Spring Cleaning for Your Nervous System: 10 Things to Declutter (That Aren’t In Your House)

When people talk about spring cleaning, they usually mean cupboards, wardrobes and junk drawers.

But if you’re an autistic or ADHD adult, the place that often needs the most decluttering isn’t your home.

It’s your nervous system.

By March, many of us are running on low reserves. The pressure of January goals we may be failing to meet, the work or study demands that may be pressing - it all adds up. Instead of pressuring yourself to do more or push harder, what if this season was about removing what’s quietly overwhelming you?

Here are 10 things you might consider decluttering from your life.

1. Unrealistic expectations

If you constantly feel behind, check the standards you’re measuring yourself against. Neurotypical productivity norms are not cast in stone and don't suit everyone. Adjust the target where you can to realistically reflect your capacity.

2. Sensory micro-stressors

That buzzing light. The itchy jumper. The notification sounds. Individually small, collectively exhausting. Remove one.

3. Guilt-based “shoulds”

“I should reply faster.”
“I should go out more.”
“I should cope better.”
Notice where “should” is driving behaviour instead of capacity.

4. Open loops

Unanswered emails. Half-finished tasks. Decisions you’re avoiding. Write them down. Close one. You don’t have to clear them all - just reduce the background noise.

5. Masking 

Where are you performing out of habit rather than necessity? Is there one safe place you could let your guard down?

6. Overexposure to draining people

Not everyone deserves unlimited access to you. Consider where you might need firmer boundaries.

7. All-or-nothing routines

If your routine collapses the moment you miss one step, it’s too rigid. Build in “low-energy versions” instead and accept that you are a human and not a machine.

8. Digital overload

Notifications, group chats, news cycles, social media scrolling. Try muting and consider a hiatus in one area.

9. Self-criticism disguised as motivation

Harshness rarely improves regulation. A regulated nervous system performs better than a shamed one. Discover what inspires you and use that instead.

10. Comparing your capacity to someone else’s

Your output is not a moral measure. Capacity fluctuates and overdrawing on your emotional bank account is a recipe for burnout. Be the best version of you. 

Spring doesn’t have to mean reinvention and crazy growth. It can be something quieter with softer edges. A season that invites you to define your reality in a way that suits you. So instead of asking, “What should I add?” Try asking, “What can I remove?”

Sometimes the most powerful reset is about making space to breathe.

Linda

Linda Philips works with neurodivergent individuals and those supporting them, supporting emotional wellbeing, relationships and self-management skills. She offers individual sessions, runs a group for university students, contributes to autism assessments and provides training for businesses. If you’d like to work with Linda, you can contact her on [email protected] or book a clarity call here.