Making changes to our daily schedules and changing old habits can be hard and overwhelming, which is why using a specific time of the year, as the start of the New Year or the start of Spring, make it a little bit easier to attempt to make small changes to our lifestyles. Take that leap of faith and make this spring season an opportunity to spring clean all aspects of your life.
Cleaning up your life can have several different aspects to it; physical, emotional, and even spiritual. And as you clean up each sphere, you will feel you can breathe a little easier, feel just that bit less anxious.
The easiest place to start is your physical space. It’s tangible, and you will feel the difference almost immediately. A cluttered environment means cluttered thoughts, so the best way to clear up your mind is to clear up your living space. Start with one part of the apartment; your closet would be the best place to start because we all seem to love hoarding clothes, and they might be the easiest items to give away.
When cleaning your closet, make a general rule in your head. If you haven’t used an item for the last two years, chances are you are not going to be using it again. And plenty of people out there would really appreciate the donation. Tick that ‘do a good deed today’ check box in your head and start packing that box.
When that’s done, move to another part and so on. That way, you won’t feel too overwhelmed and feel like you are throwing half your belongings away.
Do away with old pieces of furniture you are no longer using and give yourself the chance to just take in your surroundings. To be honest, minimalism is so underrated. The fewer things you own, the less clutter there is, the less you have to clean up, and the more space and time you can enjoy.
Spend some time in the kitchen. Get rid of any old saucepans, cups, cutlery that you don’t want to keep. If you are looking to become more focused on good health and using products that are good for the environment, a good place to start might be low-quality plastic containers.
Spring cleaning your life also means doing away with anything else in your life that is negatively impacting you.
It could be toxic relationships, a work environment that impacts your mental health, or taking on more than you can handle. Sometimes we end up biting more than we can chew only because we could not say ‘no’ when we should have. Make use of this time and exercise to step back and reassess what you are comfortable within your current schedule. Make a plan on how to best remove tasks you no longer have the time or energy for.
To be able to feel your best and do your best, you need to make sure your own cup is full. Because remember, you can’t pour out of an empty cup. So make time every day to do something that keeps you going, something that you like doing, just for yourself. It could be a long shower, curling up with a good book, painting or simply sitting with a cup of tea without a list of things to do going on in your mind.
Spring clean your biggest asset, your body! Take a good look at your diet. Do you drink enough water? Are you eating a balanced diet? Are there any small steps that you can take to improve your diet and your physical health?
A good diet goes hand in hand with some form of exercise. If you are not into doing any intense workouts, try basic yoga to improve your energy levels as well as your mood. Start with just ten minutes a day. You will begin to notice the difference in a few days. Consistency is key.
Meditation also works wonders to ease the mind and help with developing awareness. It can improve the quality of your sleep and make you feel more in control of your thoughts.
Remember, you are your biggest cheerleader. So take some time to write positive notes for yourself and leave them around your apartment; on the bathroom mirror so there is a pick me up note right before you start your day, something on the fridge for you to glance at as your struggle to race through breakfast and something next to your bed, so you can end the day knowing tomorrow can and will be better.
Any spring cleaning will be incomplete without a thorough cleaning of your social media accounts. Take some time to out to unfollow people and accounts that end up promoting mindless consumerism and make you feel negative. You don’t need to mindlessly browse through all your stories to find out what is going on in other people’s lives. Because that time can be better spent investing in your own life.
Don’t be scared to unfriend people you no longer want to be in touch with. And maybe, just maybe, think about clicking that ‘Deactivate’ button that is glaring at you from your phone screen. Maybe your mind, body and soul need to deactivate from the façade on social media so you can feel the reality of the cool evening air and the warmth of the coffee mug as it rests in your palms. Try it. You might find it more addictive than the Metaverse.
