
• Or Florence Williams’ “The nature fix.”

The Madison College Libraries streaming video database Films on Demand includes many helpful video segments on stress management.
Take a look at a couple of great Madison College Libraries research guides that cover stress management strategies at https://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/mentalhealth/mhm3 or https://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/studyskills. Also, check out BetterMynd, a confidential online counseling tool provided free to students at Madison College at https://students.madisoncollege.edu/resources/health/bettermynd.
The Madison College Libraries and Student Achievement Centers wish you success and utmost peace of mind as you take on the challenges of the end of the semester and whatever is next in your life. Take care.