with spring comes sunny days, flowers in bloom, and of course, spring cleaning. it’s the perfect opportunity to tidy up the home; out with the old and in with the new! but spring cleaning shouldn’t be limited only to your apartment. your mind, heart, body and soul can certainly use a spring cleaning break too – a chance to look within and hit refresh. here are 5 honest tips to spring clean your life and build a happier, healthier you!
declutter
tidying up your home and tossing out junk is one of the most literal ways of spring cleaning, sure, but what about the stuff that might not cause a mess in your apartment but is still completely unnecessary? are you still holding on to those textbooks from your university years? how about those random christmas presents you received but never used? and what about those clothes deep in your wardrobe that hasn’t seen the light of day in a while? things, even if they are put away, can continue to clutter our mind as we hold on to them because of sentimental value. as we go through life, our likes and needs are constantly changing. tell yourself to let go of the past, because there’s a whole future ahead and if you don’t declutter now, you won’t have space to collect more memories that really matter. you can always donate a bit of your past to help somebody else’s future.
sweat
and this isn’t just because the sun is shining brighter. squeezing in some fitness sessions into your weekly routine is a great way to get the adrenaline – and mood-lifting endorphins – pumping. exercise makes us feel great, but sometimes too many obstacles stand in the way of us exercising and it becomes a chore instead. so why not pick a sport or a workout class that you will actually enjoy? better still, grab a pal while you’re at it. make those wednesday evening crossfit classes a thing you really look forward to in the week. outside of strictly defined exercise time, stop avoiding the stairs and stop looking for parking lots near the supermarket. come on, you can do it!
me-time
most of us really underestimate the amount of “me-time” we need, as we’re constantly giving our time to work, problem-solving, socialising… we all need to take a breather every now and then to recharge. for some people, it’s a lounge chair with a glass of wine in hand at the end of a long day. for others, it might be hot yoga, their favourite iced coffee in their favourite café, a catch-up session with a bestie, that zen meditation class or hey, button mashing their favourite console game. admittedly, not all of us get to chill out in our own hammock in our own garden, but that’s why we need to learn to discover the things that make us happy, and then make them a permanent fixture in our busy schedules. it’s spring after all; take some time to smell the roses.
friendships
we collect many friendships along the way, and as we change and grow, sometimes it can be in our best interest to say goodbye to some friendships, especially toxic ones. if you don’t get a good feeling from them, whether they don’t show that they value you as a person, your opinion or your company, or if negativity constantly flows from them and affects you emotionally – it’s time to cut them loose. holding on these toxic relationships can be straining, both mentally and emotionally. as they say, you don’t want such people to “live rent-free in your mind”, sapping you of your own positive and happy feelings. this isn’t an excuse to quickly write friends off though. if a friend is being negative but you know that they’re not usually like that, take the time to be a supportive and help pull them out of that rut. having strong friendships that can last through thick and thin is a big part of living a healthy, fulfilled life.
romance
it’s something that almost never happens on tv but taking the time to check-in on your love life can have amazing results. ask yourself this: are you happy? we might not even realize if we are unhappy in a relationship until we force ourselves to take stock of the situation. you and your partner’s happiness are the most important things to look at. can you make each other happier and feel more loved? or is it time to walk away? you shouldn’t continue in a broken relationship with the hope things will get better if it hasn’t been so in the last few years. if you’re single, how have the last few dates you’ve been on gone? keeping in mind a few non-negotiables will help you say “no” to all the wrong people so that you’ll get closer to finding just the right person for you. it might be better to be single and happy than to be in an unhappy relationship with the wrong person.
so, go on. toss out useless stuff. get moving. take time to chill. and cut out toxic and unhealthy relationships. you’ll see how much happier you’ll feel after spring cleaning your life. and when it comes to the literal spring cleaning of your home, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. there’s always a method to the madness.
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